We're Closing Our Practice and Moving On

It has been an emotional week.

On Tuesday, we announced to our 615 patients, and their parents, that after 11 years we are closing our small pediatric practice in Plymouth, Mass. We explained to families that although we had a number of successful years, our business model is no longer sustainable in the new reality of the local healthcare market.

The reaction from our community has been overwhelmingly positive and sweet. Patients who work in healthcare often greet the news of our closing with, "I can't believe you lasted as long as you did." Quite a few parents have called in tears to express their disappointment in our closing, which gets our staff crying as well.

For us, personally, our emotions are all over the place; sad, guilty, inadequate, angry, acceptance, and hope. We are sad that our dream of a micro-practice in our home state of Massachusetts has ended. We feel guilty that we have let our patients down, and inadequate for not being smart enough to figure out how to be successful where we are.

Although we initially felt anger about closing, our involvement with our state medical society helped us accept our reality.  Specifically, as a member of the Massachusetts Medical Society's Committee on the Sustainably of Private Practice we have seen the system-wide issues facing small practices across the state. We accept that most of the reasons why we are closing are not within our control. And lastly, we are feeling real hope and excitement for the adventure that comes next for us.

Las Vegas is appealing to us for many reasons including competitive physician salaries and a low cost of living. We love to travel, and since Las Vegas is a popular tourist destination, there are frequent, affordable, direct flights nearly everywhere we want to go. And, you bet that it won't be hard to give up New England snowstorms for warm desert air, all the while the closeness of the mountains means that a change in the weather is only a short drive away.

It's the people though, of Las Vegas who we are most looking forward to getting to know. Through family members who already live in Las Vegas, we have come to know Las Vegas beyond the Strip. Las Vegas is a vibrant, diverse city with world-class universities and a thriving local arts and culture scene. It's true that we will shed a few tears as we leave #BostonStrong, but we believe that a happy future awaits us in #VegasStrong.