Why medical practitioners should join a larger physician group
Over the last decade or so, the medical field has shifted dramatically from being predominantly solo practitioners to larger organizations of physicians. What caused this shift? In today’s market, there are even more things for a doctor to navigate such as the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health (HITECH) Act as well as the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA).
One of the biggest pulls for practitioners to join large physician groups is that it is more cost effective. With the HITECH Act, which requires expensive electronic health record systems, it is more practical for a larger practice with multiple doctors to maintain such a system than it is for the solo practitioner[1].
The other draws for physician groups is that they naturally encourage professional networking in the medical field as well as promote collaboration. Instead of the solo practitioner leaving his or her practice to gather medical knowledge, the larger physician group will be an immediate resource for all practitioners.
One of the final reasons many physicians join organizations is the automatic branding which will help advance their business to a wider range of patients.
Grow your network
If you are a solo practitioner, you may be wondering how to grow your network. For many doctors, joining a physician group immediately expands networking opportunities to your community and beyond. However, like anything, there will always be pros and cons to joining a larger organization.
As for pros, brand awareness is probably the most prominent. By joining a physician group, your image and reputation will become a permanent and dependable fixture in your community, especially if you join a well-trusted group. As a result, you will have a steady increase of patients.
Also, since most physician groups are multi-specialty practices, you won’t be competing with other practitioners in your field. Instead, you will be working in a collaborative space with other medical professionals who value your area of expertise. Compared to a solo practice, a group medical practice offers greater financial security as well as a better control of lifestyle[2].
In terms of cons, the biggest trade-off will be the loss of total independence. Part of aligning with a larger medical group is that you are agreeing to homogeneous policies and procedures that help the organization run as effectively as possible.
For example, as a solo practitioner, you would have complete control over every aspect of your practice. As a group practitioner, on the other hand, you may have no say in certain matters such as the billing service provider. For this reason, you must evaluate your priorities to determine which path will suit your medical career best.
Supporting your existing patients
If you are a medical professional that wants to expand the horizons of your practice, join our group of participating practitioners here at Green Leaf Sciences. As part of The GHT Companies, Green Leaf Sciences is dedicated to developing and manufacturing vegan health products and other beneficial supplements that support the well-being and overall health of patients.
If you frequently write prescriptions for supplements and vitamins , you cannot be sure that your patients are getting those supplements or, if they are, that they are the best supplements on the market. However, when you order white labeled supplements from Green Leaf Sciences, you eliminate the middle man by giving your patients direct access to vital and beneficial products which will promote optimum health.