Patients & Profits: Operational Excellence in Wellness Practices

In this episode of the Worth Your Salt podcast, host Jennifer Orechwa and is joined by Kathleen Carson of Patients and Profits to talk about how wellness and medical practices can move beyond simply seeing more patients to building systems and an experience that consistently attract ideal patients and keep them coming back. 

Kathleen shares her “Simple Strategy for Success,” which unfolds across five phases: Patients, Process, People, Procedures, and Profits. She emphasizes that first impressions matter — from online reputation to marketing to how phone calls are handled — and that operational excellence is just as critical as marketing to shaping patient experience and ensuring profitability.

They also explore how transforming practice operations (streamlining workflows, clearly defining staff roles, onboarding, staff training, documentation) enhances what marketing is trying to do. When every part of the patient journey — from the first click, to walking in the door, to treatment presentation, to follow-up — is aligned, practices can deliver better satisfaction, reduce friction, increase treatment acceptance, and ultimately improve financial outcomes. Kathleen discusses actual challenges she sees in practices, and the tangible benefits she’s helped clients realize when operations and experience are strengthened in tandem.

🎧 You'll Learn About:

• The five phases of practice transformation: Patients, Process, People, Procedures, Profits
• Why marketing needs operations to deliver on its promises
• How a clear patient experience boosts satisfaction, referrals, and treatment acceptance
• Simple ways to streamline staff, systems, and workflows to reduce stress
• Using data and analytics to align growth with profitability

Resources:

• Patients & Profits Website
• Connect with Kathleen on LinkedIn