How It Began: The Story of ChiroTouch’s Start

Highlights

• ChiroTouch’s origins: The idea for ChiroTouch was sparked when founder Ron McNeil, a talented coder, created a patient management system for his chiropractor after hearing about the struggles with outdated systems.
• First product success: In just four hours, Ron developed the first version of ChiroTouch, which quickly impressed chiropractors, paving the way for the platform’s initial success as PSChiro.
• Rebranding and expansion: After its initial launch in 2002, PSChiro was rebranded as ChiroTouch in 2003, and the company rapidly grew, reaching 25 clients by the end of the year and over 3,500 licenses by 2012.
• 25 years of innovation: ChiroTouch celebrates 25 years of service, from its humble beginnings to becoming a leader in cloud-based chiropractic software, always focused on helping chiropractors succeed.

How Did ChiroTouch Begin?

Long before we offered the leading cloud-based chiropractic software, before our exceptional server-based solution, and even before we were called ChiroTouch, our creator,  Ron McNeil, was harboring the idea for what would inevitably become a revolutionary management system for chiropractic practices.

Ron McNeil, the founder of what we know now as ChiroTouch, is what many would call a “free spirit.” In fact, many of his classmates at Loyola University New Orleans fondly recall that he spent most of his time outside of the classroom, often pursuing the more social aspects of his collegiate experience.

Even with his affinity for socializing rather than studying, Ron somehow managed to remain top of his class in coding and even tutored many of his fellow classmates. In many respects Ron has always been committed to helping those around him succeed, utilizing his natural talents to elevate everyone he encounters.

After successfully navigating his collegiate endeavors, Ron moved to San Diego, where he began working as a freelance software consultant and coder. Ron’s schedule was unique, to say the least. He would begin his day around 4 or 5 pm, work all night, and then go play golf at dawn before going to bed around nine or ten in the morning.

Ron’s schedule wasn’t his only interesting trait... he was a brilliant coder and would routinely complete tasks in a fraction of the time that it would take his colleagues.

Ron’s natural aptitude for coding eventually led him to a unique relationship with Dr. Hans Wiederrich, a chiropractor who was helping Ron with some of his chronic back issues in the late ‘90s and early ‘00s. During one such adjustment, Dr. Wiederrich began to complain aloud that he was fed up with his archaic patient data collection system. Naturally, Ron took note.

Ron went home that evening, and in a period of about four hours, produced the first version of what would eventually become the ChiroTouch platform you know today. To Dr. Wiederrich’s amazement, Ron delivered the software to Dr. Wiederrich the next day on a floppy disk. Even this rudimentary version of Ron’s software left Dr. Wiederrich astounded at how much more effectively he could run his practice.  

While Dr. Wiederrich was pleased with the software Ron had given him, Ron’s dedication to perfection spurred him to continue refining the software over three years. Ron’s chronic back problems kept him in constant contact with chiropractors throughout the San Diego area, and he often traded copies of updated versions for free adjustments.

Eventually, Ron decided that the software was fit for sale, and he named his paperless practice management solution PSChiro, a shorthand for “paperless chiropractic solution.” Ron sold the very first copy of PSChiro at the now popular chiropractic trade show known as Parker to Dr. Jeffery Kiddy on July 18^th, 2002.

Ron’s first-ever sale of PSChiro was a landmark event in a series of decade-long accomplishments and accolades but for Ron, this moment confirmed his hunch that chiropractors were desperately in need of a solution that could help them grow by adapting to their unique needs while nimbly adjusting to new changes in technology. In August of 2003, PSChiro was renamed and re-launched as ChiroTouch, which included an ad in American Chiropractor with a pitch to “go paperless.”

By the end of 2003, ChiroTouch had grown to 25 clients, a number that would grow rapidly over the next several years. Ron would go on to partner with Dr. Michael Failla, and their collaborations helped expand ChiroTouch’s reach, eventually passing 3500 licenses sold by 2012.

With each year that passed, ChiroTouch continued to enhance its product to meet the needs of chiropractors across the country. ChiroTouch’s continued commitment to advancing technology eventually led to the creation of the cloud-based software you have come to know in its current iteration.

Now, we’re thrilled to be celebrating 25 years of service to the chiropractic industry, and this narrative of how it all began reminds us that even from the start, we’ve been committed to making the lives of chiropractors easier.

ChiroTouch’s connection to the chiropractic industry is the core of our identity, and by retracing our history we can clearly see that our desire to help chiropractors is the foundation of who we are as a company. We are thrilled to have maintained so many wonderful partnerships throughout these past 25 years, and we look forward to continuing to serve and evolve with the chiropractic industry in the future.

Happy 25-year anniversary of ChiroTouch!