Direct Care Endocrinology

Set up client bill accounts with the lab of your choice. This takes some time, especially the part where you integrate ordering into your EMR, so start early. First, what is client bill? A physician can make an arrangement with a lab where that physician gets deep discounts on labs for their patients. Like labs […]

I know you all love Epic. I love Epic, too. Sometimes I miss it, but not really. These big box EMR are created for capturing billing and other data that are not relevant in direct care. They are a product of the insurance system. Thus, there is enormous price bloat in them just like everything

You will need legal documents in place before you start enrolling patients. The documents you will need are: Patient enrollment agreement: This is the document that sets the terms of your clinic with your patient. Things to include are scope of practice, emergency guidelines, pricing and Medicare information whether you are opted in or out.

Hire a good CPA. Make sure your CPA is licensed. There are definitely charlatans and unethical financial people in this world. There are people who call themselves tax professionals who are not a CPA.  I had no idea, but it totally makes sense. There are so many non-credentialed people selling medical misinformation. There are many

Accounting. Many of us physicians have a mental block around accounting. Somewhere it got ingrained in us that if we do good work, we will be taken care of. Or, worse, we work so hard that we deserve all the things. Well, friends, you gotta let that way of thinking go. Budgeting and accounting are

Panic contracts. This is what I call signing up for hourly contract for odd jobs like moonlighting or call coverage that do not serve your business goals, just in case your practice does not work out. These will take time away from your own business. Your own business is where you will thrive. Why would

Now that you are working on your reputation and niche, let’s talk about actually starting a business. First you will have to register your business with the secretary of state. This can be done online. You can hire an attorney to do this. It is not hard to do. I actually had an attorney friend

Find your niche. We are all different – that is what makes the world of endocrinology so wonderful. Some of us love type two diabetes, some of us love bone, thyroid, obesity, lifestyle. There are so many sub-subspecialties within endocrinology and we all know what we gravitate toward. Doing what you are passionate about will

When you leave your current practice, you will not have access to your patients. There is likely a non-solicitation clause in your employment agreement. You do not want to get caught up in a legal battle over patient solicitation. Patients, however, have free will to see whoever they want for their care. There is nothing

When starting your direct care practice, the work starts far before you open your clinic doors. In this space, your reputation is everything. The great news is that you have been building that every minute until now. When planning for your direct care practice, it is time to become intentional about this. You need to