Balancing Patient Care with Business Challenges

After years of studying functional medicine with aspirations of healing the sick, many clinicians are not prepared for the business end of running a medical practice. Launching a private medical practice is like opening any small business with the odds of success stacked against the operator.

Embarking on the journey of owning and operating a private or joint practice brings with it a multitude of obstacles to overcome. In addition to treating patients, clinicians must attend to sales and marketing, tax and legal advisors, office rent and utilities, business taxes, and much more.

Launching a private medical practice is like opening any small business.

After much research, the Institute for Functional Medicine has created the “My Practice Plan” program, as taught by the Kalish Institute, to help clinicians put as much energy into developing the business side of their practice as medical professionals have devoted to developing their clinical skills. The training program teaches clinicians how to build a functional medicine practice through clinical and business courses. “My Practice Plan” teaches everything from financial and business planning to sales and marketing. The importance of self-care is another focus of the course, as many health professionals overlook caring for themselves.

Founder of the Kalish Institute, Dan Kalish, DC, IFMCP, says those in private medical practice want to help people. However, clinicians are not often aware of the entirety of the job. Through online education, the course teaches the three Ps: Practitioners, Patients, and Practice. Lack of communication and sales skills seem to be the most common areas medical professionals fall short, according to Dr. Kalish. But the course has been created with this in mind and works to enhance the clinician’s strengths while teaching solutions to common obstacles. With the support of the education tools and an active online community, “My Practice Program” teaches medical professionals how to apply business development tools that will attract and retain patients. Dr. Kalish believes that when brought together, the three Ps can result in outstanding clinical results and financial success.

“My Practice Program” teaches medical professionals how to apply business development tools that will attract and retain patients.

With demand for functional medicine clinical practices on the rise as patients search for a more holistic approach to wellness, there is boundless potential ahead in the field. “My Practice Program” offers the guidance necessary to ensure that the business aspect of owning and operating a functional medical practice is running smoothly so clinicians can follow their passion for helping people.