I’ve been reading Seth Godin’s The Knot: Problems Can Be Solved, and one idea keeps bringing me back to the challenges facing independent medical practices. Godin asks us to distinguish between a situation and a problem. His example is simple: Gravity is a situation. Getting to the moon is a problem. 

At medical association meetings, I’m hearing increasing concerns about the future of private practice. Declining reimbursement, insurance requirements, rising expenses, and healthcare consolidation are making independence more difficult. Some physicians are selling their practices, retiring, or reconsidering Medicare participation. 

An individual physician cannot change Medicare reimbursement or eliminate insurance requirements. Those are situations they must work within. But how does an independent physician build a thriving practice despite these challenges? That’s a problem worth solving. 

Finding the Knot 

Consider what physicians are facing: 

I want to remain independent, but much of my patient flow depends on insurance companies, hospital systems, and referral sources outside my control. 

I want patients to choose me for my expertise, but I don’t have the time or marketing knowledge to consistently communicate what makes my practice different. 

I want stronger referral relationships, but between caring for patients and running my practice, I don’t have time to stay connected the way I’d like. 

These physicians aren’t lacking commitment. They’re lacking the time, resources, and marketing expertise to build and maintain these relationships. And that’s a problem that can be solved. 

Marketing Is About Relationships 

I’ve always believed that marketing is creating a relationship. For private practices, that means building relationships with patients, referring physicians and providers, medical industry partners, and the broader community. Relationships require communication, and communication requires consistency. 

An exceptional physician may have years of specialized training and an outstanding reputation. But if patients can’t find that physician, or referring providers aren’t regularly reminded of their expertise, opportunities to connect are lost. 

Physicians don’t need to become marketing professionals. They need a consistent approach to communicating their expertise and maintaining relationships without adding to their already demanding schedules. That may mean assigning marketing responsibilities to someone within the practice, engaging an outside medical marketing team, or combining both approaches. 

The important thing is to have a plan, someone responsible for carrying it out, and consistent communication with patients, referring providers, and the community. Over time, those relationships build Physician Brand Equity™, strengthening the physician’s reputation, increasing patient trust, and creating greater opportunities for practice growth. 

Work on What You Can Change 

Locally, physicians can strengthen their visibility, reputation, and relationships through consistent marketing and communication. At the state and national levels, they can work collectively through medical associations and advocacy to address reimbursement and regulatory challenges. Both matter. 

Godin’s lesson is that we don’t always need to pull harder on the knot. Sometimes we need to identify the pin that’s keeping us stuck. For independent physicians, the pin may be the assumption that they must personally manage their marketing and communication efforts. They don’t. They simply need to make sure someone is responsible for them. 

Private practice is built on relationships. Its future depends, in part, on keeping those relationships strong. Because great doctors can’t help patients who can’t find them. 

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