Who Are You?
My name is Diane Smart, and it’s no co-incidence that I have the same last name as the doctor. Gary and I have been married since 1979, and have 3 grown sons. I am the Office Manager at South Portland Chiropractic, and in addition to coordinating provider schedules, I also oversee the insurance and billing aspects of the practice.
How long have you worked here?
Although I have always been sort of an unofficial staff member, nine years ago (once our sons were grown) we made it official.
What do you enjoy most about working here?
I have always enjoyed meeting and talking with people, and this job combines that with the opportunity to watch patients progress and get better. It is nice to know that almost everyone who leaves feels better than when they walked in: that’s a pretty heady feeling. What can I say? Patient’s really like coming her for their chiropractic care.
What are some of your hobbies? What do you enjoy doing when you are not at work?
I love finding the time to read; suspense, mystery and romance books are some of my favorites. I also find the time to work out, and of course like the rest of my family I am a huge baseball fan, and anytime I get the chance to travel, you can count me in!
What is your background? (Education or work/job experience?)
I graduated from the University of Maine-Orono with a degree in education. I was fortunate to be able to stay at home and raise my sons and care for my family, and equally fortunate to be able to work here for the past nine years.
Why do you think people should come here for treatment? What makes this place special?
This might sound corny or clichéd, but we really treat people like family. If someone is hurt and calls for an appointment, we are almost always able to squeeze them in to the schedule. In fact the doctor will make arrangements to come in on his day off to treat a patient if that is what’s needed. Our patients know that we all want them to get better as quickly as possible.
I also think our staff makes us special. Lorraine and I share the front desk responsibility and our objective is always to make whoever enters the practice feel at ease, welcomed, and very important … because they are!
Anything Else?
Yes. This is the kind of place I would come to, even if I didn’t work here.