The practice launch guide. And the team to make it real.
The complete platform for launching a private medical practice — free guides, expert services, and the tools to make it real.
Most physicians launch private practices the way they were taught to do residency — show up, work hard, hope it works. That's how you lose 90–180 days of revenue to credentialing, burn working capital on the wrong EHR, and overpay for a marketing program that doesn't fit.
We built this site to give you the order of operations — and the team to execute it.
Where are you in the launch?
Five questions. We'll route you to the exact phase, the resources you need now, and the next decision in front of you.
No signup. No spam. Just sequencing.
Seven phases. One launch. In order.
Starting a practice isn't a checklist. It's a build sequence with dependencies, timing windows, and traps. Here's the order of operations — what comes first, what runs in parallel, and what will cost you if you skip ahead.
- 01DecideIs This Right for Me?
The decision before the decision.
The questionShould I leave employment and start my own practice?
Duration2–6 months of thinking, 30 days of deciding
- 02PlanBusiness Planning
The numbers that decide whether you launch or stall.
The questionCan the math work in my market for my specialty?
Duration4–8 weeks
- 03FormLegal & Entity Setup
The structure under everything you'll build.
The questionPC, LLC, S-corp, partnership — what's right and where?
Duration2–4 weeks (parallel with planning)
- 04CredentialCredentialing & Enrollment Control room
The clock that decides when you actually get paid.
The questionHow do I get in-network with payers without losing 6 months of revenue?
Duration90–180 days (and this is the most expensive thing to get wrong)
- 05BuildInfrastructure & Technology
The systems that let your practice actually run.
The questionWhich EHR, which billing system, which clearinghouse, which everything?
Duration60–120 days
- 06LaunchLaunch & Marketing
Getting your first 100 patients without burning your runway.
The questionHow do I fill the schedule without overspending on marketing I don't need yet?
DurationStarts 60 days before open, continues forever
- 07GrowGrow & Optimize
From 'open and billing' to 'profitable and sustainable.'
The questionNow that I'm open, where's the leverage?
DurationMonths 6+ forever
Services framed by the work, not the org chart.
Each service is a build crew for a specific phase of the launch. You hire what you need, when you need it — and we stay coordinated with the other crews so the build sequence holds.
From decision to first patient — without the expensive mistakes.
End-to-end advisory through the full 7-phase launch. We've done this before. You'll get the order of operations right the first time.
- · Pro forma + working-capital model
- · Entity + tax election guidance
- · Vendor selection (EHR, billing, clearinghouse)
In-network with the payers that matter — on the timeline you need.
Credentialing is the single most expensive thing to get wrong at launch. Our team manages the entire process so you don't lose 90–180 days of revenue.
- · Medicare 855 enrollment (initial + revalidation)
- · Medicaid enrollment (state-specific)
- · Commercial payer credentialing (BCBS, UHC, Aetna, Cigna, regional plans)
Get paid faster, with fewer denials, and clear visibility into what's working.
Full-service billing from charge entry through collections. Built for new practices that need the operational lift and the strategic view.
- · Charge entry + claim submission
- · Denial management + appeals
- · Patient billing + collections
A website that ranks, converts, and doesn't look like every other doctor's website.
Custom medical practice websites built for SEO, accessibility, and patient acquisition. Not Wix. Not a template. Real design, real performance.
- · Custom design + brand identity
- · Modern, fast, accessible build (Astro / Next.js)
- · Local SEO program (citations, schema, GMB)
The right tech stack. The right AI. No long-term contract traps.
EHR, billing, telephony, patient experience, and AI productivity tools — selected, contracted, and implemented for your specialty. Decades of vendor relationships, focus on value not lock-in.
- · EHR + practice management evaluation and selection — specialty-fit over brand
- · Telephony, scheduling, intake, payments — best-in-breed stack
- · AI tool evaluation: ambient documentation, RCM/denial management, patient communication
EHR, HIPAA, staffing, telephony — the operational systems, set up right.
The unglamorous pieces that determine whether your practice runs. We help you pick the right systems, configure them, and train your team.
- · EHR selection + implementation
- · Clearinghouse + practice management
- · HIPAA compliance program (policies, BAAs, risk analysis, training)
Built by the team that has started 7,000+ practices.
This site is built by the practice-launch team at Physician Practice Specialists — the group that has launched over 7,000 independent practices across the country. Every phase, every watchout, every "do not skip this" is the compounded lesson of those launches.
- Credentialing
- Revenue cycle
- Startup consulting
- Nationwide
Independent practices started nationwide by Physician Practice Specialists — the track record this blueprint is drawn from.
The most useful free content in the space.
We give the practical stuff away because the quality of our free content is the best signal for the quality of our paid services. Read it, use it, and let us know when you want help.
The Practice Launch Checklist
Phase-ordered, opinionated, and free. The exact tasks for each of the 7 phases — with the watchouts most checklists skip.
Free Medicare Fee Schedule + Revalidation Lookups
Two tools every new practice should bookmark — built and hosted by our partner team at Metolius.
Practice Startup Cost Guide
Honest ranges by specialty and location. What drives costs up, what drives them down, and how to manage cash flow during the credentialing lag.
Long-form articles + playbooks
Deeper than a phase guide, narrower than the full blueprint. New articles on credentialing, planning, marketing, and technology decisions.
The questions every founder asks first.
Direct answers up front, the deeper guide one click away. If your question isn't here, it's probably answered inside one of the seven phase guides.
- 01Q01
How much does it cost to start a medical practice?
Plan for $50k–$250k+ in capital expenses (build-out, equipment, deposits), $5k–$50k in one-time professional fees, and $15k–$40k per month of pre-revenue operating costs — plus a working-capital reserve of at least six months. Specialty, market, and ambition move every one of those ranges. See the full startup cost guide → - 02Q02
How long does it take to open a private medical practice?
Most physicians should plan on roughly 6–12 months from committed decision to seeing patients. Credentialing alone runs 90–180 days and should start 4–6 months before your target open date; business planning (4–8 weeks), entity setup (2–4 weeks), and infrastructure build-out (60–120 days) overlap around that clock. See the 7-phase launch journey → - 03Q03
Do I need to start credentialing before opening?
Yes. Start payer credentialing 4–6 months before your target open date — not 90 days before. Enrollment runs 90–180 days, and a practice that opens before it's in-network gives up that revenue window. It's the single most expensive thing to get wrong at launch. Read the Phase 4 credentialing guide → - 04Q04
What is the first step to starting a medical practice?
The decision before the decision: get honest about whether you want to run a business or just see patients with more autonomy, then pick your model (solo, group, DPC, concierge, cash-pay). After that, build a 24-month pro forma that includes a realistic credentialing lag and a six-month working-capital cushion. Start with Phase 1 → - 05Q05
How long does medical credentialing take?
90–180 days for most payers. Medicare enrollment, state Medicaid, and commercial payer applications can run in parallel — and following up with each payer every two weeks is what keeps the clock from silently stalling. See the credentialing timeline → - 06Q06
Should I form an LLC or a PC for my medical practice?
It depends on your state. Many states restrict which entity types physicians can use — a professional entity (PC or PLLC) is often required instead of a standard LLC — and the tax election matters as much as the entity type. Entity rules vary by state for physicians, so talk to a healthcare attorney in your state before you file. Read the Phase 3 entity guide → - 07Q07
How much working capital does a new practice need?
Six months of operating expenses, minimum. Even after you open, insurance payments arrive 30–60 days after you bill — and credentialing delays can stretch that gap by another 60–120 days. Most practices reach break-even in months 7–12, not months 3–4. See the working-capital math → - 08Q08
Do you work with nurse practitioners and physician assistants?
Yes. We work with physicians (MD/DO), nurse practitioners, physician assistants, behavioral health providers, and specialty practices. NP independent-practice authority is state-specific — in restricted states we help structure the required collaborating-physician arrangements. See who we help →
Talk to the team before you pour the foundation wrong.
One free consultation. Real answers. We'll tell you whether you need us — and if you don't, we'll tell you what to do anyway.
Book your free consultation