I’m pleased to share my latest contribution to the January 2026 issue of Ophthalmology Business Minute, where I explore a topic that often receives far less attention than it deserves: hidden costs in ophthalmic practices.
When physicians talk about improving profitability, the conversation frequently centers on growth—adding new services, increasing volume, or expanding footprint. While those strategies matter, they often overlook the most controllable driver of financial health: reducing internal leakage. In this article, Controlling Hidden Costs to Improve Your Bottom Line, I outline four common but frequently underestimated sources of loss in medical practices—cash leakage, lost time, product loss, and inappropriate vendor relationships.
These issues rarely show up as a single dramatic failure. Instead, they quietly erode margins day after day. The good news is that meaningful improvement does not require radical change. It requires vigilance, transparency, and a leadership mindset that treats efficiency, accountability, and time as strategic assets.
For ophthalmologists navigating rising costs, staffing pressures, and reimbursement uncertainty, controlling what happens inside the practice is more important than ever. Small operational improvements, consistently applied, can have an outsized impact on long-term sustainability.
For a limited time, you can read the full issue free here: Ophthalmology Business Minute Reader (January 2026)
As always, I’m grateful to Ophthalmology Business Minute for the opportunity to contribute and to continue the conversation around thoughtful, principled leadership in ophthalmology.
