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Palliative care physician and certified physician development coach Christie Mulholland discusses her article “Why every physician needs a sabbatical (and how to take one).” Christie reveals the harsh reality that while sabbaticals …
Sabbaticals provide a critical lifeline for sustainable medical careers [PODCAST]
I have spent 30 years as a physical medicine and rehabilitation physician in solo practice. In three decades of treating patients, I have witnessed the slow, systematic transfer of health care decision-making from clinicians to people who have never touched a patient.
When I started my career, physicians led health care. Today, private equity firms own hospitals, insurance company algorithms override clinical judgment, and administrators whose primary loyalty is to shareholders …
The cost of clinician absence in the boardroom: a 30-year perspective
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Family physician Kelly Bain discusses her article “Why physician business literacy matters.” Kelly explains that while doctors are trained to diagnose and treat patients, they are rarely prepared to navigate the complex …
Business literacy empowers physicians to lead sustainable health systems [PODCAST]
In a valuable episode of the Wealth Planning for the Modern Physician podcast, host David Mandell, JD, MBA, sat down with Dr. David Yanoff, an orthopedic surgeon with a career spanning the Air Force, private practice across several states, and innovative financial ventures. Dr. Yanoff shared insights from his diverse medical journey, his entrepreneurial approach to finance, and strategies for transitioning smoothly into retirement, valuable lessons for any physician navigating …
From flight surgeon to investor: a doctor’s guide to financial freedom
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Health care attorney Dennis Hursh discusses his article “wRVU threshold risks in physician contracts.” Dennis explains the critical distinction between a guaranteed salary and a draw against future earnings where failure to …
Hidden financial dangers of wRVU thresholds in medical employment agreements [PODCAST]
Assuming a new health care leadership role is both exciting and daunting. Even in the best circumstances, new leaders must navigate a complex web of expectations, relationships, and organizational priorities.
Drawing on over 30 years of health care leadership experience, we have observed that while new leaders bring enthusiasm and vision, they often encounter predictable obstacles. Many receive little to no formal leadership training, leaving them without a structured approach to …
A 6-step framework for new health care leaders
Perhaps you are standing in the same place I once stood: From the outside, everything looks great, but on the inside, you’re running on fumes.
In my mid-40s, I was on the verge of becoming a full professor. Our dream house was under construction. My retirement plan was on track so I could stop working before 60. Our kids were grown and thriving, launching their own lives. On paper, life was …
Physician coaching: a path to sustainable medicine
An excerpt from Wipe Out, Rise Up: A Surf Session In Being a Leader, Pushing Past Limits, and Sustaining Health. Copyright © 2024 Scott Ellner. Published by BrightRay Publishing. All rights reserved.
Growing up in Southern California, I was well-acquainted with the waves of the Pacific Ocean. Cold water from Alaska flowed down the coast, meeting the warm, sunny climate of Los Angeles, roasted by the heat of the Santa …
From law to medicine: Witnessing trauma on the Pacific Coast Highway
Patients rarely see the contracts behind their care, but physicians feel them every day. And one contract clause in particular (the non-compete) is quietly worsening the physician shortage and blocking patients from seeing the very doctors who want to care for them.
I learned this firsthand.
After serving as a neurologist and EEG medical director in Portsmouth, Virginia, I was forced out of my role under a two-year non-compete. The restriction forbids …
Physician non-compete clauses: a barrier to patient access
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Physician advocate and physical therapist Kim Downey and counselor Shari Morin-Degel discuss their article, “Why burnout prevention starts with leadership.” Shari shares her personal journey from a trauma-exposed mental health professional to …
Leadership buy-in is the key to preventing burnout [PODCAST]
A few years ago, I met a talented internist who had been practicing for 15 years. She owned a small clinic, worked long hours, and ran a thriving patient base, but when we reviewed her financials, I realized she’d been paying far more in taxes and taking far more risk than she needed to.
Her response was one I hear often: “Clint, I’m not a businessperson; I’m a doctor.”
It’s a mindset …
Physician asset protection: a guide to entity strategy
Most physicians practicing medicine today were trained to diagnose and treat patients, not to navigate one of the most complex industries in the world, an industry characterized by ever-changing payer contracts, evolving reimbursement structures, complex and sometimes mystifying coding, and challenging operational realities. Despite the lack of training, these same physicians and providers are leading multimillion-dollar businesses and are expected by their health systems to reduce costs, improve outcomes, and …
Why physician business literacy matters
A few months ago, I received a call from a frustrated surgeon.
It wasn’t about a malpractice claim; he was covered there. The problem was that his teenage son had totaled the family car. Nobody was seriously hurt, thankfully, but the other driver’s attorney was already sniffing around his assets. He told me, “Clint, this can’t touch my house or savings, right? I have medical malpractice insurance.”
That’s when I had to …
Why malpractice insurance isn’t enough
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In a valuable episode of the Wealth Planning for the Modern Physician podcast, host David Mandell, JD, MBA, welcomed two guests who have navigated a common trend in independent medicine today: private equity. Dr. Steve Hamilton, sports medicine physician and orthopedic surgeon at Beacon Orthopedics, and Andy Blankemeyer, CEO of Beacon and OrthoAlliance, shared their firsthand experiences with practice growth, private equity partnerships, and what physicians should consider when approached …
How to navigate private equity in medicine
Many physicians do not seem to grasp the risks inherent in physician employment agreements that impose a minimum threshold of wRVU production. However, there can be many pitfalls in these agreements.
What is the effect of the threshold?
The first pitfall is determining the effect of a threshold. Some agreements provide a salary “assuming a minimum threshold of” some number of wRVUs. I have reviewed many agreements with a provision like that …
wRVU threshold risks in physician contracts
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Certified financial planner Michelle Neiswender discusses her article, “Why physicians should not be their own financial planner.” Michelle explains why physicians, despite being brilliant, often make costly financial mistakes when managing their …
Why being your own financial planner is costing you millions [PODCAST]
Leadership is often discussed in broad strokes: some leaders are structured and precise, while others are flexible and improvisational. But behind those visible styles lie quiet personal and generational histories, the emotional terrain that shaped how we learned safety, trust, and control. I’ve come to see that these histories profoundly influence how we lead and how we’re perceived as leaders, especially in health care, where the stakes are high and …
How your past shapes the way you lead
In aviation, the right seat is typically reserved for the instructor. In medicine, it’s the role of the diagnostician, the mentor, the gatekeeper. I once piloted a T-37B “Tweet” trainer from the right seat, not as a student, but as someone trusted to guide. That experience shaped how I approach clinical decision-making, interdisciplinary fluency, and the choreography of care.
During a military training program, our squad faced a simulated obstacle: an …
Interdisciplinary medicine: lessons from the cockpit
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Certified financial planners Michael Lynch and Alisa Olsen discuss their article “Create your own financial vision for independence,” an excerpt from their book Taking Care of Your Future: Your Simple System for …
A financial vision to define your retirement [PODCAST]
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Certified financial planner Paul Morton discusses his article “Physician practice ownership: risks, rewards, and reality.” Paul breaks down the massive differences between an employed physician’s financial journey and that of an equity …
Is owning a medical practice worth the ultimate financial risk? [PODCAST]
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