Debt in medicine often carries stigma. Many providers view it as a sign of overreach or mismanagement. In truth, debt itself is neutral—it’s the structure of that debt that determines whether it becomes a burden or a catalyst. Smart financing doesn’t weaken a practice; it strengthens it—when guided by strategy and discipline. That’s the essence of a debt detox: not avoidance, but alignment.

CFOs help you make better decisions about the future: pricing, capacity, cash, and risk. Both are essential. They’re just not the same. Think about it like a vehicle. A CPA is the licensed mechanic who ensures your car is safe and road-legal. The CFO is your crew chief and navigator—choosing routes, pit stops, and race strategy. If you keep asking the mechanic why your lap times are slow, you’ll get great maintenance…and no improvement plan.

Every multi-location practice eventually faces the same question: do we keep separate tax IDs, or merge into one? A common mistake: merge first, figure out reporting later. Revenue and costs pool together, and suddenly managers don’t trust their P&Ls. Without guardrails, every “why is this site underperforming?” conversation turns into guesswork. The good news: this is fixable with the right design up front.

Too often, practice owners assume that if their QuickBooks is reconciled and their CPA is satisfied, the financial side of the business is “good enough.