NEW BERLIN – Anyone taking a quick look around the Village of New Berlin is sure to notice the new lettering on a vacant storefront indicating that a new business has made its way into the center of the village.
During the month of January, Dr. Robert Shane began the process of moving his chiropractor practice into the first floor of 14 N. Main St.
While Shane said he is “technically open and seeing patients at the new office,” he hopes in the coming weeks to put the finishing touches on some upgrades and eventually hold a grand opening celebration to invite the community to learn what services he offers.
Born in Canada, Shane would eventually settle in the Syracuse suburb of Baldwinsville. After receiving his education from SUNY Fredonia and the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College in Toronto, he would eventually establish and operate a practice in Baldwinsville in 1986 until he sold the business to an associate in 2004.
While working at his primary practice as a Chiropractor, Shane became passionately interested in safety and occupational health, which led him to pursue a post graduate degree in occupational safety. Armed with this education, Shane developed a secondary business for consulting and working with companies in the field of occupational health.
After selling his practice, Shane went to work full time for the Marsellus Casket Company. The company closed shortly thereafter, when the corporate conglomerate Service Corporation International – which acquired Marsellus in 1997 – deemed that the third generation company was not profitable, leaving 315 employees, including Shane, out of work.
Since the closure of Marsellus, Shane continued on his path of occupational safety consulting which would eventually lead him to the Chobani company in South Edmeston. While Shane initially started his business relationship at Chobani as an independent contractor in the occupational health field, he would ultimately be brought on as a full-time employee as a safety coordinator; dealing with workers compensation cases, evaluating work-related injuries and making recommendations that would reduce downtime and increase profits.
As with all things business, change was the constant, he said. When Chobani implemented a series of infrastructure adjustments in late 2013 to align its workforce with that of industry standards for the sake of quality, safety and balance, Shane returned to his role as an independent contractor with the company as an OSHA safety specialist.
Monopolizing on his freedom, Shane decided to open a new practice in New Berlin to address a need that he realized existed. “75 to 85 percent of all workers compensation costs ... can be attributed to musculoskeletal injuries,” said Shane. “The rigorous demand of repetitive motion in manufacturing leads to a number of ailments that can be treated right here in the office,” he said.
“Injuries are going to happen when you have repetitive work, there's no question about it. If you manage it properly, you can greatly reduce the severity of the injury and eliminate lost work days,” said Shane.
While Shane accepts most health insurances offered by employers, he indicates that most co-pays are $40 for office visits. “I charge $30 per office visit so patients won't need to hassle with their insurance companies,” He said.
Working as a board-certified Chiropractor in the small-town setting of New Berlin reminds Shane of the early days of running the practice in Baldwinsville right out of college.
“Moving here, I can enjoy working amongst the small town atmosphere again,” he said. “My first patient was the Deputy Mayor, who I worked with and then walked home because it was slippery out.”
“I expect to be open on Monday, Wednesday and Friday throughout the week, with some morning and afternoon hours,” said Shane.
For more information or to schedule an appointment, call 315-439-4640 or email Dr. Shane directly at rshane@twcny.rr.com.