Like many other physicians, Dr. Sandra Esparza and her husband Ramon closed their 17-year old primary care practice in December. It had always been a strain to both run the business and be the practice’s lead physicians, but the pressures of the pandemic made operating their company unsustainable. After closing their practice, Ramon, who is a pediatrician, started working full-time at a local clinic in Austin. Esparza started working for Doctor On Demand. She’s now licensed in 10 states caring for a stream of patients she’s never seen before and probably won’t see again.
The Esparzas aren’t alone. COVID-19 has put unprecedented stress on doctors’ offices across the United States. In December, the nonprofit Physicians Foundation reported that roughly 8% of physician practices were forced to close because of the pandemic. Another 4% of physician practices are expected to shut down their offices within the next year. Even doctors that are still in business are burning…
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Source : fastcompany.com
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