Rebecca Neaman

By Brian Sodoma (contact)

Friday, May 1, 2009 | 2 a.m.

Far too many examples abound of well-intentioned businesses or nonprofits that run into financial hardship, ultimately wasting valuable talents and skills. Rebecca Neaman, president and founder of Southwest Healthcare Management, is here to make sure this doesn’t happen for the many valley doctors and medical groups.

After 25 years experience, Neaman started her own medical practice consulting company two years ago. She refers to herself more as an outside practice administrator, since the term better represents a very hands-on approach she takes helping start-up doctors’ offices or those needing help turning their business around.

“The ultimate goal is to set them up for prosperity. We’re not there for the short term,” Neaman said of her philosophy. “What we look to do is to help a doctor run a healthy practice in order to give patients a better delivery of health care as well.”

The expert says too many consultants walk into an office, do some analysis, then hand a report to the doctor with recommendations. With Southwest Health Care Management, Neaman implements changes and measures their success.

“Most of my clients are in crisis mode, where they’ve been open a couple of years, billing hasn’t gone well, (there’s been) a revolving door of employees, and the doctor doesn’t understand why he’s seeing so many patients and the reimbursements are so low,” Neaman added. “I love going into an office where doctors call me for one thing, then I’m looking at so many different things. … I really like finding out what’s not working and turning it around. … It’s very rewarding.”

Neaman first started working in a medical setting when she was 16 years old. The experience that started as a part-time position blossomed into different positions, such as billing, front and back office management, among others. Meanwhile, she took college classes in business and health care administration. Today, Neaman is a certified administrator in physician practice management and an executive fellow in practice management. She also authors a column for M.D. News magazine.

In the future, Neaman sees her company evolving into a medical development firm, where she also can be a vendor for products and services that she currently has to contract out.