On June 20 – 25, thousands of attendees from all over the country gathered for a week of continuing education (CE), keynote speakers, legislative and policy updates, hands-on workshops, and lively exhibitions at the American Association of Nurse Practitioners® (AANP) in New Orleans.
NP Advantage’s own Taylon Wait, Brandy Lawson, and Allison Solit were all there for the excitement! According to Brandy, one big takeaway was the number NPs who dream of opening an independent practice but aren’t sure where to begin.
“I was a bit surprised how many NPs haven’t started the process of opening their own practice because of fear, insecurity, lack of resources, or just not knowing where to start,”
Brandy Lawson
Brandy added, “However, when we spoke with them, they were excited to learn that NP Advantage is a one-stop shop with services exclusively dedicated to helping NPs launch an independent practice.”
As the need grows for NPs to step in and help underserved patient populations, the healthcare industry must pave a way for more nurses to transition into independent providers. NP Advantage is committed to being part of that solution.
NPs Finding Their Place in a Complex Healthcare Landscape
While attendees learned that brick-and-mortar practices are becoming increasingly desirable among NPs, there is still some confusion regarding the extent of services they can provide in restricted states. Both Taylon and Brandy shared that they received a lot of questions regarding physician oversight or collaborating physicians.
According to Brandy, “Many NPs thought collaborating physicians were unicorns and you had to really struggle and search deep and far and wide to find them.”
“And that’s really not the case, but there was definitely that perception there,” she added.
Brandy’s experience highlights the invaluable opportunity of events like this conference to pull people out of their individual corners of healthcare and explore opportunities. Networking can indeed help nurses find their new professional “home” as independent providers.
The Big Question: How Can You Build a Patient Base for the Independent NP Practice to Succeed?
However, according to Taylon, the number one topic was patient acquisition.
“At the end of the day, NPs want to provide quality care to a growing patient base, and they were definitely interested in our shared revenue model,”
Taylon Wait
He explained, “Even though these NPs want to be autonomous in their practice, the idea of partnering with NP Advantage for full billing, EHR, and marketing support that is customized for their practice really resonated with them.”
Key takeaways also include that while some patients may follow NPs to a new independent practice or referrals may trickle in, NPS are still seeking a full-service online outreach that promotes a steady stream of new business for their practice. Having a team of healthcare marketing experts working behind the scenes to generate new patient leads gives them peace of mind so they can focus on patient retention through delivery of quality care.
Leverage Our Experience and Industry Strength to Create a Path to Independent Practice Success
If you would like to learn more about how to open your own brick-and-mortar location, feel free to schedule an appointment with Taylon. He is prepared to discuss how NP Advantage can help you work through any hurdles that keep you from achieving independence as an NP. You may be surprised to learn that your goals are more attainable than you think!