Not married to the M.O.B.: Life beyond the medical office building

Traditional settings aren't the only place for physicians to practice. Some have successfully ventured into areas with high visibility and plentiful parking -- strip malls.

By Mike Norbut, AMNews staff. July 7, 2003.

Parents who bring children to the Virginia pediatrics practice of John Farrell, MD, also can pick up a pizza, a movie and some groceries, all without having to move their vehicles. Patients in the Hawaii office of family physician Marc Shlachter, MD need only walk a few feet to reach a pharmacy, a bank, a post office or a sandwich shop.

Drs. Farrell and Shlachter are located in retail shopping centers, rather than medical office buildings.

Occupying space next to a Food Lion grocery or a Blockbuster video store might be a different atmosphere than a hospital campus or a medical office building, but it can be a productive home nevertheless. The rent might be higher, but some doctors say it's worth it to capitalize on the foot traffic, ample parking and signage that a strip mall has.

"It's worked out great," said Dr. Farrell, who a few years ago expanded his practice into a retail shopping center in South Riding, Va., 15 miles from an office building location in Reston, Va. "The convenience is great, and we get exposure there that we wouldn't get in a medical office building."

Leasing retail space is not a widespread practice among physicians, but real estate experts say there is a market for doctors and other professionals because landlords see them as dependable, recession-proof anchor tenants who will likely stay in the space for a long time.

Meanwhile, some doctors -- especially primary care physicians looking for ways to distinguish themselves from hundreds of others in an HMO directory -- like having their names on a sign people can see from the road and an office that is mere steps from the parking lot.