Ann Konkoly: Welcome to Nurses Living the Good Life, Dr. Annie DePasquale. I thank you for coming on and sharing a little bit about what you do. I'm glad that you're here. Let's just start with the basics. Please introduce yourself and tell us a bit about what you do.
Dr. Annie DePasquale: Sure, thanks a lot for having me. I'm Annie DePasquale from Arlington, Virginia. I'm a family physician and a champion for nurse practitioners looking to be entrepreneurs and start their own practices. Specifically, I help with finding collaborating physicians for nurse practitioners. I founded Collaborating Docs in 2020 to be the premier matchmaking service for nurse practitioners looking for collaborators. We help all scopes of practice across the country, providing an all-inclusive service including legal guidance, contracts, malpractice for the physician, and ongoing facilitation in case there are any issues.
Ann Konkoly: How long have you been in medicine and practicing, and what prompted all this?
Dr. Annie DePasquale: I graduated medical school in 2011 and completed my family medicine residency at Georgetown in 2014. I worked in Washington, DC for Unity Healthcare for about 6-7 years in an underserved clinic system. I loved my time there; it was a great way to learn real-world primary care medicine. I've always had an entrepreneurial spirit and enjoyed helping nurse practitioners start and run their own practices, which led me to found Collaborating Docs.
Ann Konkoly: So you started getting a lot of requests, and then what made you formalize it into an actual business?
Dr. Annie DePasquale: For about five years, I helped people individually. In the summer of 2020, I started receiving a large number of requests, which made me realize the significant unmet need. I decided to take it to the next level, making it a legitimate business to help more people. We really aim to elevate collaboration and make it a positive experience for nurse practitioners.
Ann Konkoly: Do you maintain a practice now, or are you focused solely on Collaborating Docs?
Dr. Annie DePasquale: I did maintain a part-time clinical practice while starting the business, but about a year and a half ago, I left clinical practice to focus entirely on Collaborating Docs. It has been a full-time commitment, but very rewarding.
Ann Konkoly: What are your plans for Collaborating Docs over the next 5-10 years?
Dr. Annie DePasquale: We are in rapid scaling mode, building out our marketing and onboarding teams. I want Collaborating Docs to be a household name for nurse practitioners. We aim to remove the barrier of finding a collaborating physician, so nurse practitioners can focus on their practices.
Ann Konkoly: How do you match nurse practitioners with collaborating physicians?
Dr. Annie DePasquale: We get to know our nurse practitioner clients through a detailed zoom call to understand their practice needs, background, and preferences. We also vet and interview physicians to ensure a good match. Our goal is to make sure it's a long-lasting fit for both parties.
Ann Konkoly: How successful are you in matching clients?
Dr. Annie DePasquale: We have a very high success rate. In the past two years, we've only been stumped three times, but we still found the right physician within a few weeks. We are active in all states and strive to make the process as smooth as possible.
Ann Konkoly: Where can people reach you if they are interested in your service?
Dr. Annie DePasquale: The best place is our website, Collaborating Docs. You can book a free consult with one of our nurse practitioners to discuss your plans, even if you're a year away from starting your practice.
Ann Konkoly: Thank you for coming on and sharing about what you do. We will include a link to your website in the show notes for anyone interested in finding out more about Collaborating Docs.
Dr. Annie DePasquale: Thanks so much for having me. We are rooting for NP independence and hope to make a positive impact while we're needed.
Ann Konkoly: Thank you very much for being on. I appreciate it.
