Independent Practice

Independent practice in 2026 is not for the faint of heart. Between 2019 and 2023, the share of independent physician practices owned by hospitals, health systems or other corporate entities jumped from 39% to 59%. Over the same period, physician…

Independent practice has been declining over the last  20 years, with the most recent data indicating that only 18% of physicians still practice in physician-owned settings.  Just 36.1% of practices remain physician-owned — down by 48.5% since 2018 — according…

Chattanooga, Tenn.-based University Surgical Associates in Chattanooga, Tenn., has hit 50 years in practice.  According to a news release shared with Becker’s May 17, the surgical group was founded in 1976 by Phillip Burns, MD, as a two-physician practice and…

The vertical integration of independent physician practices into large, corporate entities, hospitals and health systems has been a dominant trend in healthcare over the last 20 years,  Lawmakers at both the state and federal levels have been pushing back on…

Prior authorization continues to be a significant burden for physicians and their patients despite recent promises by payers to cut down on PA requirements, according to the American Medical Association’s “2025 AMA Prior Authorization Physician Survey” released May 13.  The…

Direct primary care has been gaining momentum as a practice model that can cut through the extensive wait times, short appointment windows and excessive costs that both physicians and patients have come to associate with primary care.  Patients at DPC…

As the shortage of physicians in the U.S. continues to place strain on communities and health systems across the country, innovative physician recruitment and retainment strategies are becoming essential to organizational strategy and growth.  Pinehurst, N.C.-based Sandhill Emergency Physicians, an…

As physicians continue to explore new, more financially sustainable models for independent practice, membership-based structures have arisen as one way that physicians can reclaim autonomy without operating entirely outside of insurance. The model may be even more beneficial for certain…

Physician practices have been struggling against a rising tide of consolidation efforts by a range of corporate entities, including hospitals, health systems, private equity and insurance companies.  At the same time, some physicians are taking the leap into independent practice…

Sarasota, Fla.-based Heart Specialists of Sarasota said David Buck, Jr., DO, joined Concierge Choice Physicians’ Hybrid Choice program, according to an April 3 news release. Dr. Buck is one of eleven physicians at Heart Specialists of Sarasota to offer the…