If you want the upside of a CRNA-led practice, there are two routes: join a group that already exists, or start your own. Neither is better in general. It depends on what's near you and how much of the business you want to run.
Is there an established CRNA group in your area that's hiring or adding partners?
Yes
Do you want a say in the business, or mainly good pay and a steady schedule?
A say
Ask about a partnership track
Pay and schedule
Join as an employee or contractor
No
Does a facility near you want its own anesthesia coverage?
Yes
Start a group around that contract
Not yet
Work 1099 and build relationships
Joining an existing group
- Faster. The contracts, payer enrollment and billing already work.
- Less risk. You're not funding the gap before the first payments arrive.
- Less control. The owners decide pay, schedules and which facilities to take on.
- A partnership track is worth asking about. Ask how buy-in is valued, what you'd get for it and how long it takes.
Starting your own
- More upside. The facility contracts and the revenue are yours.
- More work. Company formation, payer enrollment, malpractice, hiring and billing.
- Cash first. You'll pay costs for months before claims start paying. Our startup cash calculator shows how much.
- One anchor facility is usually what makes it work: a surgery center or hospital that wants you as its anesthesia provider.
Questions to ask a group before you join
- How is pay calculated, and how has it changed over the last three years?
- Is there a partnership track, and what does buy-in cost?
- How many facilities does the group cover, and when do the contracts renew?
- Who does the billing, and what's the group's collection rate? A group that can't answer this often has room to improve.
Starting a group? See how to start a CRNA group for the steps in order.
Run your own numbers. The should I start my own CRNA group? calculator compares your W-2 pay with owning a group, and the startup cash calculator shows how much you need to cover the wait for your first payments.
General information, not legal, tax or financial advice. Talk to a healthcare attorney and an accountant before you form a company.
Back to resources