Eyeworld

20 Ophthalmology Business • September 2018 by Liz Hillman, Ophthalmology Business Senior Staff Writer Four MDs on why they choose to practice small and how they do it in the entire patient visit starting from why the patient is coming in to learning their history and finding a solution. "It's a privilege to be able to do it. I truly enjoy patient care, which is why I became a physician, and this allows me to focus on that and bal- ance a home life as well," she said of the joy of running her own practice, which she started in 2004. Dr. Patel said she thinks small practices offer different types of care compared to larger groups. "A patient I saw this morning said, 'No matter how many times I've come in here'—and I've seen him for a decade—'you're always smiling, you never rush me, and you always take the time to hear what's on my mind," Dr. Patel recalled. "[Another patient] was complaining that this was not a 15-minute appointment; they didn't read their new patient Reena Patel, MD Wichita Vision Institute, Wichita, Kansas Solo practice for 14 years When Dr. Patel first moved to Wichi- ta, she wasn't necessarily intent upon opening her own practice, but when she started looking at the options, she couldn't find a practice that held her same values in patient care. "When I first started, I knew nothing about practice management. I went straight from training to hav- ing my own practice," Dr. Patel said. "The financial aspect of the practice was overwhelming at first as I had no idea what to expect … but I learned that if you can make your practice efficient and you know your style of practice, then as a solo practitioner you can shine. I know that I enjoy my patients and I love getting to meet people every day. What is excit- ing to me is the challenge involved The pros and cons of a small or solo practice "C an small practices survive?" That's the ques- tion Khullar et al. ask in an article published in JAMA. 1 The authors cite statistics of declining numbers of small practices, possible reasons for the decline, and how physicians at small and solo practices can make it work. Ophthalmology Business spoke with four ophthalmologists who operate in small or solo practices to get their perspectives on bucking the trend of larger practice models, their insights on how they remain com- petitive, and their advice for others who think small or solo might be for them.

• Blank Page
• Blank Page (1)