Grow Your Private Practice as a Healthcare Provider
Striking out on your own as a healthcare provider and business owner is a significant challenge. At Zaya, we aim to empower our providers to independently grow their private practice by creating access and affordability of care. Through our insurance partnerships, we take the administrative burden off of providers to be able to accept a wider pool of maternity care clients.
As part of this mission, we want to equip our providers with the knowledge, resources, and support to expand their business. We tapped Dr. India Barkley, acupuncturist and Zaya provider, to share what she’s learned in private practice over the last 10 years, her advice for other healthcare providers, and why accepting insurance is crucial.
What has your journey been like growing your private practice as an acupuncturist?
Honestly, it was a very long and hard journey. I learned there was a level of entrepreneurial experience needed to create, grow, and run my own private practice. Because of this, I needed to remain open to every and any type of opportunity that was presented to me. I worked with a diverse set of clients in many different practices over the years. After, I moved into being hired as a full-time professor and supervisor for the TCM & Acupuncture program at my alma mater. Then, I gained an exponential level of confidence, which was reflected in my private practice. Finally, a few years into both teaching and running my own clinical practice part-time, my own ideal clients began to find me. My specialty and style of practice started taking shape. My momentum began to evolve as a practitioner. Now a decade into the industry, I can say I have survived the uphill battle most acupuncturists have struggled with by maintaining continued presence in this entrepreneurial industry.
What advice would you give to other providers trying to grow their own private practice?
There are two vital pieces of advice I would give to other providers. First, recognize the importance of balance in your life and what that looks and feels like for you as a wellness provider. You are a role model to your patients and your invested self-care time is a profitable tool. A healthy self-care routine will allow you to take on the demanding yet satisfying work required. Second, know that you can mold your practice into treating your “ideal” clients. Be intentional about the type of patient that aligns with your values and style of practice. Intend to attract ONLY those patients that benefit the most from what you offer in the unique way you practice.
Why is it important to you to be in-network with Zaya and accept insurance?
Being in-network with Zaya is allowing me the opportunity to serve an audience that I deeply want to help and support along their journey. Additionally, Zaya’s mission to establish a new standard of care for women by making it more accessible aligns with my own mission. I have an 85% female patient base, and have always tailored my practice to the needs of women. Zaya’s goal to build a provider network whose services are covered by insurance allows us as providers to have a further reach in providing care to our patients.
In what ways do you collaborate with other maternity care providers to help clients?
My work as an acupuncturist speaks very similar language to that of doulas and midwives. I tend to get a lot of referrals from providers who seek out acupuncture and reiki as supportive management therapies to the care they provide. Also, fertility clinics also prescribe and refer out a great deal of acupuncture to support the preconception phase.
How do the integrative modalities you practice – acupuncture, reiki, and talk therapy – work together to promote reproductive healing?
Acupuncture and reiki really work complimentary in providing women the opportunity to view their reproductive needs through a more holistic paradigm. Acupuncture is clinically known to restore fertility by improving ovarian function and balancing the endocrine system. That said, it can also treat the effect emotions have on reproductive function. Reiki and talk therapy became instrumental in treating the effect emotions have on the body. They also both provide a safe low-cost and low risk alternative to traditional pharmacological therapies. All the integrative modalities I practice can be made available virtually as well. My clients are in the comfort of their own home and with the aid of technology, I can provide avenues of care and wellness remotely.
What advice do you have for new moms?
As a mother, I now know my body, heart and soul always knows what is best for me and my child. Therefore, my suggestion for new mothers would be to always honor your intuitive nature and trust that it will always lead you to the best and most supportive avenues of healing and wellness.
Are you a healthcare provider passionate about maternal healthcare? Learn more and apply to be in-network with Zaya here.
With over 8 years of experience treating women’s bodies and their unique energy systems, Dr. India is a practicing and licensed Acupuncturist, intuitive clinician, Reiki practitioner and master teacher. Early in her career, she recognized the effect stress had on the delicate hormonal system in the female body. She has successfully worked with the wisdom of Traditional Chinese medicine, the power of talk therapy and distance healing to enhance reproductive health and harmonize the hormonal system.
Striking out on your own as a healthcare provider and business owner is a significant challenge. At Zaya, we aim to empower our providers to independently grow their private practice by creating access and affordability of care. Through our insurance partnerships, we take the administrative burden off of providers to be able to accept a wider pool of maternity care clients.
As part of this mission, we want to equip our providers with the knowledge, resources, and support to expand their business. We tapped Dr. India Barkley, acupuncturist and Zaya provider, to share what she’s learned in private practice over the last 10 years, her advice for other healthcare providers, and why accepting insurance is crucial.
What has your journey been like growing your private practice as an acupuncturist?
Honestly, it was a very long and hard journey. I learned there was a level of entrepreneurial experience needed to create, grow, and run my own private practice. Because of this, I needed to remain open to every and any type of opportunity that was presented to me. I worked with a diverse set of clients in many different practices over the years. After, I moved into being hired as a full-time professor and supervisor for the TCM & Acupuncture program at my alma mater. Then, I gained an exponential level of confidence, which was reflected in my private practice. Finally, a few years into both teaching and running my own clinical practice part-time, my own ideal clients began to find me. My specialty and style of practice started taking shape. My momentum began to evolve as a practitioner. Now a decade into the industry, I can say I have survived the uphill battle most acupuncturists have struggled with by maintaining continued presence in this entrepreneurial industry.
What advice would you give to other providers trying to grow their own private practice?
There are two vital pieces of advice I would give to other providers. First, recognize the importance of balance in your life and what that looks and feels like for you as a wellness provider. You are a role model to your patients and your invested self-care time is a profitable tool. A healthy self-care routine will allow you to take on the demanding yet satisfying work required. Second, know that you can mold your practice into treating your “ideal” clients. Be intentional about the type of patient that aligns with your values and style of practice. Intend to attract ONLY those patients that benefit the most from what you offer in the unique way you practice.
Why is it important to you to be in-network with Zaya and accept insurance?
Being in-network with Zaya is allowing me the opportunity to serve an audience that I deeply want to help and support along their journey. Additionally, Zaya’s mission to establish a new standard of care for women by making it more accessible aligns with my own mission. I have an 85% female patient base, and have always tailored my practice to the needs of women. Zaya’s goal to build a provider network whose services are covered by insurance allows us as providers to have a further reach in providing care to our patients.
In what ways do you collaborate with other maternity care providers to help clients?
My work as an acupuncturist speaks very similar language to that of doulas and midwives. I tend to get a lot of referrals from providers who seek out acupuncture and reiki as supportive management therapies to the care they provide. Also, fertility clinics also prescribe and refer out a great deal of acupuncture to support the preconception phase.
How do the integrative modalities you practice – acupuncture, reiki, and talk therapy – work together to promote reproductive healing?
Acupuncture and reiki really work complimentary in providing women the opportunity to view their reproductive needs through a more holistic paradigm. Acupuncture is clinically known to restore fertility by improving ovarian function and balancing the endocrine system. That said, it can also treat the effect emotions have on reproductive function. Reiki and talk therapy became instrumental in treating the effect emotions have on the body. They also both provide a safe low-cost and low risk alternative to traditional pharmacological therapies. All the integrative modalities I practice can be made available virtually as well. My clients are in the comfort of their own home and with the aid of technology, I can provide avenues of care and wellness remotely.
What advice do you have for new moms?
As a mother, I now know my body, heart and soul always knows what is best for me and my child. Therefore, my suggestion for new mothers would be to always honor your intuitive nature and trust that it will always lead you to the best and most supportive avenues of healing and wellness.
Are you a healthcare provider passionate about maternal healthcare? Learn more and apply to be in-network with Zaya here.
