Medical Coworking: The Rise of Coworking for Doctors

One of our favorite areas to explore in the wide and wonderful world of coworking and flex spaces are niches.

There’s shared kitchens, turn-key recording studios, and even golf simulators.

Today, we’re exploring a lesser known niche that has the potential to solve a national crisis with medical coworking. It takes the coworking business model and applies it to healthcare and medical professionals — think of it as coworking for doctors.

And it has the potential to transform healthcare as we know it.

What is medical coworking?

Medical coworking is a shared workspace designed for independent healthcare practitioners including doctors, acupuncturists, bodywork therapists, and more. 

Here, medical professionals can see patients, network, and grow their own private practice at an affordable cost.

A brief history of medical coworking

The first medical coworking space opened in Scottsdale, Arizona in 2017. Founded by John Groberg, Viva MedSuites was the result of seeing an unmet need in the market for shared workspaces for medical professionals. Today, they operate two locations, supporting hundreds of practitioners across Arizona.

In a 2017 interview, Groberg explained the challenges that healthcare practitioners face in starting their own practice, including the high cost of space and the additional responsibility of being a landlord and admin. Medical coworking facilities eliminate these challenges, de-risking it for the practitioner.

In an Optix interview, Rachel Puri, Co-founder at medical coworking facility Lina, shared that the greatest benefit they offer is the ability for practitioners to focus solely on providing exceptional care, without the burden of administrative work.

Who is medical coworking for?

Medical coworking is best suited for any solo practitioner in the healthcare industry who wants to expand their patient base and practice independently.

This includes:

• Family doctors and general practitioners
• Mental health therapists and psychologists
• Acupuncturists and naturopathic health workers
• Dieticians and nutritionists
• Bodywork practitioners

Most medical coworking spaces have multiple rooms specifically designed to fit a wide variety of practitioner needs, including therapy rooms, medical rooms, and cosmetic rooms, all under one roof.

At Lina, they offer four different kinds of rooms including private offices, medical rooms, bodywork rooms, and therapy rooms, each designed to fit the needs of a different member.

What are the benefits of shared medical coworking spaces?

Why might a practitioner choose to practice in a medical coworking facility? Here are some of the benefits we hear most often from our medical coworking clients.

Access to affordable space

The benefit that comes up again and again when it comes to niche coworking spaces is affordability. Medical coworking spaces, much like other flex spaces, offer a turnkey cost-sharing solution at an attractive price tag.

This means members only have to pay for what they need to use, which can save them hundreds or even thousands of dollars long-term. This empowers members to operate their own small business and see many patients, without taking on financial risk or high overhead costs.

Networking opportunities 

Operating a medical practice can be isolating. Medical coworking spaces give practitioners the opportunity to meet other healthcare professionals and expand their networks. Rachel uses Optix, coworking software for medical coworking spaces, to connect members through a digital Directory and help build community amongst practitioners in the space.

Referral opportunities

Having so many different kinds of practitioners in one space creates in-house referral opportunities. It’s good for business, both on the operator side and the practitioner side. For example, suppose you are a therapist and your patient could benefit from alternative medicine like acupuncture. In that case, you can refer them to the acupuncturist in-house – and vice versa.

More time with patients (and less time with admin work)

Oftentimes when physicians open their own practice, they find themselves spending more time on logistics and office work than they imagined. Medical coworking spaces aim to ease this pain point by offering receptionist and administrative services for their members. This includes:

• Call answering
• Email management
• Booking management
• Payment processing

By taking care of the operational aspects of managing a private practice, healthcare providers can focus on providing patient care.

Amenities commonly found in medical coworking spaces

Amenities in a coworking space can range from childcare services to yoga rooms. In medical coworking facilities, we typically see amenities like:

• Office essentials like high-speed WiFi, printing, scanning, and mail services
• Common areas with coffee, tea, and snacks
• Front desk reception
• HIPAA & OSHA compliant spaces that are modern, clean, and well-equipped
• Patient services like a waiting room, check-in services, and refreshments

At Andador Medico for example, they offer a number of amenities and services for their members including a medical concierge, 24/7 security, cleaning services, public parking and more.

Examples of medical coworking spaces

Curious about what a real-life medical coworking space looks like? Let’s take a look at three Optix clients who are operating successful medical coworking facilities around the world.

Lina

Lina is a medical coworking space with three locations in the US. As one of the first medical coworking spaces in the country, they’ve done an incredible amount of work in paving the way for this growing coworking niche.

Lina offers a variety of rooms and services to help medical practitioners thrive in their practice. What really sets Lina apart however is their commitment to community and excellence. Their spaces are immaculate and their amenities are top-notch.

Learn how Lina built a thriving community of independent healthcare practitioners with Optix.

Andador Medico

Andador Medico is a thriving medical coworking network with three locations across Mexico. They believe in creating personalized, delightful experiences for members. Aside from their unique amenities, they also offer four flexible membership plans to help meet practitioners where they’re at.

CareSpace

CareSpace is a newly opened shared medical office space in Atlanta, Georgia. With beautifully fully furnished rooms including medical exam rooms and esthetician rooms, they offer flexible lease terms, administrative support, cleaning services, and more for their members.

What do you need to know when opening a shared medical office space?

We’ve put together some key considerations to keep in mind when opening a medical coworking facility or coworking medical space — based on our conversations with dozens of medical coworking operators over the years.

Privacy and compliance will be front and center

As with coworking spaces for therapists, medical coworking facilities require some additional consideration around privacy and compliance. At a minimum, facilities will need to be HIPAA and OSHA compliant. According to the HIPAA journal, HIPAA protects the privacy of the individual and their healthcare data, while OSHA is designed to protect the safety and health of whoever is using the space. 

You’ll need to think about patients, too

Operating a medical coworking space is like having two sets of members: practitioners and patients. This means operators are required to consider how their space will support patients and transitory guests.

Community is an invaluable asset

Many healthcare practitioners want a community but struggle to find it. A thriving community of doctors, dieticians, and therapists is often the best selling tool for a flexible workspace. Successful operators are acutely aware of how they foster community in their space. It’s an important consideration to ensure long-term success.

What is the best software for running a medical coworking space?

Running a medical coworking space can be challenging. Building out a functional coworking tech stack can help you manage your space far more effectively. This includes:

• A coworking space platform like Optix
• Door access control
• Payment gateway

A great tech stack will save you ample time and energy when it comes to running a successful business by helping you automate bookings and streamline your day-to-day. Optix is unique in that it can help automate all of the recurring manual tasks in your space, from room bookings to lead management to member communication and more.

That way, you can focus more of your attention on supporting doctors and physicians and providing an impeccable office space.