Entrepreneurship for Clinicians

Have you ever thought there might be more to your career than clinical practice? Explore the idea of entrepreneurship with Jordan Roberts and Dave Mittman.

By Jordan G Roberts, PA-C

As you may have noticed, the NCCPA and AAPA have teamed up to promote PA’s during PA week 2018 with social media and national public relations campaigns. To add to this, I wanted to share and promote more great work done by PA’s in the business and entrepreneurial space.

Many PAs – clinicians in general even – do not feel they were built for ‘business.’ We like patient care as much as we like leaving the numbers to the administrators and industry folks. I think this comes from our training and our culture. In fact, when I was a PA student, someone told me how “lucky” I was that I wouldn’t have to worry about the business side of healthcare.

However, this made no sense to me, so I started poking around and asking questions. You see, my family is made up of lawyers, accountants, and entrepreneurs. There is a distinct lack of relatives with a medical background. With their backgrounds, they have all taught me valuable lessons that I can directly apply to my role as a clinician, employee, and entrepreneur myself.

To me, dismissing the bottom line means giving up job security and leverage. After all, in today’s corporate healthcare environment, better patient care doesn’t always mean better profits. Therefore, by not knowing your impact on the financial health of your organization, you limit your potential impact on the real health of your patients.

With that in mind, I spoke to a PA who has started multiple successful businesses all the while remaining active as a PA leader and advocate. Dave Mittman and I recorded our conversation for the Clinician1 Podcast, just one of his successful ventures. Please forgive the sound quality in some parts, this was our first episode and there were some technical difficulties.

In this episode, Mittman describes the difference between a non-clinical and non-traditional career, reasons why a clinician might choose this path, and tells us about some examples of successful clinician-run startups.

Listen to the show or read the article by clicking here.


Jordan G Roberts, PA-C helps medical education companies create and distribute the best medical education around. He helps students and clinicians improve their clinical game by using his background in neuroscience to teach simple ways to learn complex medical topics. He is a published researcher, national speaker, and medical writer. He can be found at Modern MedEd where he promotes clinical updates, medical writing, and medical education.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Three Ways to Celebrate PA Week

Here are three ways to celebrate PAs, while also raising awareness of the profession’s significant impacts on healthcare, from October 6th through 12th.

National PA Week is an annual week-long event, from October 6th through October 12th, which aims to not only celebrate the profession, but educate the public in regards to the value PAs add to healthcare.

Here are three ways to celebrate, while also raising awareness.

Take to Social Media

Raise awareness for PAs by using the hashtag #PAWeek while you celebrate your profession and peers across social media, or better yet, share the AAPA produced “Your PA Can Handle It” video.

Get Political

Advocate for your profession on Capitol Hill by joining the only federal healthcare Political Action Committee (PA PAC) dedicated to advancing the PA profession. To learn more about or to join the PA PAC, please click here.

Make a Small Donation

A great way to make a difference for PAs nationwide is by making a small monetary donation to the PA Foundation’s Pay It Forward campaign. This is a great way to honor a peer or mentor, while also making a lasting impact.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Drama Series with NP Protagonist Heads to Netflix

A new romance drama series with a nurse practitioner at its heart is headed to the small screen, bringing exposure to the NP profession through entertainment.

Netflix has given the green light to a new romance drama series with a nurse practitioner at its heart.

“Virgin River,” a small screen adaptation of a book by the same name, tells the story of Melinda Monroe, an NP who answers an ad to work in the remote California town of Virgin River in an effort to start fresh and leave her past behind. “Virgin River” is the first book in a series of more than twenty Harlequin novels written by Robyn Carr, which have sold, combined, upwards of 13 million copies.

Representation matters, and though it may seem like a small win to some, this series is definitely a victory in terms of exposure for the NP profession.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

New Legislation Arms Advanced Practitioners in the Fight Against Opioids

More than 115 Americans die every day from opioid-related causes. The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, which passed in the House last week, aims to stop that.

The U.S. opioid epidemic is a grave and serious crisis. Each day, more than 115 Americans die of opioid-related causes. A new “opioid package” passed in the U.S. House of Representatives last week, however, is taking aim at combatting the crisis.

H.R. 6, also known as the Substance Use Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act of 2018 is seen as a compromise between the House and Senate, which previously passed their own separate opioid abuse prevention packages. The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, as it’s being called, is expected to be considered by the Senate in the coming days and then be sent to the President’s desk to be signed into law.

One of the major provisions of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act applies directly to advanced practitioners:

“Enable clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives, and certified registered nurse anesthetists to prescribe buprenorphine; and make the buprenorphine prescribing authority for physician assistants and nurse practitioners permanent. In addition, H.R. 6 will permit a waivered-practitioner to immediately start treating 100 patients at a time with buprenorphine (skipping the initial 30 patient cap) if the practitioner has board certification in addiction medicine or addiction psychiatry; or if practitioner provides MAT in a qualified practice setting. Medications, such as buprenorphine, in combination with counseling and behavioral therapies, provide a whole-patient approach to the treatment of opioid use disorder (H.R. 3692)”

Both the AANP and AAPA consider this legislation a win.

“With this agreement, Congress has reaffirmed the power of America’s 248,000 NPs to fight and win the battle against opioid addiction. The legislation permanently authorizes NPs to prescribe Medication-Assisted Treatments (MATs), further expanding patient access to these critical treatments—prescribed and managed by NPs,” AANP President Joyce Knestrick, Ph.D., C-FNP, APRN, FAANP said in a statement released last week.

Jonathan E. Sobel, DMSc, MBA, PA-C, DFAAPA, FAPACVS, president and chair of the AAPA Board of Directors, echoed that sentiment in his statement, saying, “AAPA applauds Congress for including this crucial provision as part of comprehensive legislation aimed at stemming the tide of the U.S. opioid epidemic.”

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Steal this Recruiter’s Tips to Land the Perfect Job

Seeking a competitive advantage to help you land your perfect job? Look no further than this advice from a clinician who has been involved in hiring.

By Jordan G Roberts, PA-C

No matter your profession, job searching can be hard. On top of the everyday challenges, the internet has no shortage of advice with questionable authority.

There are entire blogs written by human resources professionals filled with tips and insights they say will help you land any job. However, they don’t fully address the unique needs of a clinician’s job search.

When it comes to hiring healthcare professionals, employers have the advantage of hiring consultants if necessary. Where can clinicians turn when they need a new job?

Recruiters and healthcare-specific job boards like HealthJobsNationwide.com are one source. They can tell you what characteristics clients are seeking for certain positions, which is great.

Another strategy is to obtain insider tips. In today’s article, we have tips and advice from one of the premier sources for hiring PA’s and NP’s. Renee Dahring, FNP is a former owner of a clinician staffing agency and current correctional healthcare NP.

One of the best places you can find job search advice and strategies is a clinician who has been involved in the hiring process. This article expands on my interview with NP Dahring from the Clinician1 podcast.

Read the article and get the competitive advantage that will help you land your perfect job by clicking here. Once you’ve soaked it all up, come back to HealthJobsNationwide.com to put your new skills in action.


Jordan G Roberts, PA-C helps medical education companies create and distribute the best medical education around. He helps students and clinicians improve their clinical game by using his background in neuroscience to teach simple ways to learn complex medical topics. He is a published researcher, national speaker, and medical writer. He can be found at Modern MedEd where he promotes clinical updates, medical writing, and medical education.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Using Medical Survey Panels to Grow Your Clinical Income

Explore the benefits, as well as the downsides, of participating in medical market research survey panels as a way to supplement your income.

By Jordan G Roberts, PA-C

Taking medical surveys online seems like the ideal way to supplement your clinical income. The ability to work from home is very attractive, not to mention the freedom to participate only when you want. Plus, these surveys cover new developments in your area of expertise, so they don’t require a lot of extra brain-power.

In addition to showing you the seven best medical survey panels for clinicians, we will look into the benefits, as well as the downsides, of participating in these panels. I guess there really is nothing in this life that doesn’t have a catch.

Reasons NOT to join:

  • Uncertainty: You’ll never really know how much you’ll make from these panels. The volume of requests you’ll receive depends on the needs of the client and your own specialty and years of experience. They certainly won’t be replacing your full-time clinical income anytime soon
  • Taxes: You are responsible for your own taxes here, just like with any independent contractor set-up. For some, the supplemental income is not worth the headache at tax time.

Reasons to join:

  • Supplemental income: This is self-explanatory. It’s the reason you are here reading this article.
  • Shape the direction of industry: This is the lesser-known benefit of these panels. These companies are asking for your help and insight. Sure, they’ll use it to try to make a profit, but that’s why they are paying you for your service. Why not help out by pointing them in the right direction from the start?

Where can you sign up?

Read the entire article here to find links to the specific panels and join today.


Jordan G Roberts, PA-C helps medical education companies create and distribute the best medical education around. He helps students and clinicians improve their clinical game by using his background in neuroscience to teach simple ways to learn complex medical topics. He is a published researcher, national speaker, and medical writer. He can be found at Modern MedEd where he promotes clinical updates, medical writing, and medical education.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

44 Million Reasons to Expand Scope of Practice

13% of the population of the U.S. now lives in a county that is experiencing a primary care physician shortage. Advanced practitioners could very well be the answer.

Forty-four million Americans, or 13% of the total population, now live in a county in the United States that is undergoing a primary care physician shortage, according to a new report from UnitedHealth Group, one of the nation’s largest insurers.

When considering the findings of the report, entitled Addressing the Nation’s Primary Care Shortage: Advanced Practice Clinicians and Innovative Care Delivery Models, expanding scope of practice laws in the 28 states still restricting NPs from full practice authority is one clear answer to the shortage, which is only expected to get worse over time.

As cited in the report, the U.S. population is expected to increase 8%, from 328 million to 355 million, by 2030. Meanwhile, the number of primary care physicians is expected to only increase 6% from 288,000 to 306,000 by 2025, leaving a significant gap in care that could be filled by the scores of NPs practicing primary care, which will increase 47% from 204,000 to 299,000 during the same time.

By removing barriers to practice and allowing NPs to practice at the full capacity of their training and education, the report finds that the number of U.S. residents living in a county with a primary care shortage would decline 70%, from 44 million to less than 13 million.

To read the full findings of the report, please click here.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Tired of Peer-to-Peer Phone Calls with the Insurance Company?

There are techniques and processes you can develop to make your life easier when dealing with the oft-labeled “bureaucratic nightmare” of insurance companies.

By Jordan G Roberts, PA-C

Optimize Your Clinical Efficiency and Spend Less Time on the Phone with Utilization Review

Love them or hate them, insurance companies are a major part of life for healthcare providers. You may feel that they are intentionally making your life more difficult, but the truth is that every move they make has been carefully considered to increase their chances of achieving favorable business outcomes.

This may not be too comforting; it may, in fact, be more irksome to some. But knowing how and why bureaucracy has influenced healthcare can help you do something about it. It may help you think more clearly when you feel that you or your patient has been personally targeted by a denial letter.

Of course, we know that many plans are following pre-approved guidelines that dictate whether or not they’ll pay for a study or lab test you’ve ordered. And most of the time, claims that are initially denies are reversed with just a little more clinical information.

Therefore, there are techniques and processes you can develop to make your life easier in this respect. The first part is optimizing your clinical documentation so that you can avoid this time-intensive problem altogether.

If – or when – a denial rears its dreadful face sheet on your fax machine, despite your best efforts, you have another option. This is the successful utilization review, otherwise known as the ‘peer-to-peer.’ If you aren’t winning the vast majority of these, or if you find yourself doing more of these than you’d like, this article is for you.

Read More →


Jordan G Roberts, PA-C helps medical education companies create and distribute the best medical education around. He helps students and clinicians improve their clinical game by using his background in neuroscience to teach simple ways to learn complex medical topics. He is a published researcher, national speaker, and medical writer. He can be found at Modern MedEd where he promotes clinical updates, medical writing, and medical education.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Advanced Practitioners Contribute Greatly to Cancer Care

The first large-scale study of NPs and PAs in oncology shows that not only are advanced practitioners directly involved in patient care, but they also like their jobs.

A study published last month in the Journal of Oncology Practice explored the responsibilities of advanced practitioners in oncology and found that their role has grown significantly, just as a 2007 study published in the same journal predicted it would.

The study, which is the first large-scale study of Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants in oncology, aimed to not only identify all oncology advanced practitioners, but to also understand their personal and practice characteristics, including compensation.

The researchers identified at least 5,350 advanced practice providers involved in oncology care, and an additional 5,400 NPs and PAs who might practice oncology. They then attempted to survey 3,055 of those advanced practice providers about their roles in clinical care, though respondents yielded only a 19% response rate.

Of the NPs and PAs that responded to the survey, it was found that more than 90% reported satisfaction with career choice, and 80% were directly involved in patient care, such as patient counseling, prescribing, treatment management, and follow-up visits. It was also reported that the average annual compensation for oncology advanced practitioners was between $113,000 and $115,000, which is approximately $10,000 more than the average pay for non-oncology advanced practitioners.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.

Best Non-Clinical Side Hustles Any Clinician Can Start – Part 2

Part two of this series explores the non-clinical options of landing clinical speaking opportunities or joining paid medical market research panels.

By Jordan G Roberts, PA-C

Welcome back to our series on non-clinical careers for healthcare professionals. In part I, we discussed opportunities to start teaching in non-traditional ways and how to get into medical writing.

Today’s post will expand on this topic. First, we’ll show you how you can land clinical speaking opportunities. Next, you will learn about how to join paid medical market research panels to supplement your income and shape the direction of industry.

Speaking

It turns out that not many of us like the sound of our own voice. Even fewer people jump at the prospect at getting in front of a large crowd. That’s unfortunate, because your colleagues really do want to hear what you have to say.

The good news is that you can reach your fellow clinicians in a variety of ways, with or without a podium and a lectern.

While speaking at conferences is generally the first thing that comes to mind, it’s generally labor-intensive to get started. You not only need a great presentation, but you will also have to plan, apply for, and be selected for the spot. Therefore, this rigorous process makes it a prestigious, if not occasional option.

Other avenues take advantage of technology and the information boom. Medical podcasts and videos online are becoming more popular and starting to catch up with other social media trends. There are podcasts specific to certain groups of clinicians, podcasts for CME, and even specialty-specific podcasts. What will yours be?

Of course, one of the most lucrative ways to speak is for industry. Key opinion leaders (KOLs) give promotional talks for products they use and find to be the most beneficial for their patients. Teaching others about what you already use is a great way to get into this line of work.

Medical Market Research Panels

There are several companies who license their pool of clinicians to their clients who are developing a new healthcare product or service. The best ones pay cash honorariums that are worth your hourly rate. You also help shape the direction of these companies by providing your expertise and experience for these companies to consider in their future strategy.

Learn the skills and get the resources you need to get started in the original article. Continue reading the second of our three-part series on non-clinical opportunities here


Jordan G Roberts, PA-C helps medical education companies create and distribute the best medical education around. He helps students and clinicians improve their clinical game by using his background in neuroscience to teach simple ways to learn complex medical topics. He is a published researcher, national speaker, and medical writer. He can be found at Modern MedEd where he promotes clinical updates, medical writing, and medical education.

Disclaimer: The viewpoint expressed in this article is the opinion of the author and is not necessarily the viewpoint of the owners or employees at Healthcare Staffing Innovations, LLC.