29 Mar Brief Interview with Martin & Darren of Lanna Rehab
Lanna Rehab now has its first year under its belt. It has been remarkably successful and has become a go-to center for athletes and celebrities, as well as those from more typical walks of life. We sat down with Darren Lockie, CEO, and Martin Peters, Program Director, to talk about their first year.
You both were part of the creation of one of the largest rehab centers in Thailand, with over 60 beds. Why did you leave that center?
MP: I have always held the belief that clients come first, and that I would only want to be a part of a program, or healthcare facility, that I would be comfortable sending a family member to. Unfortunately, the direction and ideology of that centre changed with the program and operations being driven by a desire to increase numbers of clients, provide lower standards of care and deliver disingenuous marketing. When a program no longer is run by clinicians and decisions are made by inexperienced finance people then it is time to move on. I remember a very long conversation with one of my professional colleagues in Hong Kong at the beginning of June 2015 where he said quite clearly, “it’s probably time for you to have a change, why don’t you just go ahead and establish a new program”, from that point on, there were multiple discussions with colleagues and mentors regarding this, and we finally made the decision in September 2015 to go for it. It just seemed the absolute right thing to do.
DL: In the world of rehab and addiction treatment, bigger isn’t necessarily better. As we built the previous center to 30 beds, then 40 beds, then 50 beds, we lost the individual care and attention that we had built the business on initially. Suddenly, we were spending all of our time and money trying to generate new clients and spending less and less time on the clients we already had. Client completion rates fell. Extension rates fell, and overall, the business was just not as effective as it was when it treated a smaller client census.
It became clear to me, that to be effective, and provide the highest level of individual care, that a rehab needed to be smaller, and we felt that a center of 15 – 20 beds was the most effective size.
So, we walked away from the most successful rehab in Asia to start Lanna Rehab and build the most effective and preferred addictions treatment facility in the world.
What did you learn from creating the largest rehab in Thailand that helped in creating Lanna?
MP: When Darren and I took control of the previous centre in 2011 we were averaging around 5-6 clients at any time, there was no proper program, no clear pathways of care and all in all it was a failing program. We totally overhauled the centre operationally and human resource wise, and within 8 months we were at full capacity of 40 clients, with a solid written program and clear structure within all aspects of the operations. We learnt a lot through our initial mistakes, bad hires and general evolution of building a brand. We certainly came to understand the industry a lot better, and how a program needs to operate. Our old centre was limited in its ability to develop due to its poor location and layout, so we were often constrained on some of the things that we wished to do. Most of all though, we learnt that honesty, empathy and client centered focus were the keys to creating something unique and special. I would never want to go back to working for facilities that have no real connection with the local community or who just see clients as a commodity. That’s why we have been quite clear that any of our old clients from our previous centre can access our Free 7 day refresher program, if they so choose. We made a long term commitment to all of those clients when we were there, and we will continue to stay committed.
DL: The major learning from my past rehab experience for me is that rehab is a business – it must be run like a business. Hiring highly experienced and passionate people in all aspects of the organization and treating them with respect was important for the staff in turn treating our clients with the utmost care and respect.
I also learned the rehab industry is a small industry. Having a good reputation and partnerships within the rehab industry was very important for helping us build a highly effective treatment program, client referrals and expanding our network, and we put a lot of effort into our Partner network, which we value as an important part of Lanna Rehab.
Finally, ensuring we have solid processes and controls in everything we do, from client electronic record systems, to accounting systems, housekeeping standards and human resource systems, it allows us to focus on clients instead of systems.
What were your goals when you first set out to staff Lanna and has that changed over the course of the year?
MP: I always envisaged the staffing and program to evolve in phases, and in my experience we are now entering our 2nd phase which is operating the program at full occupancy, completing our compliance phase of CARF accreditation and getting full Ministry of Health licensure. We have been exceptionally fortunate that all of the best and brightest staff that we previously worked with came with us, so we had a very strong base with which to work from. The support that we received from colleagues, former alumni and referrers around the globe was outstanding, and we have been very grateful for that support.
All of our senior staff such as Carol, Nid, Darren, Tony and myself have all worked together for a number of years, so we immediately hit the ground running. Lanna was not a simple start up, it was an evolution of everything that we had learnt before, and learnt what not to do.
I particularly look forward to hitting Phase 3 at the tail end of 2017, but I am not going to give away too many secrets at this point.
DL: We created a very detailed business plan that we felt had realistic goals that we wanted to hit in the first year, and built our hiring and expense plans around that. Obviously our plan was dependent on client numbers and marketing plans to achieve those numbers.
For example, we wanted to reach 12 clients per month by the end of the first year. We ended up doing that within 5 months, so we had to hire more staff and modify our expense model to accommodate our faster than planned client intake. Not a bad problem to have, I might add.
We also had expectations of how long clients would stay at Lanna, and we have found that the average stay at Lanna is 2 months, but moving towards 3 months, something we did not anticipate based on our previous rehab experience. So, we had to make some minor changes to the program, and also develop a secondary care program for clients that completed Primary care but did not feel that they were ready to go home yet and needed more time to integrate back into a normal life.
But overall, our goals have been very close to what we expected, or slightly ahead of where we planned to be.
Lanna Rehab is beautifully appointed. Was luxury an important component to the treatment in your view?
MP: Darren and I, right from the start, had an idea of what we wanted, and it took literally months of looking for appropriate locations before we settled on our current facility. We had a very detailed checklist of attributes that we had to have, before we considered any spot, so we eventually narrowed it down to Chiang Mai. Our facility has an ideal layout, central, contained but spacious, but also safe and secure. I remember when we first walked into the facility, I immediately said to Darren, we have found the right place. Of course, you had to understand the vision, as it needed a number of improvements. What our team achieved in the space of 6 weeks to get the place ready for our first clients was amazing. We want our clients to be in an environment where they can be comfortable, and that’s why we have created the centre the way it is. The centre is only as good as its staff, and we have genuine professional caring staff members.
DL: Absolutely. If someone was willing to travel half-way around the world, we wanted them to feel comfortable, safe and in a really beautiful environment.
We looked at over 30 potential sites until we found the current site. It wasn’t perfect by any means, and required a lot of work on the gardens, pool, kitchen and community areas to make it perfect, and we continue to improve everyday.
It was important that all the guest rooms were equally as nice, with Thai style furniture and Western standards and comfortable beds. Believe me, if clients are not comfortable or not sleeping well, they let me know pretty quickly.
At Lanna all client rooms overlook a 20-meter swimming pool surrounded by sun loungers and umbrellas. The gym is all brand new and the gardens are maintained by a team of gardeners.
Food and nutrition needed an equal level of attention and all our meals are prepared by a team of Chefs who are really passionate about providing the highest quality food they possibly can.
So, if clients are sleeping well and relaxed and eating well and enjoying a beautiful facility, they can focus on the most important reason for being here – their recovery.
How does Lanna compare to other rehabs in Thailand and in the world?
MP: Thailand is a wonderful place for clients to come to get well. Our feedback and evaluations that we receive from clients and referrers have been exceptionally favorable, and I believe that what we offer is comparable to some of the best places around the world. Comparing us to other rehabs in Thailand is meaningless. We concentrate on doing the best we can, and constantly improving. We know what we are, and how we run our program and we won’t deviate for quick term gains, or cheap publicity. All of us have a long term track record in delivering quality care both, and our networks respect that. That’s one of the reasons why we do not rely on significant internet and media marketing campaigns. Most people find us through recommendation or referral.
DL: We pay little attention to other rehabs in Thailand, and instead focus on being a world class facility and not just the “best” in Thailand.
I think Lanna has established itself as the leading addictions treatment facility in Asia. And this isn’t just my opinion. It’s the opinion of the many Referral Partners that visit Lanna and evaluate our program compared to other rehabs and stay on site for up to a week, as well as clients who have previously been in other Thai rehabs or rehabs worldwide, and have chosen to come to Lanna and their evaluations and feedback are excellent.
Our highly experienced staff and high staff-to-client ratio, well-appointed facilities and affordable price give us an edge over the budget rehabs and large, “one size fits all” treatment facilities.
What advantages does Lanna offer its clients over other rehabs?
MP: Again, I am not sure in terms of how we can compare ourselves, as we have gone on a very different model to all of the other rehabs in our region. We quickly realized though that we needed a secure and safe location that was accessible to international airports and 20 minutes maximum from International hospitals. We also wanted to be very clear that we are very happy working with smaller groups of clients, so that they get more individualized care, and that everyone knows everyone. We don’t have sales teams, and commission driven admissions staff. Programmatic decisions are always made by clinicians, and there is never any interference from the business side in terms of delivery of care.
DL: I think our smaller client census, highly experienced staff, luxury facilities and affordable pricing really are what sets us apart from other rehabs in Thailand and around the world. Whilst we may be located in Thailand and benefit from everything Thailand and Chiang Mai have to offer, we are very much an International standard rehab and offer everything you would expect to find in the US or Europe, with the Thai smile and wonderful Thai attitude and cultural experience of Chiang Mai.
For example, a rehab of our standard in the US or Europe may be 3 or 4 times the price of Lanna Rehab, meaning that our price is a huge advantage for a client considering rehab options worldwide.
Our privacy and confidentiality is also why a lot of clients choose Lanna over other rehabs in Thailand, especially if they are a public personality, or someone that prefers not to tell family and friends that they are attending rehab.
How did Lanna end up becoming a go-to rehab for athletes and celebrities?
MP: Again, we have had a long track record of working in the field, and have worked with clients from all walks of life, including Hollywood A Listers, famous Musicians and Royalty. We didn’t really want to be seen as a “place for the famous”, but we have had a significant number of celebrities and athletes here in the first year. Those clients know that their privacy is guaranteed totally, and that nothing will be said should they not wish to say that they are here at Lanna. As an absolute sporting nut, and coming from a sporting family working with professional athletes has been interesting and brings with it a fresh dynamic.
DL: We always knew that the music and sports industries (among others) had issues with substance abuse and mental health. So, we hired people that had a lot of experience and credibility in these fields and set about to educate as many people as we could about substance abuse, addiction and mental health and what Lanna Rehab could offer.
As a result, we started to get a lot of celebrities and athletes that had either gotten themselves in some negative situations, or that just needed help, and they came to Lanna for treatment.
But what set Lanna apart was that we offer a highly confidential and anonymous place, and unless a client wanted to talk to the press or the industry, they could come to Lanna as a normal person without the distractions of press or fans. These types of clients really value that privacy, and as a result, they talk within their industry and Lanna is now seen as the “go to” place for celebrities and athletes.
So, what have you learned in your first year that you didn’t know before?
MP: The day I stop learning is going to the day I finally quit. The first year really has reiterated to me that I was correct to work to my values around treatment delivery, and it has justified my decision to be a co-founder of Lanna. I know that along the way we will always be making improvements and we will always continue to strive for excellence.
DL: I think the most important thing that we proved is that “smaller is better” – smaller client numbers and attention to individual needs works better than large client numbers and a “one size fits all” treatment approach. This has been very clear in the short time Lanna has been open and definitely contributes to our high completion and success rates.
Finally, why is Lanna worth the trip?
MP: I honestly can’t think of a better option for anyone who wants treatment in an individual and caring environment, at exceptionally good value. We have a wonderful team here, on every level. Nothing is overlooked.
DL: I always had a personal clarifying question about any service business, and for rehab especially, by asking “would I send a loved one into this rehab?”
Lanna is without doubt a rehab that I would recommend to a loved one for treatment.
There are many factors that play into that decision, but number 1 is the Treatment Program and the experience, passion and quality of the staff that deliver that program, and at Lanna, the staff is the most experienced team in Asia.
Second is the price – and at $9,995, the value for money is exceptional and far beyond what I could get treatment for in the US or Australia.
Lastly, for me, the facilities and environment are safe, caring, but also very conducive to effective treatment.
So, is Lanna worth the trip to Thailand? Absolutely.
