Doctors Embrace Micro-Practices to Reduce Costs and Improve Patient Care

Solo practices with no staff offer 24/7 access and personalized care, but face safety challenges

Published on Feb. 11, 2026

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As overhead costs rise and hospital consolidation increases, some doctors are turning to micro-practices - solo practices with no staff that charge patients a flat monthly fee and don't bill insurance. These lean, efficient models allow doctors to spend more time with patients, build stronger relationships, and earn similar incomes to traditional practices despite lower patient volumes. However, micro-practices face challenges around safety and sensitive exams without a chaperone present.

Why it matters

Micro-practices represent a growing trend in healthcare as doctors seek ways to reduce administrative burdens, control costs, and provide more personalized care. This model challenges traditional notions of what a medical practice should look like, and could have broader implications for patient access, doctor satisfaction, and the future of primary care.

The details

Micro-practices typically operate out of small, 700-square-foot offices and are run by a single doctor with no staff. By eliminating administrative overhead and insurance billing, doctors can spend more time with each patient, build stronger relationships, and earn similar incomes to traditional practices despite seeing fewer patients. Doctors like Sonia Singh and Nadia Sirdar have found success with this model, which they say allows them to "practice medicine on their own terms." However, micro-practices face unique challenges around safety and sensitive exams without a chaperone present.

  • Sonia Singh opened her micro-practice, Juniper Modern Primary Care, in Houston 5 years ago.
  • Nadia Sirdar started seeing patients at her micro-practice in Bethesda, Maryland this past summer.

The players

Sonia Singh, MD

Founder of Juniper Modern Primary Care, a micro-practice in Houston.

Nadia Sirdar, MD

Founder of a micro-practice in Bethesda, Maryland that is geared towards women in midlife.

Sylvie Stacy, MD

Author of "50 Nonclinical Careers for Physicians: Fulfilling, Meaningful, and Lucrative Alternatives to Direct Patient Care".

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What they’re saying

“A micro-practice is a lean and efficient model doctors should consider. The reason it's possible to make this work is that your overhead is low — you won't need any staff to handle administrative and clinical tasks.”

— Sonia Singh, MD (Medscape Medical News)

“I'm able to practice medicine on my terms. This means I can take the time and energy I need to learn the patient's history, and I have control over the environment they walk into, which means I have curated the experience so that the waiting room feels like you are visiting a friend's home.”

— Nadia Sirdar, MD (Medscape Medical News)

“More infrastructure doesn't automatically mean better medicine. Micro-practices deliberately have a narrow scope of patients. This usually leads to more continuity, more access, and better relationships, and these are all things that improve care and patient satisfaction.”

— Sylvie Stacy, MD, Author (Medscape Medical News)

What’s next

Doctors interested in opening a micro-practice will need to carefully consider safety protocols, such as arranging for a chaperone during sensitive exams. They will also need to be transparent with patients about the practice model and any limitations.

The takeaway

Micro-practices offer doctors a way to reduce overhead costs, spend more time with patients, and provide personalized care - but they also come with unique challenges around safety and staffing. As the healthcare landscape continues to evolve, this model represents one potential solution for doctors seeking greater autonomy and work-life balance.