Last Updated Oct 2012
Having your own private therapy practice means no staff meetings, less paperwork, more money and more freedom to work on your choice of clients. Learn from a seasoned occupational therapist as she shares her business experience.
Tell me a little bit about yourself and your area(s) of expertise.
My name is Cindy Weinberger. I am an occupational therapist licensed in New Hampshire and Vermont. I graduated from BU in 1989 and have spent most of my career in rehab, acute care hospitals and home care. Five years ago, I began working at a hospital in VT, doing outpatient therapy, focusing on hands, which has been an interest of mine for a long time. In 2010, I prepared and studied and became a Certified Hand Therapist (CHT). I have continued working full time doing out patient OT and love being a hand therapist, despite the long commute. I have a husband and three teenagers and have often dreamed of owning my own therapy business for the flexibility and income.
What were your hesitations in going into private practice?
I have always been fearful of the “business” end of private practice (billing and marketing) and have also not been in a financial position to give up my full time employment. The risk of giving up our family’s health plan and the “guaranteed” therapist salary have discouraged me from pursuing my own practice, but the thought was never far from my mind.
Tell me about the process of setting up your business.
I had no idea how to begin. I live in an area where I knew that if I did not accept insurance, I would not get clients. I began the process six months in advance of planning to see any patients, applying to become credentialed with medicare, medicaid and 5 other commercial insurances that are commonly seen in my area.
This process is tedious and detail oriented but I made it through getting an NPI number, CAQH, malpractice insurance etc. I consulted with a physical therapist friend who recently started a practice and she recommended a company named Office Ally, for free billing. So far, they have great customer service and are submitting my bills. I did not want big overhead initially, so I am renting a corner of an existing physical therapy practice with use of their office supplies, receptionist for scheduling and modalities. My purchases were not very big.
What’s happening with your practice now?
I have been “open” for two months so far and it is steadily growing. I changed my job hours to 4, 10 hour days, having one day to work at the private practice. If needed, I fit in a patient on a Saturday or an evening appointment on my way home from my “regular job”. Admittedly, it is a bit crazy schedule wise, but I am excited to be building something of my own and my family is supportive.
What is one piece of advice that you would give to someone who is just getting started with private patients?
The few things I wish I did differently are:
- Started off the bat with documentation electronically, but I can switch at any time
- I picked a business name, rather than just going by my name. However, in order to change that now, I need to submit change of info paperwork to insurance companies which is time consuming.
- I had more time to develop marketing strategies, website, etc. but with three kids and a full time therapy job already, it is not really happening.
- What I am glad that I did is that by not leaving my job, or reducing my hours, I
am not stressed about the practice growth. It can grow slowly, and that is alright. I am also glad I do not have big overhead and I'm starting small. A year from now, if I am busy and have reduced my hours at the hospital, I can consider setting up my own space, and at that point, I will register a real name!
I am amazed at how much I have learned from my first thoughts on this when I purchased Jena’s book, to now, but I have a long way to go and lots more to learn.
So, that’s my story! I am on LinkedIn but no website (yet!).
Create success in your private therapy practice with the help of Cindy's knowledge to develop the skills needed to become recognized as an expert in your field.
Jena H. Casbon, MS CCC-SLP spends her days treating adults with cognitive-communication disorders and her nights helping fellow speech, occupational and physical therapy providers start and grow their own private practices. Her company, The Independent Clinician, seeks to provide information, community and a confidence boost to those who want to get started treating privately but don’t know how.
Jena’s first book is available now: The Independent Clinician Guide to Private Patients. She is also finishing her second (yet untitled) book for SLP/OT/PT therapists on building a web presence (websites, social media and more) to grow their private practices.
Click here to read more about Jena Casbon, MS-CCC-SLP
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