Running a medical or surgical practice isn’t just about providing excellent care - it’s also about keeping your financial foundation strong, clear, and compliant. Over the next few weeks, I’m going to share 10 practical, real-world bookkeeping and financial tips tailored specifically for medical offices, surgical centers, and specialty providers.

These tips come straight from what I see every day working with practices - the challenges, the blind spots, and the small changes that make a huge difference. From clean provider splits to managing call-pay income correctly, tracking reimbursements, budgeting, overhead allocation, and improving cash flow - we’ll cover it all in a simple and actionable way.

My goal? To help medical practices gain clarity, reduce stress, stay compliant, and run more efficiently so you can focus on what matters most - caring for your patients.

If all revenue goes into one big bucket, you’ll never really know who’s driving profitability or using more resources. Set up your books so income and direct costs (supplies, assistants, etc.) are tracked by provider. It’s the only way to see true performance and make fair decisions about bonuses or staffing. ✅ Why it matters: Clarity leads to better decisions - and less guessing at the end of the month.

Shared costs like rent, admin salaries, or insurance shouldn’t just be divided “evenly.” Choose a fair formula - for example, by income percentage or procedure count - and use it consistently. When everyone knows how costs are split, financial conversations stay objective (and friendly). ✅ Why it matters: Transparency keeps trust strong between partners.

Medical offices often have a mix of employees, contractors, and part-time specialists - and misclassifying them can cause tax issues. Take a quick look at how each role is set up in payroll to make sure it reflects the true working relationship. ✅ Why it matters: Fixing a small detail now saves a big headache later.

Processors like Square, or Stripe Health often batch payments or deduct fees before transferring the funds. When you reconcile monthly, you can easily match deposits to your reports and make sure nothing falls through the cracks. ✅ Why it matters: Clean reconciliations protect your income accuracy and cash flow.

If you have multiple doctors or offices, this one’s a game changer. Use Classes (for providers) or Locations (for offices) in QuickBooks so you can instantly see which one brings in more income or runs more efficiently.

✅ Why it matters: Clear visibility helps you make smarter decisions for growth.