Three crucial components
By Caroline Watson, MD
Starting a new ophthalmology private practice is an exciting but challenging endeavor. To thrive in this competitive field, you need to navigate several crucial aspects successfully.
I started the process of opening my practice in Huntsville, Ala., in March 2022, and we finally settled into our new place in July 2023. Huntsville has undergone substantial growth over the past 3 years, becoming the largest city in the state. My office is a shining example of modernity and sophistication, offering a boutique experience. Equipped with six lanes, a elegant cosmetic suite, two dedicated testing rooms and an in-office surgical suite, we’re committed to delivering the highest standard of care to our patients.
During this remarkable journey, I’ve gained profound insights into the keys to success and the factors that demand careful consideration when setting up and launching a thriving practice. In this article, I’ll explore three essential topics.
Cultivate and Navigate Referral Sources
One of the most critical steps when starting an ophthalmology practice is building strong referral sources. These sources are often primary care physicians, optometrists and other medical professionals who will send patients your way. Cultivating these relationships requires careful planning and effort. This was not discussed in training and was an unexpected twist when I embarked on my solo journey.
Establish personal connections. Forge strong personal connections with potential referral sources. Attend local medical meetings and events to meet physicians and optometrists. This is the first step to building trust and rapport, which are key to successful collaboration.
Communicate effectively. Keep the lines of communication open. Ensure that referring practitioners understand your specialization and the services you offer. Provide them with educational materials, and be available to answer their questions.
Offer educational workshops. Consider organizing workshops or seminars to educate your referral sources about the latest advancements in ophthalmology. This not only builds your credibility but also keeps them informed.
Focus on Marketing
Effective marketing is a cornerstone of a successful ophthalmology private practice. Developing a marketing strategy well before opening your office can make a significant difference in attracting patients and establishing your brand.
Professional branding. Begin by creating a professional brand identity, including a memorable logo, a well-designed website and marketing collateral. Your brand should reflect the high quality of care you intend to provide. There are several ophthalmic consulting firms that will help to create branding, digital content and manage social media pages and websites. I highly recommend finding a resource like this months in advance of opening or starting a practice. It will allow patients to get a better understanding of your surgical and procedural offerings, allow them insight into who you are as not only a physician but a person and perhaps allow them to connect with you prior to making an appointment. We are in a digital age, and people want to know who their doctors are.
Online presence. In the digital age, having a robust online presence is crucial. Invest in search engine optimization, or SEO, to ensure that your practice appears prominently in online search results. Maintain active social media profiles to engage with potential patients.
Targeted advertising. Utilize targeted online advertising and local outreach to reach your desired patient demographic. Partner with local media outlets and healthcare directories to increase your practice’s visibility.
Build a Cohesive Team
The success of your ophthalmology private practice doesn’t solely depend on your skills; it relies on the team you build. Ensuring that your team shares your goals, attitude and mindset is essential.
Define your practice culture. Clearly define the culture and
values of your practice. This will help attract team members who align with your vision for patient care and professional growth.
Hire carefully. When recruiting staff, prioritize attitude, teamwork and a commitment to patient care over qualifications alone. Ensure that all team members are empathetic and dedicated to providing the best patient experience.
Foster continuous learning. Encourage ongoing education and training for your team. This not only keeps everyone up to date with the latest advancements, but it also fosters a culture of continuous improvement.
Conclusion
Starting a new ophthalmology private practice is a rewarding journey filled with opportunities for growth and success. Cultivating and navigating referral sources, establishing a robust marketing strategy, and building a team with shared goals, attitudes, and mindsets are crucial components of a thriving practice.
By focusing on these key areas, you’ll be better equipped to provide exceptional patient care and make your practice a beacon of eye health in your community.
Finding solutions in the cloud
By Brian M. Shafer, MD
The formation of Shafer Vision Institute (SVI) was spurred by necessity. After a transition to a new practice fell through, I was left without a full-time position. Presented before me were the options to join a new private practice, enter academia or start my own office. I decided to take the plunge, and I haven’t regretted it for a moment. Jobless effective April 1, 2023, I made a mission to open the doors to SVI by Aug. 1.
The immediate feedback to the idea of going solo was overwhelmingly positive, but most people warned that it would be hard, if not impossible, to put all the pieces together in such a short amount of time. Hard, yes; impossible, certainly not! We are ophthalmologists. We made it into one of the most difficult specialties to match into. We are capable!
The key was to find cloud-based platforms that would minimize the need for hardware and staff. Here are the three platforms that helped create and sustain SVI:
1. EHR-plus
I can hands-down say this is the single most useful investment that I made in my practice. I chose ModMed, which not only serves as my EHR, but also my practice management system, eFax, reputation management, image management, merchant servicer, self-scheduler, and most importantly, revenue cycle management. ModMed BOOST is the add-on service that does all the billing for the practice. Because the notes are finalized within their system, ModMed can process the claims directly without having to forward notes anywhere and even handle the denials.
While there are other excellent integrated systems, ModMed impressed me with its customer service, accessibility and availability.
2. Google Workplace
There needs to be a secure location for company files, and most practices that date beyond the era of cloud-based systems have physical servers. The downside to this is that you need to be physically onsite to access the files or use a VPN, which adds security risk and inconvenience. Fortunately, we now have cloud-based options that are secure and rapidly accessible.
As a millennial working with staff who are millennials and Gen Z, we are more comfortable with Google than Outlook. Therefore, I chose to use Google Workspace as my email provider. Additionally, with SVI being on Google Workspace, we can utilize Google Drive, which has obviated the need for a server with a shared network, as all of our documents can be uploaded to access anywhere. Finally, Google Calendar allows us to maintain our schedules in an easily viewable fashion.
3. GoTo
It is essential that patients, ASCs, insurance companies and referring doctors have rapid access to SVI over the phone. GoTo is a voice over IP (VoIP) company that allows for a customizable phone experience. Any phone from around the world that has access to WiFi can be connected to a practice’s phone tree.
The alternative to a VoIP such as GoTo is a physical landline that connects to the office. This requires an in-person employee to be physically present to answer the phone, leading to potential access issues if there are staffing or phone-line issues.
In contrast, by using GoTo with MyTeem, I have access to a high-quality call center from Beirut. Also, we can text back and forth with patients directly. Voicemails are transcribed and sent to our emails, and we can feel confident that calls will not be lost.
Conclusion
With the three systems above, a loan from the bank, a physical location, internet, insurance and staff, SVI became possible on short notice.
It is a fortuitous time to start a practice with the cloud-based solutions that are available. By investing resources in the cloud rather than in hardware or excess staff, I have been able to open the door to SVI in 4 months flat while providing a high quality, desirable patient experience.
Following the recipe above will get you 80% of the way there. After that, all that’s needed is a location and, of course, patients. If I did it, you can do it too!
My ORA Vision
By Purnima S. Patel, MD
When I started residency, I never thought I would open my own solo ophthalmology practice. Now, 2 years later, I have a growing boutique ophthalmology practice and surgery center in Atlanta.
After completing my fellowship, I joined the faculty at Emory Eye Center. I grew my practice, experience and leadership skills at Emory in my 11 years there. With the opportunity to slow down life during the COVID pandemic, I thought about what I really wanted to do with the next part of my career. As a fellowship-trained medical retina and uveitis specialist and cataract surgeon, I felt the only way to grow my unique practice type and create a special patient-centered practice was to start my own practice.
The journey has been harder but also more rewarding than I expected. I have curated a wonderful clinical and surgical experience for my patients and designed a thriving work environment for my team. Best of all, I have more flexibility and control over my schedule. Here are a few tips that I learned along the way:
1. Create your mentorship team
The generosity of our community in my journey has been amazing. So many colleagues have helped me to navigate various decisions along the way. These mentors have all been through their own journey, and I have had the advantage of learning from their mistakes and successes. I found my mentors by reaching out, following up and following up again.
Don’t be afraid to ask questions, the small and big ones. Get different opinions, and apply as needed to your situation. One of the most helpful questions I have asked my mentors is why they chose the path they did and what mistakes they made along the way. My mentors help me talk through my ideas and ensure my “why” is matching the “what” I am doing.
2. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes
You will make mistakes along the way, and so will your team. It is an essential part of the learning process. Don’t allow the pursuit of making the most efficient, perfect decision cause decision paralysis and inertia.
When a mistake is made, I choose to learn from and share it with others so they can learn. Mistakes can be big or small. At times, I haven’t reacted the way I would have desired but learned to rephrase and reframe to be better the next time. When my team makes a mistake, I do the same thing. I don’t want a culture of fear but of trying, learning and growing.
3. Pivot
This is my new favorite word in my practice. Each day, as I am faced with new and surprising challenges, I allow a few minutes to panic and then focus on pivoting. How can I turn this situation into a learning lesson or a new opportunity?
For example, if a team member calls out, this is great time to identify where you lack in cross-training and where another team member can expand their skills. This way of thinking has been a game changer for me, leading to less stress and more creative thinking.
4. Think different
When you own a practice, you can create a new way of doing things. You can trial a new approach quickly and decide how to implement, refine or ditch it. Empower your staff to do the same thing. You will quickly improve your processes and procedures to create a better patient and team experience.
5. Help others join the club
Just in the past year, my suburb of Atlanta has had 6 new solo ophthalmology practices open. Four are my former students or residents. We all help each other grow and share ideas.
You can do this
Our journeys in medicine have faced many challenges along the way. You have all the skills necessary to grow a thriving practice. If you don’t know something, you can learn it or outsource it.
Ten years ago, our profession was worried whether solo ophthalmology practices would even exist in the coming decades. I am proud to see that we now have a trend of more colleagues choosing to start their own ophthalmology practices, and I have no regrets on my decision.
Take a strategic approach
By Deborah Ristvedt, DO
Building and establishing a private practice can be a rewarding and fulfilling career choice. However, it requires careful planning, dedication, and a strategic approach to ensure long-term success.
In 2011, I joined my dad as a third-generation ophthalmologist. As he retired in 2018 and my career was growing, I had the wonderful opportunity to join Vance Thompson Vision, which has several locations around the Midwest.
Here are some key elements that helped me to have a practice that I enjoy today.
- Define a vision and goals
Before embarking on the journey of private practice, it is crucial to define your vision and goals. This will help guide your decisions and set the foundation for your practice. Set your mission and create four to five values that you will hire by (and fire by). Having clear values has been the key to creating a wonderful work environment that the team and patients love.
Determine the type of ophthalmology services you want to offer and the patient population you wish to serve. Right out of residency, I joined my Dad in private practice. I built up a patient base by having a more comprehensive approach. I saw pediatrics and did intravitreal injections and yearly diabetic exams. During this time, I focused on understanding where I could be of value. I tried to build and establish trust amongst the community and our optometric colleagues. One example was speaking at the Lions club, which was a great opportunity to share my story and knowledge and was a practice builder as well. Also, asking different industry leaders to host educational events allowed me to get to know other optometrists in the community and teach them about new advancements.
As the years went by and I established myself in the community, I was able to shift more toward my passion as an anterior segment surgeon focusing on cataracts, glaucoma and plastics. This took time. Be patient if you are just starting out.
Lastly, do not be afraid to change course or expand your practice if that is in your vision. Five years into practice, I wanted to grow the surgical side, and had to shift from offering comprehensive care to focusing on anterior segment surgery. This was difficult as I had developed close relationships with my established patients, but the change allowed me to serve in a greater capacity by opening up my schedule and being more available for surgical needs. I expanded our practice by hiring an optometrist who supported our patients on the clinic side. This allowed us to work together as a team to see more patients in a week. Our need for more clinic space grew. It was time to change course to build a new clinic and surgery center.
- Develop a business plan
A well-structured business plan is essential for any successful venture. A comprehensive business plan will serve as a roadmap, helping you make informed decisions and secure financing if needed. This I includes outlining your target market, marketing strategies, financial projections and operational procedures.
Expanding our surgical offerings and hiring more team members meant that I was outgrowing operating at the hospital. Hiring a consultant who specializes in ophthalmology helped me put together a realistic budget and provide guidance on financial management strategies specific to my needs. I was able to build a 13,000 square-foot clinic and surgery center, with 10 exam rooms and two operating rooms. This has given me the freedom to continue to grow and offer excellent care.
Additionally, our consultant helped me analyze the market, put together a pro-forma based on the last 5 years of practice and anticipated growth in building a new space. We looked at the number of cases in cataract, glaucoma and plastics that I anticipated from year 1 to year 5 and put together revenue projections. We looked at fixed costs, including rent, utilities, insurance and variable expenses including equipment, salaries, marketing and supplies.
Based on these key factors, I was able to look at anticipated profit and loss. This helped me to budget, make financial decisions and feel informed about the process.
- Invest in team, patient experience, and technology
Investing in an exceptional team and in the patient experience is the cornerstone of a successful ophthalmology practice. In my career, through wonderful mentors like my Grandpa and Dad, Drs. Vance Thompson, and John Berdahl, I have learned the importance of focusing on care for our team and delivering personalized, compassionate care to every patient. Dr. Thompson says it best: A team that is loved and cared for makes an environment where our patients will feel loved and cared for.
Investing in state-of-the-art equipment and technology can improve efficiencies and ensure accurate diagnoses and effective treatments. This has given me the confidence to offer advanced technology IOLs, expand on my love for plastics by purchasing state of the art lasers for skin resurfacing and continue to develop my passion for interventional glaucoma through minimally invasive surgery.
Conclusion
Building a private practice in ophthalmology requires careful planning, dedication and a patient-centered approach. By defining your vision, developing a comprehensive business plan and focusing on delivering exceptional team and patient care, you can establish a thriving practice that contributes to the well-being of your patients and the community.
Remember, success in private practice is a continuous journey that requires adaptability, ongoing learning and a commitment to excellence. OM
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