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The Practice Launch Checklist.

Phase-ordered, opinionated, and free. The exact tasks for each of the 7 phases — with the watchouts most checklists skip. Use it for free. Hire us when you want the build crew.

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  1. 01
    Phase 01 · Decide

    Is This Right for Me?

    The decision before the decision.

    Must do first

    Get honest about your financial runway, your specialty's economics, and whether you want to run a business or just see patients.

    Can do in parallel
    • ☐ Talk to 3 physicians who've launched in the last 3 years
    • ☐ Run a back-of-envelope startup cost model
    • ☐ Test your local payer mix
    Watchouts
    • ! Waiting for the 'right time' (there isn't one)
    • ! Not running the numbers and getting scared by the unknown
    • ! Trying to decide alone
    Full Phase 01 guide → · Practice Model Decision Guide
  2. 02
    Phase 02 · Plan

    Business Planning

    The numbers that decide whether you launch or stall.

    Must do first

    Build a 24-month pro forma that includes a realistic credentialing lag and a 6-month working-capital cushion.

    Can do in parallel
    • ☐ Scout 2–3 location options
    • ☐ Get pre-qualified for a practice loan or SBA-backed financing
    • ☐ Identify your minimum viable EHR + billing approach
    Watchouts
    • ! Underestimating credentialing lag
    • ! Picking a location before validating the payer mix
    • ! Skipping the working-capital reserve and running out of cash month 4
    Full Phase 02 guide → · Startup Cost Guide
  3. 03
    Phase 03 · Form

    Legal & Entity Setup

    The structure under everything you'll build.

    Must do first

    Talk to a healthcare attorney in your state. Entity rules vary by state for physicians — wrong choice here is expensive to unwind.

    Can do in parallel
    • ☐ EIN / state tax registration
    • ☐ Open business banking
    • ☐ Malpractice insurance quotes
    • ☐ Begin credentialing prep work (CAQH, NPI verification)
    Watchouts
    • ! DIY entity formation without state-specific physician practice rules
    • ! Mismatched partnership terms between founders
    • ! Forgetting to renew local business licenses annually
    Full Phase 03 guide → · Entity & Tax Election Decision Tree
  4. 04
    Phase 04 · Credential

    Credentialing & Enrollment

    The clock that decides when you actually get paid.

    Must do first

    Start credentialing 4–6 months before your target open date. Not 2 months. Not 90 days. Four to six months.

    Can do in parallel
    • ☐ Medicare enrollment (855 forms)
    • ☐ Medicaid enrollment (state-specific)
    • ☐ Commercial payer applications (BCBS, UHC, Aetna, Cigna, etc.)
    • ☐ Hospital privileges if needed
    Watchouts
    • ! Waiting until the lease is signed to start credentialing
    • ! Sending incomplete applications and discovering the gap 60 days later
    • ! Not following up with payers every 2 weeks
    • ! Missing a state-specific Medicaid quirk
    Full Phase 04 guide → · Medicare Fee Schedule Lookup
  5. 05
    Phase 05 · Build

    Infrastructure & Technology

    The systems that let your practice actually run.

    Must do first

    Design your patient workflow first. Then pick the EHR that serves your workflow — not the other way around.

    Can do in parallel
    • ☐ Telephony + scheduling system
    • ☐ Practice management / billing system
    • ☐ Clearinghouse setup
    • ☐ HIPAA compliance program (policies, BAAs, training)
    • ☐ Staffing plan + hiring
    • ☐ Office build-out / furniture / signage
    Watchouts
    • ! Picking the EHR everyone else uses without checking specialty fit
    • ! Underspending on training and overspending on features
    • ! Ignoring HIPAA until something happens
    Full Phase 05 guide → · EHR Selection Framework
  6. 06
    Phase 06 · Launch

    Launch & Marketing

    Getting your first 100 patients without burning your runway.

    Must do first

    A website that works on day one and a Google Business Profile that's claimed and complete. Most new practices launch with a Wix page that hurts them.

    Can do in parallel
    • ☐ Build referral relationships with PCPs / specialists
    • ☐ Local SEO (citations, reviews, content)
    • ☐ Insurance directory listings
    • ☐ Soft-launch event or open house
    Watchouts
    • ! Spending on paid ads before in-network credentialing is confirmed
    • ! Generic vendor website that doesn't rank or convert
    • ! Forgetting to ask your first 50 patients for reviews
    Full Phase 06 guide → · Practice Launch Marketing Checklist
  7. 07
    Phase 07 · Grow

    Grow & Optimize

    From 'open and billing' to 'profitable and sustainable.'

    Must do first

    Look at your first 90 days of denials. The pattern in your denial codes is the single highest-leverage thing to fix.

    Can do in parallel
    • ☐ Quarterly payer fee negotiation
    • ☐ Service line additions (ancillary revenue)
    • ☐ Adding providers (NP/PA, partner physicians)
    • ☐ Quality program participation (MIPS, value-based care)
    • ☐ Patient experience instrumentation
    Watchouts
    • ! Letting denials pile up without root-cause analysis
    • ! Hiring before the workflow can absorb new providers
    • ! Ignoring payer contract renewals
    Full Phase 07 guide → · Medicare Revalidation Lookup
Ready to start?

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