Today we’d like to introduce you to Dr. Katy Mudry.
Hi Dr. Katy, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
My mother was a chiropractor in the Carlisle, PA area from 1984 until 1999. She was well known and deeply loved in the community, practicing until she passed away. Although I never began my college career intending to follow in her footsteps, fate seemed to have other plans.
I entered college as a pre-pharmacy major, but after spending a summer working in a pharmacy, I quickly realized that career path wasn’t for me. During my senior year, I attended a Biology Club meeting where the guest speaker happened to be a chiropractor. As I sat listening, I remember thinking, *“We already know all of this. Tell us something we don’t know!”* But when I looked around the room, everyone else seemed completely fascinated and “wowed” by what they were hearing.
That was the moment I realized that not everyone had grown up the way I had. Chiropractic care had always been a normal part of my life. I assumed everyone was adjusted regularly, just as they had their teeth cleaned or went for an annual wellness check. It simply wasn’t something you talked about with your teenage friends, so I had never considered that my experience was unique.
I left that meeting thinking that perhaps chiropractic was exactly what I was meant to do. I applied to three chiropractic colleges and was accepted to all of them. One school, however, immediately stood out: Sherman College of Chiropractic, the same college my mother had attended. They even offered me a small legacy scholarship. Once again, it felt like fate was talking to me.
So, off I went for the next four years. When I graduated in December 2010, I decided to carry on the philosophy and practice model my mother had established in the Carlisle area—one that had been so loved by the community years earlier. There was an especially meaningful connection to that decision: when my mother graduated from Sherman College on that same stage 27 years earlier, she was nine months pregnant with me. My father always said, “I never thought I’d see you walk that stage twice.” Fate, it seems, had come full circle.
I opened the doors to my own practice on April 1, 2011. I had a big dream and set out to make it happen. Over the past 15 years, I have built a practice centered around the core values of putting patients first, providing clear and concise chiropractic care, and creating an environment that feels like home.
Our passion is to support wellness through every season of life—from the day you are born and throughout all of life’s milestones and changes. What began as a one-woman operation has grown into a thriving practice with three Doctors of Chiropractic, three support staff members, and a massage therapist. We provide individualized chiropractic care along with a variety of therapies and modalities tailored to meet the unique needs of each patient.
At the heart of it all, our goal remains the same: to care for people, support their health and wellness, and make every patient feel like part of our family.
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
As with any business, there have certainly been growing pains. When people ask me if I love my job, my answer is always the same: I love being a chiropractor, but being a business owner isn’t necessarily my favorite part.
One of the biggest challenges has been finding the balance between caring for my patients and running a profitable business that allows me to keep the doors open. I received the best education money could buy when it came to becoming a chiropractor, but I learned very little about business, finances, or what it actually takes to build and operate a successful practice.
Even getting the money to open my doors was a process I wouldn’t wish on anyone. It took three different banks before I found someone willing to believe in me and support my business plan. Looking back, that experience taught me a lot about persistence and believing in your vision, even when someone else doesn’t see it yet.
As the practice grew, new challenges came with that growth. Knowing when “busy” was busy enough to bring on another chiropractor or staff member wasn’t always an easy decision. Every new employee meant another person and family depending on me for a paycheck. That responsibility is something I carry with me every day, regardless of how good business is.
There have definitely been stressful moments, difficult decisions, and plenty of sleepless nights along the way. But every challenge has taught me something and helped shape the practice we have today.
And despite all of it, if you asked me whether I would do it all over again, the answer would be an absolute yes! The opportunity to build something I believe in, care for my community, and create a practice that feels like home to both our patients and our team makes every challenge along the way worth it.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
Hughes Family Chiropractic Center is a family-centered chiropractic practice built around a simple belief: healthcare should feel personal, approachable, and centered around the individual—not just the problem they walked in with.
Our passion is supporting wellness through every season of life through chiropractic care catered to you. We care for people at every stage of life, from newborns and growing children to athletes, busy parents, grandparents, and everyone in between. Our goal isn’t simply to help someone feel better when they’re hurting, but to help people understand their bodies, support their overall wellness, and stay healthy throughout life’s many seasons.
Our practice is built around four core values: Clear & Concise Chiropractic, Magnetic Environment, Patients First, and Timeliness Matters. We believe patients deserve to understand their care without complicated explanations or unnecessary treatment. We strive to create an environment that people are drawn to—a place where our patients feel welcomed, known, and genuinely cared for. We put patients first in the decisions we make, and we respect their time because we know how valuable it is.
What sets us apart is the combination of clinical care and the experience we create. We have grown from a one-person practice into a team of three chiropractors, support staff, and a massage therapist, while maintaining the feeling of a small, family-oriented practice. We offer chiropractic care alongside additional therapies and modalities, allowing us to cater care to the individual rather than taking a one-size-fits-all approach. We offer Softwave therapy that is a new therapy that is making huge advances in patient healing.
From a brand perspective, I am most proud that Hughes Family Chiropractic has become more than just a place people come when they are in pain. We have created a community where people come to invest in their health and wellness, and where generations of families can receive care together. Seeing children who were once patients grow up and bring their own families into the practice is incredibly rewarding. Patients often say to us “you guys are having too much fun here” after hearing the laughs from the waiting room or participating in the conversation at hand at the reception desk.
Looking toward the future, we have set an ambitious 10-year goal: to improve the wellness of 10,000 people in Carlisle and the surrounding communities. For us, that number represents more than patients through our doors. It represents 10,000 people who have been given the knowledge, tools, and care to live healthier lives.
Ultimately, we want our community to know that when you walk through the doors of Hughes Family Chiropractic, you’re not just another appointment. You’re a person, you’re part of our community, and your health matters to us.
Networking and finding a mentor can have such a positive impact on one’s life and career. Any advice?
I don’t have too much to say in this department, as my greatest mentor has always been my mother. I have continued to grow as a chiropractor and business owner with her influence and example constantly in the back of my mind. My brother is also a business owner and he has been a sound resource for helping me implement an operating system that keeps my business on track and growing.
Over the years, I have tried different networking groups, although none were specifically focused on chiropractic, and I never found them to be particularly beneficial to my practice. Instead, the heart of my practice growth and day-to-day operations has been having a strong practice operating system and, most importantly, a team that is truly on my side.
I am fortunate to have a team that helps me brainstorm ideas, research opportunities, problem-solve challenges, and then execute those ideas. I don’t believe a successful practice is built by one person alone. Having people around you who believe in the vision, bring different strengths to the table, and are willing to help carry it forward has been one of the most important factors in our growth.
Pricing:
- Softwave therapy discovery session $49
- Accept most major medical insurances for chiropractic care
- Special Military pricing
- Affordable self pay/non insurance chiropractic adjustment $38
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.hughesfamilychiropractic.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/hughesfamilychiro
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/HughesFamilyChiro
