This brings us to the first requirement of getting out of managed care - the ability to attract fee-for-service new patients. I find that when most doctors look at how to get new patients, they a) can see that they need more b) have trouble making a decision about what to do because they are not educated in the areas of promotion and marketing and c) wish someone or something else would do it for them! The problem with this operating basis is it puts you in a position where you are not in control of the area - rather you are at the mercy of who ever you hire to do it or the "hope" that some marketing idea will work for you, knowing little to nothing about it.
Well, how do you go about increasing your ability in an area such as marketing and new patients? The answer is simple: get trained on the subject so you can handle it yourself and be confident enough to act. Like it or not, you ARE an EXECUTIVE, by virtue of the fact you own a business. You can try to get around this fact, but it is what it is. An executive needs to know how to handle (competently) any area of his or her organization.