Locating a New Medical Practice
Plan office space that’s convenient for your patients and makes it easy for you to get started and grow
Find office space near your patient base. Consider a medical cluster near a hospital to take advantage of potential synergies. To avoid unnecessary build-out costs, choose existing clinical space, perhaps a suite being vacated by a retiring physician.
Planning Ahead. If you can secure a location six months before you need it, you should have time to modify the interior to suit your needs, and you can put the address on all those forms you’ll be filling out.
Building Out. You don’t have to equip the entire suite on day 1. You can grow into it, and if you adopt cloud-based systems for electronic health records, practice management software and patient engagement tools, you won’t have to use any of your valuable space for servers or storing paper charts.
Moving In. Consider moving in with other physicians to share the expenses. If you join doctors practicing in complementary specialties, your office may have broader appeal. But if you move in with physicians who have similar specialties, you may be able to cover for each other.
Getting Hitched. If you team up in a full partnership, rather than operating as a solo practitioner, the combined brainpower may help you to market, hire staff, and manage day-to-day responsibilities. Plus, you won’t have to make every decision yourself, which can be a relief.
Turning Up. Contract for cleaning and maintenance, purchase your furnishings and signage, order water and energy services if they’re not included with your office space, and don’t forget all those inspections and permits that your local jurisdictions may require — fire, safety, occupancy….
More in This Blog Series
Financing a New Medical Practice
Staffing and Tools for Your Practice
Sources
ModMed 2022 Patient Experience Report: What Patients Really Think, ModMed research report (2022 July)
“Checklist for New Practice Start Up,” MGMA Health Care Consulting Group (2000)
“New Practice Start-Up Checklist,” Kareo (2020)
R. Rohit Dhir, “5 Things I Wish I Knew Before I Started My Career in Urology,” The Scope of Practice blog (2021 January 21)
This blog is intended for informational purposes only and does not constitute legal or medical advice. Please consult with your legal counsel and other qualified advisors to ensure compliance with applicable laws, regulations and standards.
