Big things come in micro-practice packages for entrepreneurial physicians

One physician client of mine is highly motivated to upgrade her exisiting solo practice from "ho-hum" to an efficient, joy-producing business. Another is eager to leave her unwieldy OB-Gyn group practice with its indifferent management, and take the reins for herself as a solo women's health practitioner.

I was delighted to send my clients two articles from September's Family Practice Management that oozed confidence-building information and help, for any physician wanting to take back control of his or her practice life.

The first article is written by "micro-practice" veteran, L. Gordon Moore MD whose journey from group to solo practice was profiled in the Wall Street Journal in February 2007, and John Wasson MD. Titled The Ideal Medical Practice Model: Improving Efficiency, Quality and the Doctor-Patient Relationship, the article explores.....

"what you get when you mix low overhead with high technology and wrap it around an excellent physician-patient relationship. You get an ideal medical practice - a practice model designed to enhance doctor-patient relationships, increase face-to-face time between doctors and patients, reduce physician workloads, instill patients with a sense of responsibility for their health and cut wasted dollars from the entire system."

The second, 7 Strategies for Creating a More Efficient Practice, chronicles the development of Dr. Lynne Ho's micro-practice (also known as an Innovative Medical Practice). In the article, she outlines the technologies that have helped her redesign and streamline her workflow to create greater efficiency and allow her to spend more time with each patient.

At the heart of both articles lies a deep sense of purpose - a commitment to creating a medical practice focused on serving patients rather than the needs of a "system", while remaining viable. They reflect the personal stand some doctors are taking against "healthcare corporatization", and for professional fulfillment.

Irrespective of your specialty, I urge you to read these articles to get a sense of where your entrepreneurial business opportunities lie -- in the mindset and the tools and resources -- to create the practice that you look forward to going to, at least on most days (be reasonable - it can't be perfect! <smile>).

Comments

[Ben Utley CFP®]

Pippa- nice post on the micro-practice issue. Check out this post in the same vein:
Ben Utley CFP®
I'll coin a new phrase to describe this entrepreneurial physician's business: nano-practice.

[STEVEN SHELLABARGER, MD]

PHILIPPA KENNEALY, MD

I BENEFIT GREATLY FROM YOUR WEBSITE
PLEASE ADVISE ME ON HOW TO SEARCH FOR A
MEDICAL WRITING POSITION IN THE PREVENTIVE MEDICINE ASPECTS OF WOMEN'S HEALTH [LIFESTYLE, SUPPLEMENTS,
PHARMACEUTICALS TO PREVENT OR ALLAY ILLNESS].

WITH GRATITUDE, STEVEN SHELLABARGER, MD
ob/gyn, preventive medicine
drs@socket.net