Growing an Independent Practice in a Private Equity-Dominated Market with Dr. John Crochet

Summary for practice owners

John Crochet describes joining an established fertility practice for clinical fit and local ties, then growing into the business side as the group expanded. For an OB-GYN owner, the useful lesson is to make recruitment a repeatable operating process. New physicians may enter an existing referral base to relieve capacity, while later hires may need to build new relationships and geographic reach. A clear path from employment to partnership gives candidates a concrete model to evaluate, especially when peers have already followed it successfully. The discussion also frames ownership decisions around time horizons and incentives. A transaction can serve physicians nearing a planned exit while leaving meaningful runway for colleagues who expect to keep building. The group considers offers without making a sale its immediate objective, and weighs them against the value of physician ownership, flexibility, and direct control over operational decisions. Crochet also connects business performance with staff motivation: clinicians and nonclinical teams can find purpose in both patient-centered work and solving business problems. Owners can use that wider definition of success to shape recruiting, retention, and strategic choices. Finally, his experience suggests that independence depends on more than refusing offers. A practice needs sufficient scale, intentional growth, and the ability to adapt as the market changes. Owners can stay open to partnerships while continuing to build a durable practice on their own terms.

Owner takeaways

• 3:15 Choose physicians whose care approach fits the practice, alongside geography and commercial considerations.
• 8:26 Show candidates a credible progression from joining the group to becoming productive partners.
• 12:35 Evaluate transaction timing against each partner's expected working horizon and equity goals.
• 16:49 Compare outside offers with the value owners place on physician control and operational flexibility.
• 18:55 Treat business-building as a source of professional engagement that can complement patient care.

Why it made the list

The conversation offers an owner-level view of physician recruitment, practice growth, independence, and transaction timing. It made the list with 46 views and 1 like.

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This video is published by Fertility Bridge on YouTube. Obstetricians.com is not affiliated with the creator, and inclusion is not an endorsement by either party. Watch it on YouTube.