As health providers, our hearts were always in the right place. We got into this to help people protect the most vital part of their human experience: their health. But the modern for-profit health care system pits providers against unrealistic productivity quotas and daily ethical dilemmas. Quietly—and sometimes loudly—it demands that we see more patients in less time, pretending there’s a way to do that without sacrificing quality of care.In the beginning, you meet the demand. You document through lunch, you stay late, and by the end of the week the coffee stops working. The clock is ticking, and it’s only a matter of time before that systemic pressure starts to cost you your well-being and your life beyond the clinic.
Five years ago, that pressure became too much for me. As an occupational therapist working in geriatrics, I’d walk in each morning to find my schedule already printed and waiting—someone else’s calculation of what was “doable” on paper. In reality, it was simply what was profitable for the company, given what they paid me. One day I’d had enough. No more productivity rates. No more eating and typing at the same time. I was done.
Back in grad school, I had mapped out a business plan for a mobile outpatient therapy practice—one that would deliver physical and occupational therapy in patients’ homes while billing as an outpatient provider. Now I was ready to act on it. I gave my notice, took PRN work as a home health contractor to stay afloat, and launched my practice. It was hard. It was scary and intimidating. It was also exciting and motivating.
Fast forward, and that company now staffs 45 PT/OT contractors, a full-time rehab manager, and a scheduler, serving four counties across southwest Florida. I don’t share this for congratulations. I share it so you know that you can escape, too. The grass may not always be greener on the other side—but you’ll never know if you don’t go.
The good news: if you’re ready, you don’t have to go alone. I founded Evolution Medical Consulting to help providers escape the traditional health care system, practice the way they always intended, and live life on their own terms. We’ve helped medical doctors, nurse practitioners, and physician assistants across the country experience the freedom—and the deep gratification—of running their own private practice.
Mekaa’el Mahmoud, OTR/L, Founder and CEO
