How To Work In Private Practice as a Dietitian Without Running Your Own Business

How To Work In Private Practice as a Dietitian Without Running Your Own Business
Christie Hunter, a successful private practice dietitian, discusses the benefits and challenges of running a private practice and working for an established private practice. Key points:
The majority of her referrals come from being in-network with major insurance providers, which allows patients to access services with little or no out-of-pocket cost.
Managing insurance claims and reimbursement rates is a major ongoing challenge, requiring constant monitoring and advocacy.
Working for an established private practice can offer advantages like not having to handle business operations, allowing dietitians to focus on client care.
When hiring dietitians, Christie looks for candidates with counseling experience and a track record of loyalty and longevity in roles.
Salary negotiation tips include considering the value of benefits like health insurance that the employer provides, as well as the work-life balance benefits of private practice.
Christie Hunter started a private practice nutrition business 14 years ago and has grown it to employ 5 dietitians and 2 admin staff [01:55]
The key to her success has been accepting insurance, which provides the majority of her referrals and revenue [02:58]
Navigating insurance provider contracts and reimbursement rates is a significant part of running the business, requiring constant monitoring and advocacy [08:56]
Working for an established private practice can provide dietitians with the benefits of an existing client base, billing/administrative systems, and work-life balance without the demands of running the business [12:35]
When hiring, Christie looks for candidates with counseling experience and a track record of loyalty, and values things like cover letters and follow-up that demonstrate engagement with the practice [15:16]
Compensation for private practice dietitians is constrained by insurance reimbursement rates, so work-life balance is an important consideration compared to higher-paying roles in clinical or food service settings [22:31]

[@RacquelHousen]

Great information. I am researching the process to start accepting insurance.

[@NutritionJobs]

@@RacquelHousen that’s great! Best of luck.