Steve Joyner, PA-C Physician Assistant, Owner Greenville Health Care Center, Greenville, NC

What have been your most helpful resources?

The most helpful resources were the medical director group. All of the medical directors were in favor of the venture and supportive of the two PAs. Joyner had known this community since 1969 and deliberately selected a location that was in an affluent area away from the rest of the medical community. The strategy was to build a client base with more education and better payers than would be found in other locations. The strategy worked even when more competition moved in. If an occasional new specialist in town received a referral from the PAs, and subsequently made a non-supportive comment about PAs to the patient, it usually filtered back and a one-on-one conversation with the specialist sorted out the problem. Joyner recommends conducting due diligence with the competition and knowing the politics of the community in which you plan to locate.