When to Add Staff

Article

I have a new office with two employees. We are seeing about 13 people per day, which puts us close to breaking even for the day. Is there a practical reference that will help me to decide at what point it is best to add another employee?

Question: I have a new office with two employees. We are seeing about 13 people per day, which puts us close to breaking even for the day. Is there a practical reference that will help me to decide at what point it is best to add another employee?

Answer: There is no hard and fast rule, although I’d say you’ll want at least 30 patients a day. You want to know that you’ll be profitable enough to cover the expense and still pay yourself.

I seem to be talking to more and more physicians who are purposefully keeping staffing (and patient panels) low. They prefer low overhead even if it also means less revenue. They make less, but keep more of it.

Run some models for your practice. If you added another staffer, how many more patients would you be able to see? Up to 40 or even more per day per physician is increasingly common. If you saw that many, what would your revenue be? Would it cover the additional costs? Barely? Or well enough to make the aggravation worth it?

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
P2 Management Minute: Keeping practice staff happy
P2 Management Minute: Improving patient satisfaction
P2 Management Minute: Measuring practice staff performance
P2 Management Minute: Making your practice welcoming to patients
P2 Management Minute: Reducing malpractice risk
P2 Management Minute: Summer staffing shortages
P2 Management Minute: Hiring practice staff
P2 Management Minute: Defeating payer denials
Tips for controlling overhead costs
What is P2 Management Minute?
Related Content
© 2025 MJH Life Sciences

All rights reserved.