Private Practice
A medical practice owned and operated by one or more physicians independently, rather than by a hospital or corporate entity. Private practices retain autonomy over operations and revenue cycle, and many own or invest in ambulatory surgery centers.
What is a private practice?
A private practice is a medical practice owned and operated independently by one or more physicians, rather than by a hospital, health system, or corporate entity. The owning physicians control the business and clinical decisions of the practice.
This independence extends to operations, staffing, and how the practice manages its finances and revenue cycle. Private practices range from a single clinician to larger physician-owned groups, but the defining trait is physician ownership and autonomy.
Why does private practice matter for surgery centers?
Because they control their own operations and revenue, private practices can decide where to send patients for procedures and how to structure their business interests. Many physicians in private practice own or invest in ambulatory surgery centers, aligning their clinical work with facility ownership.
This ownership dynamic shapes referral patterns and the economics of outpatient surgery, since physician-owners have a stake in directing appropriate cases to their facilities. The autonomy of private practice also means these groups manage their own billing and payer relationships, which affects how the broader revenue cycle functions.
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