Starting an independent medical practice is a top-of-the-list professional goal for many physicians. But besides clinical skills, hanging a shingle these days requires substantial business expertise, including foundational knowledge of finance, some fluency in legal issues and a robust professional network, to name a few. And how many physicians—right out of training or even with years in practice—have all of those?
Worry not. The AMA Independent Practice Accelerator Workshop is a two-day, hands-on experience designed for physicians considering a physician private practice or in the early stages of building one.
The workshop will take place Sept. 11–12 at the AMA headquarters in Chicago and is open to all physicians and physicians in training. It is designed to give physicians the essential knowledge, practical skills and confidence to launch or strengthen an independent practice in a concentrated, high-impact format. The deadline to register is Aug. 27. Learn more and register now.
The workshop is part of the new AMA Career Advancement Collective, a powerful suite of educational programs and training that will help physicians develop and advance at every stage of their career.
Day 1: Strategy, legal, staffing, operations
The curriculum is tailored to audience priorities and experience levels, with practical, hands-on activities. All sessions will leverage existing AMA content and resources as foundational materials.
“Strategic Planning: Vision and Roadmap,” featuring Bryan Batson, MD, CEO of Hattiesburg Clinic, in Mississippi. Hattiesburg Clinic is part of the AMA Health System Member Program.
Dr. Batson is an internal medicine-pediatrics physician with a specialty of clinical hypertension. He has practiced medicine with Hattiesburg Clinic for 19 years and has held numerous physician leadership positions during that time, including chief medical information officer from 2011 to 2020. He then became the first physician to be named the health system’s CEO. Learn about his work to unite physician voices through the AMA Integrated Physician Practice Section.
“Business Foundations: Legal and Compliance,” led by Neal Shah, shareholder at the Polsinelli law firm, in Chicago.
Neal applies his extensive legal experience in private practice, government service and healthcare delivery to help identify practical legal solutions to complex regulatory and transactional problems. Prior to joining Polsinelli, Neal worked for the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS), where he contributed to many areas of federal healthcare policy, including initiatives under the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Innovation. Check out his guidance on building a strong advising team.
“Human Resources and Staffing,” presented by Edward Kroger, MD, professor of practice at University of Houston Bauer College of Business.
A former board-certified internist, Dr. Kroger spent more than 30 years as an attorney representing healthcare systems and providers in legal matters. He is also a faculty member at Rice University, where he teaches graduate healthcare business courses. In addition to teaching, he serves as chief legal officer at DePelchin Children's Center and a legal consultant and educator to Texas healthcare systems.
“Practice Operations,” with Carolynn Francavilla Brown, MD, a family medicine physician and obesity specialist who is the sole owner of Green Mountain Partners for Health in Lakewood, Colorado.
Dr. Francavilla Brown is a nationally recognized obesity medicine expert, lecturing to physicians and nonphysician providers on the topic of obesity as well as teaching through her own platform, HelpYourPatientsLoseWeight.com. She also hosts a podcast about weight and health and is the founder of GLP Strong, a strength training program for patients on weight loss medications.
Dr. Francavilla Brown is an assistant professor at Rocky Vista University and is also the immediate past chair of the AMA Private Practice Physicians Section Governing Council.
Day 2: Financing, revenue, leading, marketing
Learn how to generate and manage cash flows, motivate care teams and be a part of the community.
“Practice Financing,” presented by Michael Jerkins, MD, MEd, co-founder and president of Panacea Financial, a financial services company providing customized banking and lending solutions specifically designed for doctors, dentists and veterinarians.
Dr. Jerkins is also a practicing pediatrician and internal medicine physician in Little Rock, Arkansas. He co-hosts the “Podcast For Doctors (by Doctors)” and speaks nationally to physicians on the intersection of practice and finance. Check out his entrepreneurship fundamentals.
“Revenue Cycle Management,” led by Taylor Johnson, senior program manager in the Physician Practice Development unit at the AMA. Taylor earned her undergraduate degree in health systems management and her MBA in entrepreneurship. She has more than a decade of healthcare administrative experience in private practice, including managing business and clinical operations, as well as consulting for large health systems.
“Leadership and Critical Decision-Making,” with the aforementioned Dr. Kroger.
“Marketing Your Practice: Referrals and Community,” featuring Phil Boucher, MD, founder of Frontier Pediatric Care and PractOS. Dr. Boucher is a board-certified pediatrician based in Lincoln, Nebraska, where he cares for more than 750 children and families per year through a relationship-first, modern care model. He loves helping other practice owners launch, grow and streamline their clinics. His areas of focus include branding, patient experience, team leadership, marketing and customer relationship management systems.
“Physician Panel: Lessons Learned,” which will be the Day 2 closing physician panel, moderated by Sea Chen, MD, PhD, the AMA’s director of physician practice sustainability. The workshop will close with this candid panel discussion featuring AMA Immediate Past President Bobby Mukkamala, MD, and other physician experts. They will offer firsthand insights on the challenges, opportunities and key decisions involved in launching, growing and sustaining an independent practice.
Add tools to your kit—and get credit
By attending the AMA Independent Practice Accelerator Workshop, you will:
- Build your skills in business fundamentals, revenue cycle management, patient acquisition and retention, technology selection, compliance and more.
- Get expert insights on navigating common challenges.
- Apply what you learn through structured activities.
- Network with peers and access the AMA’s professional support network.
- Receive a certificate of completion, presented in person at the conclusion of the event.
The Independent Practice Accelerator Workshop is approved for 9.0 AMA PRA Category 1 Credits™.
It takes astute clinical judgment as well as a commitment to collaboration and solving challenging problems to succeed in independent settings that are often fluid, and the AMA offers the resources and support physicians need to both start and sustain success in private practice.
