08/06/2025
Independence: Your Practice’s Competitive Edge
From our financial and professional services partner, Scroggins Grear:
When staff works well together, doctors can see up to 60 patients daily without burnout—creating both better care and better business.
Your independence isn’t just about autonomy—it’s a powerful tool for attracting top talent in today’s healthcare landscape.
Imagine your growing practice needs to add another doctor, but the large hospital nearby is offering substantially more money for the same position. While you can’t match those salary packages, remember that compensation isn’t the only factor driving career decisions.
The independent medical practices we support continue to thrive alongside healthcare giants because they offer physicians what larger systems can’t: freedom, flexibility, and control.
“Independent physicians get to select future coworkers, such as other physicians, staff, medical assistants, and nurses,” says Tom Pierce, management consultant for ScrogginsGrear. “They can also better control their costs, schedules, and patient load. We’ve seen this control become a decisive factor for many physicians we work with.”
A positive office culture becomes your recruiting advantage
When a medical practice works well, everyone feels it. The front desk is organized, employees are smiling, wait times are short, and patients leave feeling well cared for and personally connected to their healthcare providers.
This positive atmosphere is precisely why doctors choose independent practices. “If you’re working for a hospital network, you work with whoever they give you,” Pierce notes. “Doctors have to move actively and efficiently in the office. And if they do not have the correct staff, they’re negatively impacted financially."
In well-coordinated independent practices, Pierce has observed doctors in numerous specialties seeing up to 60 patients daily without anyone feeling burned out. Decisions can be implemented quickly, and staff members support one another - scenarios less common in large hospitals with frequent turnover and transfers.
The impact extends to patient care too. At independent practices, it’s easier to create an environment of attentiveness and genuine care. “Making your patients feel like they were given excellent care is an art,” Pierce says, “and when it happens, they let their friends and family know.”
Showcase your practice’s unique advantages
To stand apart when recruiting, extend the same personalized attention to potential new doctors that you give patients. Pierce recommends going beyond traditional interviews by giving prospects a firsthand look at your practice in action. Have them meet the staff, observe a typical day, and understand how compensation works - then highlight all the ways they’ll have greater control over both their professional and personal lives.
It’s also essential to emphasize how independence creates financial advantages. “First, they simply don’t have as many expenses,” Pierce explains, “but when the team dynamic is right, it also creates efficiencies that further help cut costs. For doctors who will take ownership in a practice, that’s a huge benefit.”
For many healthcare professionals we’ve helped place, a predictable schedule, collaborative environment, and shared commitment to patient care often outweigh a potentially larger paycheck. These qualities tend to attract loyal, dedicated team members who are invested in the practice’s future. While independent practices may not compete dollar-for-dollar with larger systems, they offer compelling benefits that corporate healthcare cannot: stability, collaboration, control, and agility.
“You just really need to get that person into the office,” Pierce advises. “Show them what you have, how your day goes, and how much control over their life as an independent doctor they would have, as opposed to just being a number.”