We're Closing Our Practice and Moving On
Economic opportunity, a busy international airport, and a warm climate are fueling our move from Massachusetts to Sin City, and from owner to employed.
Why Our Medical Practice is Dying
Here's why practices like ours can't thrive in this new environment. MGMA has the data to back it up.
Switching EHRs is a Headache for this Practice
To fall in line with its IPA, this practice is reluctantly switching its EHR system. Here's why they aren't happy about it.
Stop Signing Doctor's Notes to Avoid Being Sued
There is a precedent happening in pediatrics as helicopter parents and overbearing daycare centers have created a sharp increase in "doctor's notes."
A Love Letter to Our Favorite Payers
The current state of our relationship is an illogical, Kafkaesque nightmare with a deadbeat. Yes, we're talking about you, payers.
Pushing Back on Cliché-Driven Presentations
Are you hearing the same tired clichés in presentations and meetings? Remove the noise from your life and push back.
Get Involved with Medical Groups to Reduce Burnout
Many issues feel overwhelming when confronted in an isolated office, which is why joining a medical society with like-minded folks can be empowering.
Let's Talk About Triple Aim
The Triple Aim has created immense pressure to integrate the care we provide into the larger healthcare system, at great cost to our practice.
Well-Child Exams and Payer Rules
Scheduling well-child exams in our practice has become a study in complexity, as we try to accommodate both payers and parents.
The Challenge of Providing Affordable Primary Care
Their practice was founded on the principle of affordable care for patients, while providing a good living for its owners. Now that dream is fading.
Transparency in Patient Relations Is Best
Patient can be irate when it comes to higher than expected bills. This practice found the best way to address the issue is to be frank.
Physician Burnout and Round-the-Clock Primary Care
Certainly physicians want to be responsive to their patients. But they shouldn't provide 24/7 "on-demand" services like Amazon.
Physician Cutting Costs to Stay Solvent
This pediatric micro-practice was hit particularly hard by state cuts and is considering eliminating lower-paying Medicaid patients from the practice.
Physician Advocacy for Teen Health
We believe it is the role of physicians to look beyond the walls of their office and have an influence on the health of their communities.
Utilizing 'Seinfeld' to Explain Healthcare to Our Family
Sometimes the best way to diffuse anxiety and fear, for both physicians and patients, is humor.
Embracing Change in Medical Practice
It is vital for physicians to break out of their individual silos of expertise and network with their peers and colleagues.
Our Patients Are Paralyzed by Choice
Providing patients with too many options may not help them at all. Without adequate resources to make well-informed decisions, they may just feel angry.
Why Our Independent Practice May Be at Its End
Unconventional choices in the past steered us to success in the present. But it’s the future that's looking murky for our independent practice.
Poverty, Not Lack of Care Coordination, Increases Costs
Physicians are good at lots of things, but solving the issues of poverty isn't one of them.
Medical Meetings: Go from Tyrant to Trendsetter
From 7 a.m. grand rounds to in-person meetings that should be conference calls, we're going beyond just saying "no." We are declaring our independence.
The Cost of Insurance Payment Policies on Public Health
A change in coding for behavioral screenings illustrates how payer payment policies negate any big-data promises of ICD-10.
When Measuring Care Quality, Some Contracts Miss the Mark
One of our payer quality metrics is more like student standardized testing - the intent is good, but the result is a poor indicator of true success.
Sorry Parents, No More Medical Excuse Notes
Our pediatric practice has a new policy: no more medical excuse notes. Here's why we did it and how we let everyone know about our new stance.
Why We are Fighting for a Single Payer Healthcare System
For us, the health insurance companies represent a huge problem. We believe the solution is single payer, and we’re doing something about it.
The Emotional Struggle After a Patient's Overdose Death
One of our patients recently died of a heroin overdose. Could we have seen this coming? What can we do now to help his family?
A Physician's Perspective: Parents Who Refuse to Vaccinate
We accept patients whose parents refuse to vaccinate them into our practice, but it's not an easy road, and it's not an easy decision.
Perspectives from a Physician/Administrator Spouse Team
Eight years after opening their medical practice, a physician and administrator spouse team reflects on what makes them successful.
Balancing Medical Knowledge with Patients' Beliefs
Many of our patients employ treatments that we would never recommend, and others refuse treatments that we do recommend. Here's how we deal at our practice.
A Promising Future for Independent Medical Practices
We believe that the future of U.S. healthcare is decentralized, mobilized, and democratized. Here's why.
Five Words that Improve Patient, Physician Communication
Much of great customer service medical practices comes down to whether you can help patients differentiate their wants from their needs.