This month, we’re talking about hiring a new doctor in your practice, and we laid the foundation with looking at your capacity ceiling last week. Let’s tackle the next step this week: the question of adding a doctor. It’s not just if you should—it’s when it’s right for you, based on the signs and the data.

The Signs—Beyond the Capacity Ceiling

Most practices wait too long to start thinking about this step. They only consider hiring when the schedule is packed; the phones are jammed with patients being told “there are no openings until next month” (or worse); and the doctors are spread too thin, if not completely burnt out. At that point, it is not just about being busy. Like we touched on last week, it is about losing revenue, momentum, and patient goodwill every single day.

Here are the clearest signals to know it's time to bring a new doctor in, beyond recognizing when optimizing processes won’t do any more for you:

• You are consistently booked more than 3 weeks out
• Patients are asking for earlier appointments and being turned away
• Staff cannot find openings for follow-ups or urgent visits
• Doctors are skipping lunch or staying late just to keep up
• You are saying no to new opportunities simply because there is no time left

Let’s bring these signs to life with a couple real-world scenarios:

Doctor Six is booked 2 to 3 months out. This is a textbook case of patient demand exceeding supply. The longer the practice delays adding coverage, the more opportunity walks out the door.

Doctor Seven generates around $700,000 in annual revenue, with one doctor working just 2 and a half days per week. They are booked about a week out. The practice isn’t slammed, but they’re not far from it either.

Here is the key insight: both practices have a strong case to add a doctor. Doctor Six needs immediate relief. Doctor Seven could hire early, reduce friction in the schedule, and accelerate their growth curve.

The Data

These scenarios point us in 2 directions: Is my schedule full because demand is high or because availability is low?

Data will give you that answer:

• Revenue per doctor day: Track what a single doctor day brings in. If that number is healthy and consistent, that’s your financial justification because adding another day should scale proportionally.
• New patient trends: Are you turning away new patients or pushing first visits too far out? That is lost revenue and lost long-term value. Every new patient you delay is a potential patient for someone else.
• Conversion rates: Look at your lens per exam capture rate. If conversion is strong but growth is flat, that is a sign you are doing the right things with too few opportunities.

And here is the most expensive hidden cost in your business: the patients you never see; not because they did not call, but because your schedule was already full. Next week, we’ll dive even further into reactive vs proactive decision-making with taking this step in your practice.

Evan Kestenbaum is a lifelong entrepreneur and data geek who has cofounded and led several successful businesses within eye care. His latest project provides resources and advocacy for people who stutter. Evan enjoys spending time with his wife, Paula, in their most fulfilling role: parents to three adventurous daughters. For questions or comments about this article, please contact ekconsulting@gmail.com.

This editorial content was supported via unrestricted sponsorship.