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Welcome to Thriving Practice - the show for healthcare practice owners who want to grow their practice while taking back their time. Hosted by executive coach and business consultant Tracy Cherpeski, this podcast features exclusive interviews with diverse healthcare business experts and successful practice leaders spanning the globe. Join us for authentic conversations about what it takes to build a successful practice without sacrifice. Our goal is to equip you with the right mindset, strategies and tools to take back your time, grow your practice and elevate your leadership. Subscribe now and then go to ThrivingPracticeCommunity.com to learn more about our modern Community of Practice for ambitious practice leaders who want to do things differently.
Episodes
4 days ago
4 days ago
Episode Overview
In this candid snack episode, Miranda Dorta puts Tracy Cherpeski in the interview seat to explore the essential roadmap from where healthcare practice owners are now to where they want to be. This unscripted conversation dives deep into the systems, strategies, and team-building approaches that create sustainable practice growth. Whether you're taking your first growth step or navigating complex expansion challenges, this episode provides the clarity and confidence needed to move forward strategically.
Key Highlights
- Subtract Before You Multiply- Essential pre-growth evaluation to identify systems that won't scale and operational bottlenecks that need addressing
- Capacity Assessment- How to determine if your current systems can "rinse and repeat" with minimal intervention before expanding
- Sustainable Growth Rates- Understanding the difference between rapid growth (which sometimes just happens) and sustainable 30% year-over-year growth
- Values-Driven Decision Making- Distinguishing between growth opportunities that align with core values versus those that simply increase revenue
- The WAIT Method- Strategic pausing using the acronym "Why Am I Talking?" to ensure thoughtful leadership decisions
- Culture as Foundation- How practice culture extends far beyond pizza parties to include conflict resolution, team unity during challenges, and shared vision alignment
Memorable Quotes
"You need to subtract before you multiply. If you don't take care of your problems, they're gonna grow with you."
"The key is if the systems you have in place can basically rinse, repeat, with minimal intervention, you're probably in a really good place to expand."
"We call it a shiny object and we call that the SOS - the shiny object syndrome."
"Culture isn't a workshop that you attend. If you're the head of practice and you're the practice owner, you set the tone."
"When you come together for a common goal, which would be the vision and mission of the practice, when you have your team on board, that's everything. That really is everything."
Miranda’s Bio:
Miranda Dorta, B.F.A. (she/her/hers) is the Manager of Operations and PR at Tracy Cherpeski International. A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with expertise in writing and creative storytelling, Miranda brings her skills in operations, public relations, and communication strategies to the Thriving Practice community. Based in the City of Oaks, she joined the team in 2021 and has been instrumental in streamlining operations while managing the company's public presence since 2022.
Tracy’s Bio:
Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC (she/her/hers) is the Founder of Tracy Cherpeski International and Thriving Practice Community. As a Business Consultant and Executive Coach, Tracy helps healthcare practice owners scale their businesses without sacrificing wellbeing. Through strategic planning, leadership development, and mindset mastery, she empowers clients to reclaim their time and reach their potential. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Tracy serves clients worldwide and is the Executive Producer and Host of the Thriving Practice podcast. Her guiding philosophy: Survival is not enough; life is meant to be celebrated.
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6 days ago
6 days ago
Episode Overview
In this refreshing conversation, Justin Strong from Room 118 challenges everything you think you know about marketing. Moving away from the "throw spaghetti at the wall" approach that's given marketing a bad reputation, Justin advocates for a scientific, data-driven methodology that treats marketing like clinical diagnostics - complete with "x-rays" before making recommendations.
Drawing from his analysis of over 4,000 dental practices through the Dental Marketing Index, Justin reveals why traditional marketing approaches often fail and how practice owners can make informed decisions based on hard data rather than gut feelings or sales pitches.
Key Topics Discussed
- The Marketing Trust Problem: Why marketing has earned its bad reputation and how to identify high-integrity marketers who prioritize results over profits
- The Dental Marketing Index: A comprehensive analysis of 4,000+ practices that reveals what actually correlates with success vs. what agencies typically sell
- Market Diagnostics: Why every marketing decision should start with understanding your local market demographics, competition, and patient behavior patterns
- The "Near Me" Revolution: How patient behavior has fundamentally shifted, with "dentist near me" becoming the most searched term and average patient lifetime dropping from 14-17 years to under 5 years
- The Sales Gap: Why great marketing often fails due to poor follow-through - missing online schedulers, unreturned calls, and inadequate patient experience systems
- Competition as Innovation Driver: How high-density markets like DC create exceptional patient experiences through competitive pressure
- The Science of Marketing: Moving from creative guesswork to measurable, forecastable strategies based on data analysis
Memorable Quotes
"Marketing's job should be to tell you, is this possible in your local market? If so, where is our best opportunity for success? And then it should give practical recommendations based on that."
"It's sort of like a patient walked in and said, I have a tooth. Therefore, I need you to pull this tooth. And your response is going to be, why don't we take a look at the tooth? How about that x-ray first?"
"All a brand is is the small bit of space you occupy in your patients' minds. What do they think when they think of your brand?"
"If you think they're doing it, they've been doing it for a while." (on data privacy and corporate surveillance)
"There is a way to reduce complexity... hire good people to solve problems. If you understand where you want to go as a practice owner... recognize what the challenges are you must overcome, and hire good people to solve those problems."
The Bottom Line
Marketing doesn't have to be a guessing game. When approached scientifically - with proper market analysis, competitive benchmarking, and data-driven decision making - it becomes a powerful tool for practice growth. The key is finding marketers who prioritize your success over their service offerings and who can provide the objective "map" you need to navigate from where you are to where you want to go.
Bio:
Justin Strong is the Founder and CEO of Room 118, Inc., a dental research and marketing agency focused on data-driven practice growth. With 25 years of experience in marketing and strategy, he's led multi-billion-dollar initiatives at Verizon Enterprise Solutions and McCann. Recognizing the gap in evidence-based dental marketing, Justin pioneered the Dental Marketing Index, analyzing 4,000+ practices to identify what actually drives results. He specializes in helping practice owners move from random marketing tactics to predictable, high-ROI strategies using Fortune 500-level data insights applied to local dental marketing.
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Wednesday May 28, 2025
Wednesday May 28, 2025
Tracy sits down with David Ford, CEO of CMA Physician Services, to challenge the notion that independent medical practices are becoming obsolete. David shares his passion for supporting private practitioners and unveils Medway, a new subscription-based service designed to lift administrative burdens off physicians' shoulders. Through compelling stories and practical insights, David makes the case that private practice may actually be the wave of the future, with more physicians seeking independence and control over their practice style. This conversation offers hope and practical guidance for healthcare providers considering or currently managing independent practices.
Episode Highlights:
- CMA Physician Services' mission to help independent practices thrive through "the upside of coordination without the downside of consolidation"
- How the soon-to-launch Medway service helps physicians outsource administrative burdens like payroll, benefits, and compliance
- The story of a physician in California's high desert who can continue serving Medicare patients thanks to shared savings programs
- Why private practice isn't dead - and may actually be making a comeback
- The systemic challenges facing new physicians with student debt, and programs that help address these barriers
- How lifting administrative burdens gives physicians more time for patients AND personal life
- The importance of community-centered healthcare and treating social determinants of health
Memorable Quotes:
"Independent practice isn't dead, like you can do it." - David Ford
"You didn't do all that schooling to run payroll." - David Ford
"Why would you own your practice if you don't have control over your schedule and your time? What's the point?" - Tracy Cherpeski
"I think of it like standing on the beach and seeing the swell that's a half mile out... it's not a wave yet, but you can see a little bit of a swell out there." - David Ford on the trend of physicians returning to private practice
"It can be done... It probably can't be done the same way it was 50 or 60 years ago. You have to approach it a little differently... But it is very much still possible. You can do it. You can be successful and you can thrive, have your practice and still have the life you want to have." - David Ford
Bio:
David Ford serves as the CEO of CMA Physician Services, a subsidiary of the California Medical Association. A nationally recognized expert in health information technology, David previously led as Vice President of Health IT at CMA where he developed thought leadership in electronic health records, health information exchange, and telehealth. Prior to CMA, he was Executive Director of CalHIPSO, the nation's largest federally designated Regional Extension Center, where he helped thousands of safety net providers implement health IT systems to improve care delivery and participate in payment reform. David began his career in the California State Legislature, most recently as Chief of Staff to then-Assemblymember Ted Lieu. He holds a BA in Political Science from The American University in Washington, D.C.
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Friday May 23, 2025
Friday May 23, 2025
In this enlightening "snack episode," host Miranda Dorta turns the mic around to interview Tracy Cherpeski about the critical connection between leadership approaches and healthcare practice success. Tracy reveals how healthcare providers often exhibit confidence in clinical settings but struggle with business leadership, sharing practical insights on adapting leadership styles while maintaining authenticity. She introduces the concept of "changing hats" to help practitioners mentally transition between clinical and leadership roles, and emphasizes that micromanagement isn't always negative when applied strategically. Tracy's most impactful leadership tip? The power of the pause—what she calls "WAIT" (Why Am I Talking?)—allowing leaders to respond thoughtfully rather than reactively.
Episode Highlights:
- The pattern Tracy observed in healthcare providers: confidence in clinical delegation but timidity in business leadership
- How practitioners can transfer clinical skills to leadership while knowing which habits to "surgically remove"
- The cognitive trick of "changing hats" to help the brain switch between clinical and leadership mindsets
- Why micromanagement isn't always negative and when it might be necessary
- The most powerful leadership adjustment: learning to pause before reacting
Memorable Quotes:
- "Sometimes their business model is to hope for the best."
- "Leadership doesn't mean knowing everything. It doesn't mean being in command or control of every single thing."
- "Micromanagement - it's not a four-letter word, but it sounds like it could be."
- "If you take your hands off, not abdicate your responsibility for success, but take your hands off and let them do their work, they will rise to the occasion."
- "We call it WAIT. It's an acronym. Why Am I Talking?"
Miranda’s Bio:
Miranda Dorta, B.F.A. (she/her/hers) is the Manager of Operations and PR at Tracy Cherpeski International. A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with expertise in writing and creative storytelling, Miranda brings her skills in operations, public relations, and communication strategies to the Thriving Practice community. Based in the City of Oaks, she joined the team in 2021 and has been instrumental in streamlining operations while managing the company's public presence since 2022.
Tracy’s Bio:
Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC (she/her/hers) is the Founder of Tracy Cherpeski International and Thriving Practice Community. As a Business Consultant and Executive Coach, Tracy helps healthcare practice owners scale their businesses without sacrificing wellbeing. Through strategic planning, leadership development, and mindset mastery, she empowers clients to reclaim their time and reach their potential. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Tracy serves clients worldwide and is the Executive Producer and Host of the Thriving Practice podcast. Her guiding philosophy: Survival is not enough; life is meant to be celebrated.
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Wednesday May 21, 2025
Wednesday May 21, 2025
In this episode, we speak with Asha Strazzero-Wild, co-founder of Outpointe, a growth strategy and execution firm specializing in healthcare. Asha shares her fascinating journey from aspiring doctor to education and public health before founding Outpointe with business partner Kelly Wilder. Their firm helps healthcare organizations optimize resources and improve patient and provider experiences through data-driven strategies and tactical support. Drawing on their combined 50 years of experience, Asha and Kelly guide healthcare companies in prioritizing initiatives, aligning metrics, and executing effectively on their vision in an increasingly complex market.
Key Takeaways
- Data-driven decision making is crucial for healthcare organizations to prioritize initiatives and allocate resources effectively
- The importance of speaking the same language when defining metrics and success criteria before launching initiatives
- Outpointe's proprietary Growth Readiness Outlook assessment helps organizations evaluate their readiness for growth across key areas including customer experience, financial work, sales and marketing, and workforce development
- The value of intentionally seeking feedback from those implementing best practices in your industry to drive continuous improvement
- Why focusing on your strengths is as important as addressing areas for improvement when building effective teams
- The boxing inspiration behind the name "Outpointe" - strategically coming back round after round to outpoint your opponent (the market)
Memorable Quotes
- "Everyone says 'I've got this great idea,' but actually operationalizing that and executing on it and being strategic about what you choose to do and not do is hard."
- "At the end of the day, we're all working to help make healthcare better."
- "Don't focus exclusively on what you need to do better. Don't forget to focus on what you do really well, and keep doing that really well."
- "When you're thinking about how you are going to allow yourself to grow and evolve with the market and the market needs, it's really important. And it shouldn't be done in a vacuum."
Resources Mentioned
- Book Recommendation: StrengthsFinder - for identifying your strengths and building effective teams
Bio:
Asha brings over 10 years of healthcare sector experience spanning public health, health technology, and corporate marketing. As co-founder of Outpointe, she helps healthcare organizations implement effective systems and processes for sustainable growth and successful innovation launches.
At The Advisory Board Company, Asha earned Pragmatic Marketing certifications and launched nearly a dozen successful analytics products. Later, as Senior Vice President of Integrated Sales and Marketing at a leading life sciences company, she drove effective marketing strategies that generated nearly $50 million in sales over three years. Her expertise includes managing multi-million-dollar budgets, integrating sales and marketing functions, and measuring marketing ROI.
Asha has overseen multiple acquisitions and product launches throughout her career. When not working, she enjoys spending time at the hockey rink with her son and leading community volunteer efforts in the Boston area.
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Wednesday May 14, 2025
Wednesday May 14, 2025
In this episode, Tracy explores how independent healthcare practice owners can leverage small wellness initiatives as powerful demonstrations of leadership. Against the backdrop of unprecedented challenges in healthcare—from high turnover to political pressures—she reveals how intentional wellness practices create disproportionate returns for small practices. Unlike large healthcare systems, small practices have a "leadership proximity advantage" that makes even modest wellness initiatives more effective. Tracy shares practical, low-cost approaches that strengthen team culture, improve retention, and ultimately create more sustainable practices. The episode highlights how leadership presence, rather than elaborate programs, is the true foundation of practice wellbeing.
Episode Highlights:
- Why small practices have a distinct advantage in implementing effective wellness initiatives
- A simple 20-minute weekly wellness activity that costs nothing but delivers remarkable results
- Five mindset practices that integrate wellness into everyday leadership
- How to measure the ROI of wellness initiatives through reduced absenteeism and improved engagement
- The critical connection between a leader's own sustainable energy and team wellness
Memorable Quotes:
- "Culture isn't a workshop we attend. It's about the example we set."
- "The most successful practice owners know that wellness isn't about implementing a program—it's about investing in your most valuable asset: your people."
- "Small, consistent wellness actions may seem insignificant compared to the daily operations of your practice, but they can completely redirect your practice culture."
- "The practices that consistently outperform, even in challenging times, aren't necessarily the ones with the most resources—they're the ones led by owners who understand that how they show up matters more than what they say."
- "You can't pour from an empty cup. The foundation of any successful team wellness initiative is your own sustainable energy as a leader."
Free Resource Mentioned: Download the Energy Audit workbook at PracticeSuccess.co/resources
Tracy’s Bio:
Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC (she/her/hers) is the Founder of Tracy Cherpeski International and Thriving Practice Community. As a Business Consultant and Executive Coach, Tracy helps healthcare practice owners scale their businesses without sacrificing wellbeing. Through strategic planning, leadership development, and mindset mastery, she empowers clients to reclaim their time and reach their potential. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Tracy serves clients worldwide and is the Executive Producer and Host of the Thriving Practice podcast. Her guiding philosophy: Survival is not enough; life is meant to be celebrated.
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Friday May 09, 2025
Friday May 09, 2025
In this candid, unscripted "snack episode," Tracy is interviewed by Miranda, our Manager of Operations and PR at Tracy Cherpeski International and the Thriving Practice Community. Tracy shares her practical planning process for helping healthcare practice owners transform their ideas into achievable quarterly goals. She explains how to plan effectively even during uncertainty and maintain enthusiasm while building a practice vision despite challenges.
Key Takeaways:
- Tracy's planning process starts with clarity - connecting the what, why, and how of your goals
- Emotional connection to goals makes it easier to put in the necessary effort
- Beginning with clarity increases speed rather than haste
- Break down long-term goals by working backward - from 12 months to 9, 6, 3 months, then to weekly and daily tasks
- Breaking goals into smaller chunks prevents feeling overwhelmed
- Celebrate daily accomplishments with a "ta-da list" to maintain positive energy and momentum
- Look for subtle wins: improved feelings, better sleep, increased energy at work
- Lack of patience is a major challenge for healthcare entrepreneurs who want solutions immediately
- The importance of "slowing down to speed up" - surrendering to the process brings clarity
- Finding your practice's unique edge goes beyond clinical expertise to what makes you stand out in a competitive market
Notable Quotes:
- "When we're emotionally connected to a goal, then it's easier for us...to put in the effort and the labor that's required to make something come to fruition."
- "Clarity actually helps us increase speed rather than like haste."
- "Sometimes when we have big goals, it can feel so overwhelming that we don't even start."
- "My coach who trained me taught me about the ta-da list at the end of each day, which is...don't diminish progress."
- "When we use this beautiful tool called surrender and we trust the process, that slowing down brings us that clarity that helps us then move forward with more speed."
- "What makes you stand out so that you don't feel like it's about competition...Seth Godin calls it Purple Cow. Right? Like, what is it about your practice that makes you unique? And it can't just be your clinical expertise. It's not enough."
Miranda’s Bio:
Miranda Dorta, B.F.A. (she/her/hers) is the Manager of Operations and PR at Tracy Cherpeski International. A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with expertise in writing and creative storytelling, Miranda brings her skills in operations, public relations, and communication strategies to the Thriving Practice community. Based in the City of Oaks, she joined the team in 2021 and has been instrumental in streamlining operations while managing the company's public presence since 2022.
Tracy’s Bio:
Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC (she/her/hers) is the Founder of Tracy Cherpeski International and Thriving Practice Community. As a Business Consultant and Executive Coach, Tracy helps healthcare practice owners scale their businesses without sacrificing wellbeing. Through strategic planning, leadership development, and mindset mastery, she empowers clients to reclaim their time and reach their potential. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Tracy serves clients worldwide and is the Executive Producer and Host of the Thriving Practice podcast. Her guiding philosophy: Survival is not enough; life is meant to be celebrated.
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Wednesday May 07, 2025
Wednesday May 07, 2025
Episode Overview
In this episode of Thriving Practice, I speak with Sarah Clark, founder of Sarah Clark Consulting, who helps medical, dental, and chiropractic practices transform operational chaos into sustainable calm. Sarah's approach combines fractional practice administration with process improvement strategies that allow providers to focus on patient care rather than administrative burdens. We explore how small, intentional changes in technology and workflow can dramatically improve both the patient experience and staff satisfaction. Sarah shares concrete examples of how simple solutions like automated appointment reminders have freed up staff time and improved patient punctuality by 30% in one practice. Her compassionate, results-driven methodology emphasizes that providers don't need to make sweeping changes all at once – even incremental improvements can lead to significant positive outcomes for practice efficiency and provider wellbeing.
Featured Quotes
"What I do is I help private medical, dental, chiropractor, anything in that field...turn their chaos into calm. And I sort of make a joke of, well, not all the way calm, more like calm-er. Because if it's really quiet and it's really calm, that's probably also like it's never really gonna happen that way."
"Burnout is not just taking care of the patients and dealing with that burden that gets put onto their shoulders, but having to run an office when a physician did not go to business school becomes really difficult...It's overwhelming. That's a full-time job."
"There are ways that you can do that and take some of the manual part of the stuff that leads up to that diagnosis...once the clients, once the business owners understand that it's okay to elevate something else off of you, to give it to somebody that has the experience and the time and the understanding to do it, it is, I mean, I have two clients that will just send me a text message about whatever it is and they used to say just handle it, now that just handle it is understood."
What You'll Learn
Listen for these key insights:
- How the "Four P's" framework (People, Paperwork, Processes, and Patients) can transform your practice
- Why technology adoption doesn't have to be overwhelming—and how small changes like automated appointment reminders can have outsized impacts
- The surprising connection between provider burnout and patient experience
- How fractional practice administration can provide expert support for practices that can't justify a full-time administrator
- The critical importance of developing a strategic plan for your practice, including your eventual exit strategy
- Why compassion isn't just good medicine—it's good business (with scientific evidence to back it up!)
Resources Mentioned
- Compassionomics: The Revolutionary Scientific Evidence that Caring Makes a Difference - Book recommendation from Sarah about the impact of compassion on patient outcomes and provider burnout
Thriving Practice is hosted and executive produced by Tracy Cherpeski. Our mission is to help healthcare practitioners build sustainable, impactful businesses while maintaining their own wellbeing.
Bio:
Sarah Clark is the founder of Sarah Clark Consulting, where she helps medical, dental, and chiropractic practices transform operational chaos into sustainable calm. With a Master's degree in Kinesiology from Indiana University, Sarah built her career spanning both corporate healthcare with the NFL and independent medical practices.
This diverse background gives Sarah a unique perspective from nearly all roles in a medical office, allowing her to identify pain points and implement collaborative solutions. She specializes in helping independent practitioners who often wear multiple hats without adequate training for all their responsibilities.
Through fractional practice administration and process improvement, Sarah guides healthcare providers to become the best versions of themselves while improving operations and increasing profitability.
Sarah lives in Huntersville, North Carolina where she enjoys outdoor activities, RV travel, cooking, and kickboxing when she's not transforming healthcare practices.
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Wednesday Apr 30, 2025
Wednesday Apr 30, 2025
In this insightful episode, TJ Slattery of Crow's Nest Mindset Consulting shares strategies for healthcare practice owners who find themselves stuck "below deck" in their businesses. TJ explains how practitioners can transition from frantically managing day-to-day operations to gaining the strategic perspective needed for sustainable growth and leadership. Through practical advice and compelling metaphors, he offers a roadmap for escaping the "entrepreneurial island" that traps many healthcare business owners.
Episode Highlights:
- The crow's nest metaphor: Why healthcare providers often find themselves "shoveling water below deck" instead of navigating strategically
- The challenge of transitioning from clinical excellence (where "never let them see you sweat" is valued) to business leadership (where vulnerability and delegation are crucial)
- Understanding your true hourly value and why tasks like "opening the mail" could be costing you thousands
- Building a holistic performance model that aligns financial goals with marketing, operations, and leadership
- Moving from "magical thinking" about growth to practical planning with measurable steps
- The three mindset blocks that prevent effective delegation: martyrdom, "I alone can fix it," and guilt
- How creating space for your team allows them to develop, flourish, and make your business stronger
Memorable Quotes:
"The death of every entrepreneur is you all become glorified managers. If you're doing this right, in a year from now, you're not the one getting your hands dirty - you're managing people and managing your managers."
"Would you pay a bookkeeper $1,200 an hour to go through your books? That's what you're doing when you handle those tasks yourself instead of delegating."
"Just because we can doesn't mean we should. How is a business owner to fulfill their mission and vision if they're not able to get up to that view and keep checking on it?"
"A lot of people, whatever their background or industry is, never let them see you sweat. That is a teachable mindset that you can maneuver over. That is something you can loosen up and get better at."
Guest Bio:
TJ Slattery is the Founder and Strategic Advisor at Crow's Nest Mindset Consulting, where he helps small business owners scale their enterprises and achieve greater freedom in both professional and personal spheres. With 20 years of experience in entrepreneurship and small business operations, TJ brings a unique blend of practical expertise and strategic insight to his clients.
A self-described "business plan tinkerer," TJ's approach stems from genuine curiosity and a collaborative drive to identify core challenges and implement effective solutions. His diverse background includes founding a pedicab service in Vail, running a handyman business in Denver, partnering in a London-based facilities management firm, and co-founding Zuni Street Brewing Company.
TJ holds a bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Business Management from Miami University of Ohio and an MBA from the University of Denver. When not helping business owners climb to their own crow's nest for a better strategic view, this Denver resident with Midwestern roots enjoys music, gardening, home projects, traveling, skiing, and spending quality time with his dog, Bella.
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Friday Apr 25, 2025
Friday Apr 25, 2025
In this special "snack episode" of the Thriving Practice Podcast, Miranda Dorta interviews Tracy Cherpeski about the evolution of the healthcare industry since 2010. Tracy shares insights on current challenges facing independent practices, emerging business models, and essential skills for practice owners to thrive in today's healthcare landscape. From the concerning trend of private equity acquisitions to promising signs of physicians returning to independent practice, Tracy offers her perspective on where healthcare is heading and how practice owners can adapt.
Main Points:
- Private equity acquisition of practices and expansion of larger institutions are concerning trends affecting independent healthcare practices
- Early signs suggest some physicians are returning to private practice after experiencing larger institutional settings
- Independent single-provider practices face significant financial challenges with high operating costs
- Collaborative group practices with multiple providers offer a sustainable model for the future
- Practice owners need to embrace their CEO role and focus on strategic leadership, delegation, and resource allocation
- Smart investment in marketing and operations is essential for practice growth, despite some resistance
- A shift back toward more relational, neighborhood-based practices may be emerging
Notable Quotes:
- "I see independent provider practices struggling a lot with an individual, just one provider. So I am seeing a little bit more of a leaning towards a group focus or multiple providers."
- "I see practices that maybe are successful but they're not as profitable as they could be."
- "Most of our clients do not think of themselves as a CEO first. But if you're a business owner, you are the CEO."
- "It's not how you spend your time. If you're spending your time, you're probably wasting it... It's how you invest the resource, the finite resource of your time and energy."
Miranda’s Bio:
Miranda Dorta, B.F.A. (she/her/hers) is the Manager of Operations and PR at Tracy Cherpeski International. A graduate of Savannah College of Art and Design with expertise in writing and creative storytelling, Miranda brings her skills in operations, public relations, and communication strategies to the Thriving Practice community. Based in the City of Oaks, she joined the team in 2021 and has been instrumental in streamlining operations while managing the company's public presence since 2022.
Tracy’s Bio:
Tracy Cherpeski, MBA, MA, CPSC (she/her/hers) is the Founder of Tracy Cherpeski International and Thriving Practice Community. As a Business Consultant and Executive Coach, Tracy helps healthcare practice owners scale their businesses without sacrificing wellbeing. Through strategic planning, leadership development, and mindset mastery, she empowers clients to reclaim their time and reach their potential. Based in Chapel Hill, NC, Tracy serves clients worldwide and is the Executive Producer and Host of the Thriving Practice podcast. Her guiding philosophy: Survival is not enough; life is meant to be celebrated.
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