PVR

Original research

Practice archetypes: the vendor stack that fits your practice

Every independent medical practice buys differently. We built a named-archetype library that maps profile → decisions → recommended billing, EHR, credentialing, AI scribe, and consulting stack — with budgets, red flags, and a first-year playbook. Nothing else on the internet organizes vendor selection this way.

Solo Primary Care

The Solo Primary Care Practice

A solo primary-care practice should optimize for time returned to the physician above all. That means outsourced billing on a percent-of-collections model (6–9%), an all-in-one EHR + patient engagement suite priced per-provider (not per-user), an ambient AI scribe integrated with that EHR (target 60+ minutes/day saved), and consulting engaged only for one-off contracting or MSO decisions — not ongoing retainers.

Providers
1 MD/DO or NP + 1–2 support staff
Revenue
$450K–$900K net collections/year
Encounters/mo
300–500
Payer mix
60–80% commercial + Medicare, minimal Medicaid

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Growing Multi-Specialty Group

The Growing Multi-Specialty Group (5–15 Providers)

The 5–15 provider group is the hardest size to buy for. You're too big for solo-friendly all-in-one EHRs, too small to demand enterprise pricing. Prioritize a specialty-configurable EHR with real reporting, a hybrid billing model (in-house billing manager + outsourced overflow or specialty coding), a dedicated credentialing FTE at ~8 providers, and a fractional CFO or practice-management consultant for quarterly performance reviews.

Providers
5–15 (physicians, APPs, sometimes therapists)
Revenue
$3M–$15M net collections/year
Encounters/mo
2,500–8,000
Payer mix
Broad commercial + Medicare + Medicaid; 3–8 major payer contracts

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Behavioral Health Group

The Independent Behavioral Health Group

Behavioral health has three unique constraints: high-frequency low-dollar claims, strict 42 CFR Part 2 privacy for SUD data, and telehealth-first workflows. That eliminates most 'medical' EHRs. Prioritize a behavioral-health-native EHR with measurement-based care tools, an RCM partner that specializes in psychotherapy CPTs (90791, 90837, 90853), and be skeptical of ambient AI scribes — most therapy sessions aren't the right fit yet.

Providers
3–20 (mix of psychiatrists, therapists, LCSWs, LPCs)
Revenue
$1.5M–$8M net collections/year
Encounters/mo
1,500–8,000 (mostly recurring)
Payer mix
Commercial + Medicaid; some cash/sliding scale; heavy telehealth

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Direct Primary Care

The Direct Primary Care (DPC) Practice

DPC breaks every assumption of the standard vendor stack. You don't need an RCM at all — you need a membership billing platform (Stripe-native, ACH-first). You want a DPC-friendly EHR that treats charts as narrative documents, not billing artifacts. Credentialing is only relevant if you accept Medicare or hybrid-bill for labs. AI scribes are ideal for DPC because you own the visit length.

Providers
1–4 physicians, sometimes NPs
Revenue
$300K–$1.5M/year from memberships
Encounters/mo
150–600 (deeper, longer visits)
Payer mix
Membership fees (no insurance billing) + optional cash for labs/procedures

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Surgical Specialty (Single Site)

The Surgical Specialty Practice (Single Site, 2–8 Surgeons)

Surgical practices live and die by coding accuracy on high-dollar CPTs, ASC/facility credentialing, and case scheduling. Prioritize a specialty-configured EHR with strong surgical templates and scheduling, an in-house or specialty billing partner with certified surgical coders (CPC + specialty), and a credentialing partner that understands hospital and ASC privileges. AI scribes are useful for pre-op and clinic visits, less so for OR workflows.

Providers
2–8 surgeons + APPs + clinical staff
Revenue
$4M–$20M+ net collections/year
Encounters/mo
1,500–5,000 clinic visits + OR case volume
Payer mix
Commercial + Medicare heavy; ASC ownership common

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Women's Health / OB-GYN

The Independent Women's Health / OB-GYN Practice

OB-GYN vendor selection is dominated by two things: global OB billing (a 40-week bundled service with specific pre/intra/post-natal rules) and hospital delivery privileges. Choose an OB-GYN-configured EHR with ultrasound and prenatal flow sheets, a billing partner fluent in global OB billing (or a certified OB-GYN coder in-house), and credentialing that handles hospital and payer enrollments together.

Providers
2–10 OB-GYNs + NPs/midwives
Revenue
$2M–$12M net collections/year
Encounters/mo
1,500–6,000
Payer mix
Commercial + Medicaid; heavy prenatal and delivery reimbursement

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By Jordan Alderman, MBA, CMPE · Reviewed by Rania Hassan, JD, CHC · Last reviewed · Methodology

Disclosure: Independent editorial. No pay-for-placement, no affiliate rankings. Full editorial standards.