The most honest leadership moments often happen when reality forces your hand.
Last May, at our Leaders Circle retreat in the Blue Ridge Mountains, the Private Physician Alliance board finalized our mission statement. We debated nuances, chose every word carefully, and landed on language that felt right: “independent” practices at the core of who we serve.
Days later, two board members told me they had sold their practices.
I’m Elissa Hambrecht, CEO of Private Physicians Alliance, and I found myself flying the plane as the mission changed mid-flight. The word “independent” no longer fit the reality of our membership.
The question wasn’t whether to change. The question was how to evolve authentically.
The Problem With “Independent”
Independence implies 51% ownership. It suggests a binary: You either own your practice outright, or you don’t belong here.
We had successful members who built thriving practices from the ground up, maintained complete operational control, and made every clinical and business decision, but partnered with ethical acquirers for growth capital or succession planning. Under our old definition, we’d exclude them.
That didn’t make sense. These physicians are entrepreneurial. They teach others how to build sustainable practices. They are science-first practitioners committed to evidence-based care.
Ownership percentage wasn’t the point. Operational control was.
Radley Griffin’s Solution
During one of several snap board meetings to address this challenge, board member Dr. Radley Griffin cut through the complexity.
“It’s really simple,” he said. “Pull out ‘independent’ and put in ‘entrepreneurial.’”
That word swap changed everything.
Entrepreneurial describes a mindset, not a cap table. It focuses on how you built your practice, how you make decisions, and how you approach growth, not what percentage you own.
Dr. Barry Rotman explained it this way: “Private Physician Alliance teaches you how to fish. Those other organizations —MDVIP, Specialdocs (just to name two) — they’re there to sell you fish forever.”
That distinction matters. We’re not here to provide cookie-cutter solutions or create dependency. We develop business acumen in physicians who want to build valuable, sustainable practices.
Our New Mission and Vision
Private Physicians Alliance is a curated network of entrepreneurial, best-in-class concierge and direct primary care (DPC) practices, along with the specialists who support this care model.
The Alliance supports growth, sustainability, and excellence through shared knowledge, exclusive member benefits, global referral pathways, and access to trusted local resources.
Curated Membership
Prospective members undergo a thorough screening process, including interviews and final approval by our Board of Directors. This process confirms alignment with the Alliance’s values and standards.
Entrepreneurial Focus
We welcome physician-owners who lead their own independent practices. The Alliance provides a platform for business intelligence, operational best practices, and strategic guidance: scaling, growth, and succession planning.
Best-in-Class Care
Our members deliver personalized, preventive, and science-based care. They collaborate to validate the clinical efficacy of new diagnostics, therapies, and technologies, confirming patients receive the most effective, evidence-informed treatments.
What “Entrepreneurial” Means in Practice
With this evolution, we aren’t lowering our standards. We’re recognizing reality and maintaining our core values.
We still exclude:
- Cookie-cutter franchises that don’t allow operational freedom
- Practices primarily focused on supplement sales over evidence-based medicine
- Situations where financial partners make clinical decisions
- Non-physicians seeking membership for business intelligence gathering
We now include:
- Physicians who’ve sold to ethical acquirers but retain operational control
- Practices with financial partners who respect physician leadership
- Enterprise-level organizations that share our values (Partner MD joined as our first enterprise member)
The distinction is simple: Are you an entrepreneurial physician running your practice day-to-day, or are you a bean counter making decisions based on a spreadsheet?
Only the former qualifies for Private Physician Alliance membership.
The Succession Planning Reality
Here’s an uncomfortable truth every physician knows: Biology always wins.
None of us will practice forever. All the value you’ve created in your practice deserves a succession plan. This includes the systems, the culture, and the patient relationships.
By expanding our membership criteria to include physicians who’ve successfully exited, we created a built-in advisory resource. Your peers who sold their practices and maintained their values can share what worked, what didn’t, and how to structure partnerships that preserve operational control.
These are physicians who’ve been exactly where you are, faced the same decisions, and can offer practical guidance based on lived experience.
Building Infrastructure for Connection
We launched a new member app through Pacesetter with searchable specialist directories, peer-written technology reviews with 1–5 star ratings, exclusive member offers (like Grail testing at $699 or $749 per test), and direct access to Forums (initially exclusively for Practice Owners) for peer-to-peer problem-solving.
The platform integrates a membership directory, themed conversations, and event management.
It’s practical, functional, and members actually use it.
The Message for Current and Future Members
If you’re a current member, your opportunities expand. You still have access to the same curated network, peer-to-peer business education, and strict vetting process. But now you have access to physicians who’ve successfully navigated succession planning.
If you’re a prospective member, ask yourself: Did you build your practice from the ground up? Do you maintain operational control of clinical and business decisions? Are you committed to evidence-based medicine over supplement sales?
If yes, you’re entrepreneurial regardless of your ownership percentage.
Why Authenticity Matters More Than Perfection
I could’ve hidden the messy reality of how this mission change happened. I could’ve presented it as strategic foresight rather than responsive leadership.
That’s not how real organizations work.
The best mission statements are living, breathing documents. If your mission no longer fits your reality, you have two choices: deny reality or update your mission.
Every practice owner knows this experience. You set a strategic direction, then circumstances change the situation. Do you rigidly stick to an outdated plan, or do you adapt and stay true to your core values?
Private Physician Alliance’s core values haven’t changed: science-first medicine, peer-to-peer education, quality over quantity, teaching physicians to fish (not creating dependency), and operational excellence.
What changed is our recognition that entrepreneurial leadership matters more than ownership percentage.
Biology Always Wins
Whether you’re five years into your practice or 25 years in and thinking about succession planning, Private Physician Alliance provides the peer network and business intelligence you won’t find anywhere else.
Current members: Take advantage of the Advisory Council resources now available through the app. These physicians have successfully exited and maintained their values.
Prospective members: If you’re an entrepreneurial physician who maintains operational control of your practice (regardless of ownership structure), we want to hear from you.
Learn more about Private Physician Alliance membership and succession planning support at PPA.health or contact me directly. I interview every prospective member personally.
Private Physician Alliance’s new true north is entrepreneurial leadership. Are you ready to join us?