As an owner of a private medical practice, I feel as though I came into the KMA Presidency with a somewhat unique perspective. While private practices used to be the main practice setting for most physicians, those numbers have decreased significantly over the years. An American Medical Association study found that the number of physicians employed by private practices fell from 60.1% in 2012 to 46.7% in 2022. In Kentucky today, only 25-30% of physicians consider themselves to be the owner/operator of a medical practice.
Like many of you, I started own private practice, WellSprings Dermatology and WellSprings SkinCare in 1993 because I wanted to define the culture and mission of my practice. I desired to employ people in my community and pour into their lives as we all served the patients together. I had a mentor tell me years ago that beyond the mission of caring for my patients, I also had the opportunity to look at my staff as a part of my mission. Now, 32 years later, I am proud to lead 22 employees by our core values and provide needed care for the patients in the Paducah community.
While I still enjoy operating my own practice, times have certainly changed, and practice owners are facing many challenges today. KMA has heard from many members about the increasing strain being placed on private physician practices. Rising administrative burdens, staffing shortages, declining reimbursement, increasing business costs, and a rapidly shifting healthcare landscape have made it harder than ever for private practices to remain financially viable while continuing to provide high-quality, patient-centered care.
That’s why I’m personally interested in the launch of a new Private Practice Physician Survey by KMA just last month. We want to better understand the scope and nature of the challenges faced by those of us in private practice so that we can best support this population of our physician membership. I want to personally thank those of you who have already taken the time to participate. If you haven’t had a chance to complete the survey yet, it is still available here. Your input is essential in helping us paint a clearer picture of the current environment for independent practices in Kentucky. I even filled it out myself.
KMA is committed to advocating for solutions that help sustain and strengthen private practice. We are using the survey results to help inform our policy agenda, including efforts to streamline prior authorization, address unfair payer practices, and find other ways we might support private practices.
This is not a challenge that will be solved overnight, but it is one that KMA is dedicated to confronting head-on. Your voice matters, and this survey is just one example of how your feedback drives our work.
Thank you again for your engagement and for all you do to care for Kentuckians, no matter your practice setting. Together, we will continue to advocate for a healthcare system that values the essential role of both private practice and employed physicians, and supports the physician leaders in both areas.