When I started my practice several years ago, I wanted to do it ALL – by myself. The physician-entrepreneur-do-it-yourselfer seemed to be a revered breed in the DPC books and Facebook posts I was reading. It felt like a righteous act of rebellion to reject the administrative shackles of the insurance-based world and learn to order my own supplies, choose my own malpractice policy, keep my own accounting books, and decorate my own clinic rooms. Nobody was going to own me now!
Doing it all myself (granted, with a little help from my spouse and family) was perfectly enjoyable in the beginning. I grew slowly at first, so having to send a few faxes and take a few phone calls seemed entirely manageable – maybe even enjoyable. It was a welcome change of pace from my past life in the fee-for-service world.
But as my panel grew, those tasks went from enjoyable … to tolerable … to “Ugh! Do I really have to do this again?” while dragging my feet.
And that was when I realized it was time to enlist help.
I was fortunate to find an excellent office manager who helped me field calls, schedule visits, scan and upload files, send faxes, follow up on labs, and even help me remember to send personalized birthday cards to each of my patients. There was certainly utility in figuring things out for myself at first, because that allowed me to confidently train her in managing the office in a way that aligned with my preferences. But, gaining her help ultimately freed me to focus on the things I enjoyed most, including patient care and learning more about integrative medicine.
A year later, I hired a medical assistant who helped me manage vaccines (including the burdensome VFC vaccines), draw labs in house, manage supply ordering, and oversee medication and supplement inventory. She freed up even more of my time so that I could start precepting medical students and take some business courses.
Your practice may not look exactly like mine, but you may be facing some of the same challenges I did. I want you to know that it’s more than OK to enlist help when you reach the point of needing it. In fact, it’s more than OK. It’s a really great idea!
It’s normal to experience fear about hiring, whether you’re considering a part-time virtual assistant or a full-time medical assistant. When I hired my first employee I thought to myself, “Uh-oh. Now I’m not just responsible for myself, but for another person. What if business slows down or I have to take time off?” These fears are completely normal and can motivate you to think things through carefully and make contingency plans.
The reality is that with every person I’ve hired, I’ve been able to take my practice one step further. Their help has more than paid for itself by freeing up my time to focus on the things that only I can do, like provide excellent patient care and develop relationships with other business owners in my community. Fostering those relationships brings more patients, which brings more success and fulfillment to me and my practice.
Hiring also comes with its own set of responsibilities and challenges – from finding the right person for the job to making sure you’re following state and federal employment laws to managing personalities and conflicts.
If you’re thinking of taking the next step and hiring help, the DPC Pediatrician Academy has some helpful resources for you. Our on-demand video library has webinars featuring employment attorney Spencer Phillips from Employer-Lawyer to help demystify issues like worker’s compensation insurance, proper classification of employees (W2 vs contractor), and even regulations around hiring your children.
If you have questions about enlisting help or hiring and would like to see a podcast episode or webinar on a particular topic, feel free to let us know! You can email us at support@dpcpediatrician.com.
If you’re ready for one-on-one support, we’re also available for one-on-one virtual consultations. Learn more here.
