Medical practice mergers: 8 things every administrator should evaluate first

Blog
Article

Explore essential strategies for a successful medical practice merger, ensuring improved services and seamless integration while avoiding common pitfalls.

FAQ: Merging Medical Practices

Why do medical practices merge?
To expand services, improve negotiating power with payers, share costs, and gain operational efficiencies. Strategic alignment is key. Read more.

What’s the biggest risk in a merger?
Cultural misalignment. Even profitable mergers can fail if values, workflows, and patient care philosophies clash. Why culture matters.

How long does a merger take?
Typically six months to a year, depending on due diligence, system integration, and contract reviews.

Do we need outside help?
Yes. Attorneys, accountants, and consultants with health care experience can identify financial, legal, and operational risks. Strategic diligence checklist.

What should we tell patients?
Be proactive and transparent. Explain how the merger benefits them, address changes, and reassure continuity of care. Managing communication.

Can we keep different EHR systems?
Possible, but not recommended. Unifying systems improves efficiency and reduces errors. Integration guidance.

Merging a medical practice with another can be a turning point — one that brings the promise of expanded services, better negotiating leverage with payers, and relief from rising administrative costs. But the decision also carries risks. A poorly planned merger can disrupt patient care, alienate staff, and create financial headaches that are difficult to unwind. The process involves far more than combining bank accounts and signing a few contracts; it’s a complex alignment of cultures, systems, and strategies. From ensuring both sides share a clear vision to mapping out how technology platforms will integrate, each decision can make the difference between a smooth transition and a costly misstep. Before you sign on the dotted line, here are eight critical areas to evaluate so your practice emerges stronger, not fractured, after the merger.

Newsletter

Optimize your practice with the Physicians Practice newsletter, offering management pearls, leadership tips, and business strategies tailored for practice administrators and physicians of any specialty.

Recent Videos
Jennifer Wiggins
Jennifer Wiggins
Stephen A. Dickens, JD, MAEd, FACMPE, on strategic planning in times of uncertainty.
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.