Sometimes, you just need an instruction manual.
One of those times is when you are starting a medical practice—something James McManaway III, MD, quickly learned when he decided to strike out on his own in 2003.
“I knew a lot about patient care but very little about running and setting up a practice. It took a lot of research and time to find out what had to be done,” said Dr. McManaway.
While he didn’t have an instruction manual, Dr. McManaway had the next best thing—Mary Ellen Corum in the Practice Economics and Payer Relations Department at the Pennsylvania Medical Society.
“Mary Ellen compared starting a practice to having two bags—one of all the things you need to know and the other of what you know now. Everyday, you have to pull stuff from the bag you need to know and add it to the bag of stuff you know. Eventually, you’ll get ahead of it,” Dr. McManaway said.
Although he cheerfully admits that he’s “still learning,” Dr. McManaway’s pediatric ophthalmology practice in Hershey is now thriving.
There were a few hiccups along the way, particularly with getting insurers to pay promptly.
He again turned to Corum, who helped the practice put together a plan to collect payment on old claims.
“Now, if something’s not paid in three weeks, my biller is on it. She’s persistent like a bull dog,” Dr. McManaway said.
Ultimately, Dr. McManaway is happy with his choice to leave employment and start a solo practice.
“Not to say there weren’t any sleepless nights, because there were, but I am in better spirits and better health than I was five years ago,” he said.
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