Is the Independent Physician a Dinosaur?

Not too long ago, you couldn’t avoid reading in the media about how the independent doctors  were becoming extinct.

Pundits and experts in the field stressed that if independent doctors, those that own their own practice, didn’t join, sell, merge or retire all together, they were going to walk the same path as travel agents, video stores and mom-and-pop own book stores.

I’ve subscribed to a different thought.

I’m crazy enough to believe that there will always be a place for the small independent practice.

Sure, practices will have to adjust, figure out new ways to meet the demands (just like any other business) of a changing healthcare landscape.

But I’ve argued that even though travel agents aren’t around anymore, airlines, hotels and car rental companies are. Even though video stores are a thing of the past, Hollywood hasn’t stopped making movies. If anything, we have access to more video content than ever before.

But it has been a hard sell (not that I’m really selling anything) to convince people that the end of the world for private practices is not a certainty for all.

Recently, I’ve received great news from the consultant fronts. In conversations with Susanne Madden from the Verden Group, Mary Pat Whaley from Managemypractice.com and the Pediatric Practice Management AwesomeCast’s very own, Chip Hart with PCC, it seems that the independent private practice pediatrician is on the rise.

They all have shared with me that in recent months, their offices have field numerous inquiries from pediatricians looking to breakaway from the, let’s say, industrialized, corporate, factory style medicine, and start their own practice so they can practice medicine on their own terms.

Chip and I couldn’t wait much longer to talk about this topic because it is an area we are both very interested in. So for this week’s episode, we dedicate almost a full hour on the topic of being an independent physician.

We talk about what it means to be independent, the different kinds of independency (yes, there are several kinds), what are some of the trends out there and what to look for when exploring other options for your practice. Listen at http://youtu.be/2CMv1NcaNgU. 

(This blog was originally posted on Pediatric Inc)

Brandon Betancourt is a business director for a pediatric practice in Chicago. He is a speaker, consultant and blogger. You can follow him on Twitter @PediatricInc or visit his blog at PediatricInc.com.