#233 From Zero Patients to Five Physicians: Building an Independent Practice That Lasts
From NatRevMD · 24:52
Show by NatRevMD
Send us Fan MailYou hung your shingle, or you’re thinking about it. Now what? How do you get patients through the door, keep good staff for a decade, and add physicians without the practice falling apart?Dr. Ram Surendran, M.D., MBA, opened Rochester Primary Care in Michigan in 2003 with three exam rooms, one employee and no patients. His first patient walked in two weeks later. To keep the doors open, he worked urgent cares, ER shifts and medical evals on the side. He practiced solo until 2021. Today the practice has five physicians.In this episode, Dr. Heather Signorelli talks with Ram about what it actually took, and what independent owners can borrow from his playbook.You’ll hear:How he built patient volume from zero: being available, same-day access, and showing up at ERs and urgent cares until they sent patientsWhy his staff stay 5, 10, even 15 years, and why paying for their education costs less than replacing themHow a medical assistant became his operations manager, and the three-person team that now runs the officeWhy he markets each new physician as their own brand, so their patients follow them and they stayThe hardest part of ownership: narrow networks that exclude independent physicians, shifting rules on care management, and the fight to get paid for the workWhy he thinks we’re entering a new wave of physician independence, and what he hopes 2027 bringsFree resources for practice ownersFree Metrics Audit: Get a physician-led review of your billing numbers with Dr. Signorelli, so you know where your practice stands before you add your next provider. https://eligibility.natrevmd.com/metrics-audit-natrevmd2027 Revenue Impact Brief: See where the 2027 reimbursement changes will hit your practice’s revenue. https://eligibility.natrevmd.com/know-where-2027-will-impact-your-practices-revenue-free-brief-natrevmdBilling Performance Scorecard: Score your billing on six numbers and get a one-page 90-day plan. https://eligibility.natrevmd.com/natrevmd-billing-performance-scorecard-actionable-planConnect with Dr. Ram Surendran on LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/in/ram-surendran-md/Questions about your billing or your team? Email [email protected] or visit natrevmd.com.If Ram’s story hit home, leave a review and share it with a physician thinking about going independent.
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