The Physical therapy guide on How to start a Clinic

Are you a therapist who is willing to start your own private clinic? Learn with our Guide to Starting an Outpatient Clinic.

If you consider yourself an excellent physical therapist, then it might not be enough for you. You must be thinking to start your own private practice. When you do not have a background in the business, then it can be quite challenging to start your own clinic.

But, if you are under the shade of the right guidance, then it is not going to be difficult for you at all. If you wish to turn the dream into a reality, then you need to follow and understand some pointers for opening a physical therapy clinic.

Well, it is going to take enough motivation and a drive to succeed. Well, if you are ready to get your hands dirty, then read on to learn more about management strategy, purchasing the right equipment, choosing the software, finding the right location, and selecting a specialty.

First, you need to figure out what kind of practice is that you want to open. Whether you want to run it solo or you want to run it with your own partner.

What Kind of practice do you want?

One of the most significant things that you must consider is whether you want to open your practice solo or you want to bring a partner onboard.

Bringing a partner is going to sound worthy to you as they will be able to fill the void of what is missing, it can be experience, money, or business knowledge. Once the most critical gap is complete, it will enable you to achieve far greater success. These are far more than you can accomplish yourselves.

You will have someone with you with whom you can share the risk as well as the reward. Sometimes, two are better than one. There are risks as well to this kind of partnership that includes;

• Loss of control
• Opinion differences

This is why when you enter into a partnership, you must not take it lightly. This is because getting out of the partnership is going to prove much harder. Thus, SmartPT recommends that you must get legal counsel before you enter into any kind of business arrangement.

If you wish to fly solo, then it might feel like the right decision. There are some benefits that are there with some amount of risk. You are free to make the decisions and receive all the profits. But if you are in debt, then you have to bear the same burden all by yourself.

If you do not want to go solo or partner with someone, then you can join a group practice and get experience from the other therapy professionals. Also, you do not have to make any kind of investment in the space of the equipment and you are going to get all the perks of being already established in the market.

There are different business models for the clinic and every clinic has its own benefit. Let us have a look at those models.

• Corporate office settings.

  There are many big corporate offices that have their own website clinics and also include physical therapists. This approach offers many flexibilities for the providers. It is also very convenient for the patients.

  The clinics will also wipe off the need for patients to travel to their appointments. This will save time for most of the patients.

• Subscription-based coverage.

  There are many practices that offer the subscription and some are pushing the subscription model a step ahead. This means that the practice enables the patients with fast access to the services in the exchange for some annual or at least a monthly fee.

  This model is a great option for startups and single-therapist clinics as it facilitates a predictable and steady revenue stream. It has also proved to be more cost-effective when compared with the traditional clinic model.

• Multidisciplinary care model.

  This model is designed to improve the patient experience, increase patient satisfaction with the healthcare services and decrease the overall cost of care. Some benefits of integrated care systems include decreased patient healthcare spending, more efficient referral processes, a great rounded approach to care, and improvement in health outcomes through practitioner collaboration.

• Niche therapy clinic model.

  When you are new in the PT market, it might feel difficult and impossible to stand out in the clinics that are already established. Well, going niche is the only way to create a set of patients who will continue to return again.

  Thus, creating a single provider startup is an excellent way to make an identity of yourself in the market.

How should I determine my clinic location?

You better do your homework before you make an offer for the location. There are some questions that need an answer before you choose the place to set up your clinic. Well, a location has the ability to make or break a business. Ask the following questions to find the best location.

• Does the place have direct access services to legal aid in your state?
• How many people are living or working in the community? And how many of them are looking out for physical therapy care?
• Are there any referral providers working in the area? How many among them are constantly prescribed physical therapy?
• How many physical therapy providers are working in your community?
• Are there any physical therapy offices for sale in the area?
• Is it going to be financially feasible to purchase a practice that exists or start a setup from scratch?
• Is it difficult to be preferred for the kind of players there are in your area?
• Is your office easily accessible by foot, car, and public transportation? Is it visible from the nearby streets?

Are still not sure where to start? Market research is really important and you will get the feel for the area. You need to start browsing real estate. You can do it alone or hire a leasing agent who knows the area inside out. The tenant brokers are also great to approach if you want someone to advocate for you.

One other important thing that you have to consider is how much space is that you need. Will you need a 3000 square foot office or you can run your practice in an 800 to 1000 square foot office as well?

When you have answers to these queries, then you can start to shortlist the places for the clinic.

What is the PT Specialty you shall choose?

Well, if you are among the physical therapists who have not considered a niche, then it is time that you do so. You must figure out what kind of services are there that you can provide that can make you stand out among your competitors.

You need to lay the foundation of your practice by finding your niche. It can be sports, post-surgery rehab, or paediatric therapy.

You need to sit down and take time to jot down your specialities and highlight your experiences. There are some queries that you must ask yourself:

• What kind of physical therapy work do you enjoy doing?
• Are you aware of the market potential for any specific area of your interest?
• What kind of patients would you want to work with?
• In the niche chosen, what kind of experience do you possess to help in achieving success?
• Are there any other physical therapists in the vicinity that have had success in the niche that you have chosen?

What is the process of Financing?

This is one of the first questions that probably is going to linger in your mind when you are planning to start your own clinic. At first, it can feel like an obstacle that might scare you at first. But with a little positive effort, and a small amount of luck, you can get the funding that you need by following some steps.

Take account of your expenses.

You need to be sure of the amount of money that you are going to need for monthly expenses in your venture. In order to enhance the viability of your dream venture, you must be able to keep your expenses very low.

When you have these numbers, you are going to know the amount of loan that you are going to need. These expenses can be allocated in three major categories. These are-

• Variable expenses such as supplies, marketing, and everyday utilities.
• Fixed costs such as software and equipment costs.
• Labour costs that include employee salaries

Get your documents in order.

Before you are heading to the bank, you need to make sure that you have certain documents in your possession in order to make the process of review painless and quick.

• Having a business plan.
• Professional references.
• Financial projections.
• A personal financial statement.

Choose a Lender.

When it comes to choosing a lender, then it is recommended that you pick a bank that has some kind of experience in working with the healthcare industry.

You must ignore the temptation of selecting the first offer and you must choose a local bank for the purpose of funding.

What is the process for purchasing the equipment?

When you are confirmed with who and where you are going to treat, then you need to think about the how part. What kind of equipment will you put to use in order to provide the best care for the patients?

Buying the equipment does not have to break your bank. You can compare the prices of the equipment on the internet and make a wise decision.

What is the right kind of software for you?

Every Physical therapist must adopt a good EMR system. That is because when compared with the paper charts and reports, the EMRs are going to deal better with the practitioners, and patients, and with a hefty documentation process.

When you leverage EMR software, then the documentation will communicate with the patient’s experiences.

Safe and secure.

You need to select a web-based EMR and your patient data will be safe and secure. You are going to enjoy the benefits of the world’s leading data centres such as biometric screening, and video surveillance at little or no cost at all.

Patient and referral marketing.

Well, the referrals are great for enticing a lot of business for most physical therapists. With the help of EMR, you can maximise these referrals by easy track option through which you can know your sources.

It is one of the best ways through which you can make out the referral sources and get more attention.

Appointment scheduling.

The scheduling software will help in automatically linking the patient record with the calendar. With this, you can review and take notes and send automated reminders seamlessly. It can help the therapist to manage the therapy schedules.

Digital patient intake solutions.

The digital patient intake solutions allow the practitioner to send the patients user-friendly intake forms. Most digital patient intake tools can send automated reminders to patients who have not filled out their forms and the appointment date is approaching.

Well, we hope our guide has presented you with effective pointers so that you can start a clinic and provide the best care experience to your patients. Now that you know how to start your own private practice, we wish you all the best!