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As a dietitian that’s been in private practice for over 8 years, I wanted to share all my favorite things. I have included products and software from an electronic health record, liability insurance, companies to order business cards from, as well as tons of products I love for my brick and mortar practice.
Private Practice Tech and Software
Kalix Health*
I have personally used Kalix as my electronic health record (EHR) for the entire time I’ve had my practice. It does it all! It’s my calendar, medical record, telehealth platform, and clearinghouse for billing, all in one!
Some of my favorite features are automated appointment reminders, tasks, online scheduling and the growth charts. I also love that patient information such as medical history and medications can be auto-populated from previous visits.
Customer service is fantastic, and they are constantly adding new features and integrations. Kalix integrates with Square, Fullscript, Cronometer Pro, several clearing houses as well as other programs.
Everyone always gets a free month (no credit card required), but you can also get an additional $27 off your first paid month using my referral code: KtTYkQ
SRFax
While Kalix Health now offers faxing capabilities, when I originally signed up they did not, and I love SRFax so much I don’t plan to stop using it. I have been a very happy customer of SRFax for several years and find it incredibly easy to use. They have HIPAA-compliant plans for healthcare professionals to keep you and your clients safe and protected.
In addition to electronically faxing chart notes to physician offices, I can send anything else I may need to send, including information to insurance companies or even for my personal use.
Google Workspace
Previously known as G Suite, Google Workspace is a HIPAA-compliant way to use the entire Google suite including Gmail, Google Drive and more. With Google Workspace, you can have a professional looking email address with your domain name rather than gmail.com at the end.
Beyond just email, Google Workspace is a great way to share information with your whole team, including items that contain personal health information. My team shares handouts, training videos, policies, forms and reports all in Google Drive.
Google Voice
While Google Voice is far from perfect, it’s the best option I have found for the price. You can use it for calls and texts (including picture texts) and use it both on your phone and computer. Whatever you do, please don’t use your regular number for your private practice – keep business and personal separate!
Finances
Square
Square is the payment process system I use in my practice. It integrates with Kalix Health so I can keep credit cards on file and have patients make payments online. Square is HIPAA-compliant and will provide a BAA.
I can also accept HSA, FSA, debit cards and credit cards physically in my office either using the hardware provided by Square or having the patient tap to pay right on my iPhone.
I can even send invoices for my non-clinical projects.
Checks Unlimited
While most transactions are digital these days, it is still necessary to have some business checks on hand. I still write a rent check every month and write other checks as needed.
Checks Unlimited has business checks at an affordable price. I buy “The Partner” manual checks in the duplicate format so I can keep the carbon copy for my records.
Wave
Stop paying for Quickbooks! While Wave does not have all the capabilities of Quickbooks, I personally was not using any of those features anyway. If you are simply looking for a way to track your income and expenses, Wave is for you!
I use the free version of Wave for all my bookkeeping, but there is a pro membership and the ability to do payroll through them as well. Just like Quickbooks, you can link it with your business account so you do not need to manually input transactions. They have really nice charts for cash flow and profit and loss so you can visually see how your business is doing.
It is my understanding that when signing up now, Wave asks what type of business you have. When you select “nutrition” you will get a message stating they are not compliant with HIPAA and are unable to support healthcare-related businesses. While being HIPAA-compliant is extremely important, if your banking transactions do not contain personal health information (PHI) this shouldn’t be a problem. You may want to just select a different industry to bypass this message.
Vanguard
Being self-employed makes saving for retirement a little more complicated. I have been very happy with my retirement account through Vanguard.
I was able to roll-over all my previous 401(K) and 403(B) plans through previous employers and the customer service has always been great. Customer service was very helpful with this process overall.
Gusto*
I changed from a locally owned and operated payroll company to Gusto, and I am very happy with the switch! Gusto makes payroll incredibly fast and easy. Their customer service has been great and they answered all my questions about how to switch.
Gusto also comes with a free easy to use app for employees to navigate their paycheck information. Employees can change their deductions in the app rather than having to go through you, which is a win-win.
If you sign up through my link*, you will get a $100 Visa gift card within 30 days of your first paid invoice.
Professional and Business Insurance
Proliability
Proliability is the professional liability insurance company that the Academy of Nutrition and Dietetics endorses. They have policies available for individuals, groups and students.
Not only is having a malpractice insurance plan a good idea, it is required by the insurance companies in order to credential with them. You can also get general liability insurance through Proliability.
The Hartford
The Hartford is where I get all my insurance-related products besides malpractice insurance. Since I am an employer, New York State requires me to have workers compensation, short term disability and paid family leave for my employees. I get all of these through The Hartford and I’ve never had any issues with them.
Marketing
Canva
Canva is a one-stop shop for everything design. You can create handouts, social media posts, presentations, trifolds and more all with this online program. The free version has more than enough to get you started, and the pro version gives access to more images and features.
In addition to making digital creations, there are some product types that you can order prints of directly through Canva. I have promotional trifolds for my private practice and have found that ordering them from Canva is less expensive and at the same or better quality, compared to Vistaprint.
VistaPrint
You can get pretty much any marketing materials from VistaPrint! We’re talking business cards, flyers, brochures, signs, banners, labels, as well as all sorts of swag. I like to order their “business card stickers” so I can put them on folders for patients to put their handouts and other paperwork in.
GotPrint
While Vistaprint has lots of marketing materials to choose from, I like to order my business cards from GotPrint. I have found their prices to be lower while the quality is still great. I create my business cards in Canva and then order the standard uncoated business cards with 14 pt paper. I order mine in full color on both sides, as I made the back an appointment reminder card.
Pens.com
PEOPLE LOVE FREE PENS! When I drop business cards off at doctors’ offices, I always bring several pens for the office staff and they are always very appreciative. Patients at the office love them too. They are also great for tabling events like health fairs.
I have ordered many different pens from pens.com and they’ve always turned out great. They sell many other branded items like mugs, water bottles, coasters, calendars, notepads and clothing.
Website and Blogging
Wix
While I use WordPress for the Dietitian Direction website, I feel that Wix is an economical way to create a beautiful website without the learning curve. I created my private practice website with Wix and am very happy with how easy it is to customize without having to download plugins.
While a WordPress website has a lot more capabilities and is a must if you are trying to be as SEO-optimized as possible, Wix is more than enough for my private practice website.
Astra*
If you are very serious about SEO and blogging, a WordPress website is a must. I personally use the Astra Pro theme as it makes the Dietitian Direction website look good without slowing it down.
Elementor
In addition to my theme, I use the website building platform Elementor to make some of my pages look more interesting and professional. They have a lot of YouTube tutorials so it is possible to create things like galleries, accordion menus, and carousels even if you are not tech-savvy.
Keysearch*
A keyword research tool is a must for anyone interested in blogging. If you are simply writing posts that you think people are interested in, you are wasting your time. You need to find terms that people are actually searching for online.
KeySearch is the most affordable tool out there and is still quite powerful. In addition to searching for keywords to write about, you can also look at what your website, as well as other websites, are ranking in Google.
I have created many blog posts that show up in the first several results in Google for various search terms with the help of Keysearch.
Journey by Mediavine*
Do you want to monetize your website with display ads? You no longer need a huge number of monthly views to get paid when people look at your website. I have ads on the Dietitian Direction website through Journey and have had a great experience.
If you have an old recipe website or blog and you’re not sure what to do with it – make money on it through ads! While it can be quite challenging to make a fulltime income with blogging these days, it is still very possible to make hundreds of dollars a month and beyond, with simply just having ads on your site.
Office Supplies, Furniture and Equipment
HERCULES Series Chairs
Did you know most chairs have a 250 lb weight limit? This is not acceptable! However, bariatric furniture can be extremely expensive. I found a happy medium with HERCULES furniture by Flash Furniture at bizchair.com.
I have the HERCULES Series Heavy Duty Stack Chairs, both with and without arms, which have a weight limit of 550 lbs. The armless ones to be great for all bodies to be able to fit in, but the ones with arms to be helpful for some people to easily get out of the chair.
Here are their products that I have in my office:
HERCULES Series Heavy Duty Stack Chairs in Gray Fabric
HERCULES Series Heavy Duty Stack Chairs with Arms in Gray Fabric
HERCULES Imperial Series LeatherSoft Loveseat with Cherry Wood Feet in Gray
HERCULES Imperial Series LeatherSoft Chair with Cherry Wood Feet in Gray
Scale with Height Rod
I highly recommend having a scale with a height rod so you don’t have to buy a separate stadiometer to take a patient’s height. This just makes things easier and potentially less expensive.
The two scales with height rods I have in my office are:
I have had my Health-O-Meter scale for over 8 years and have had zero issues. I have had my Seca scale for a short period of time and actually did have an issue, but Seca replaced a part at no charge, as it was covered under warranty.
I find the two scales to be quite similar. I feel both are very professional looking and durable.
The Health-O-Meter scale has a 500 lb weight limit while the Seca one has a limit of 550 lbs. I will say that a patient close to the weight limit may have difficulty standing on either scale as the platforms aren’t that large.
If you do work with pediatric patients, make sure the height rod on your scale can measure low enough to take the height of your patients.
Scale with Side Handrails
While my practice does not really have the space or budget for a scale with side handrails, they are ideal. They are great for patients with limited mobility and balance. You would be surprised how many patients have some level of difficulty stepping on a regular scale. You cannot simply install handrails onto the wall as this will give a falsely low reading of the patient’s weight.
While I have no personal experience using them, I have my eye on the: Health O Meter 1100KL Digital Patient Scale* and the Rice Lake 250-10-2 Bariatric Handrail Digital Physician’s Weigh Scale*. I did actually buy a lower-priced scale with a single handrail in the back, and unfortunately learned the hard way that this isn’t overly helpful for patients. I think handrails on the sides of the scale are ideal.
Chair Scale
Another scale option to make your office more inclusive is a chair scale. I bought the Health-O-Meter 594KL Digital Chair Scale* a couple years ago, and it has come in handy for a few of my patients.
I decided to make this purchase after having a patient decide not continue with my services as I did not have the right equipment to take her weight. She had cerebral palsy and was ambulating with forearm crutches and specifically wanted to be seen for weight loss. Even a scale with handrails would have been very challenging for to get on and stay on long enough to measure her weight. She commented that Weight Watchers had a wheelchair scale to accommodate her, but no medical office has ever been able to take her weight.
While this was an uncomfortable experience that I felt embarrassed and ashamed about, I decided to right my wrong. While I had already lost that patient and could not change her disappointment, I did want to prevent this from happening in the future.
Door Chime
If you have a brick and mortar practice, depending on your setup, a door chime can be incredibly helpful! I have a parttime assistant, meaning I sometimes have someone to greet patients coming in, but other times I don’t.
It’s great to know someone has arrived by having a door chime. I’ve had a Daytech Wireless Door Chime* for four years and it’s worked great. You can set the volume and pick the type of chime you like.
Sound Machine
If you have physical office space, a sound machine is incredibly helpful. It can help with privacy as well as drowning out noise coming from outside your counseling office. I actually have three Yogasleep Dohm White Noise Sound Machines* in my practice – one in the waiting room and one in each counseling room. I also have another three in my home to help with sleep.
They have lasted many, many years. Instead of electronic speakers, these sound machines actually have a fan inside which sounds more natural and are less distracting.
Sign and Handout Holders
If you want to keep your waiting room full of handouts, flyers and other educational or promotional materials, you’re going to need some acrylic holders. Here are some of my favorites:
Sign holder with business card holder*
Color Laser Printer
I remember during my internship and certain jobs, handing patients black and white handouts that had been xeroxed to death seemed to be the norm. I personally think providing nice looking, colorful handouts can help elevate your patients’ experience.
Colorful handouts means you must have a color printer. If you plan on printing with any sort of volume, a laser printer is recommended over an inkjet. I bought a Brother Color Laser Printer many years ago and have been very impressed. It can print double sided as well as copy and scan doubled sided as well.
I actually did have a problem with my printer recently, and I was shocked that Brother provided very thorough support despite not having a warranty or subscription. I feel that is pretty rare for a one-time purchase product. While the Brother printer I bought has been discontinued, there are two similar models that I recommend:
Brother MFC-L8395CDW Digital Color All-in-One Printer*
Brother MFC-L3780CDW Digital Color All-in-One Printer*
Folders
Now that your patients have beautiful, colorful handouts, a nice finishing touch is to provide them a folder to put it all in. I buy these folders from Amazon* and then I put my business card sticker from Vista print on the outside. There’s also a spot to put your business card.
Mini Legal Pads
While I try to type as much as possible during appointments, to cut down on the time it takes to finish my notes, I do write some handwritten notes during appointments at times. This is also where I write the start and end time for the appointments to document later in my note, which is necessary when you’re billing insurance companies. I love these mini legal pads* because they’re nice and small and I can just rip off the page when I’m done.
Bush Business Furniture
Through the years, I have expanded my practice so I own a decent amount of furniture. At this point I have two office desks, a reception desk and lots of filing cabinets. I really like the Bush Business furniture line from Office Max, as you can add on pieces and it all still matches.
Criss Cross Computer Chair
Did you see those viral crisscross office chairs* that were popular a while back? I bought one and totally love it. I can sit normally while talking to patients but then I can also sit crisscross with my shoes off while I’m working on a project at my desk, I personally got one with wheels and it’s very comfy.
Bluetooth Mouse
Since I work both at my office and at home, I’m constantly carrying my laptop and other materials back-and-forth. One of the most important of those things being a Bluetooth mouse*. I really love mine because it’s large and easy to handle, yet still portable. I also like that the mouse has a compartment for the USB receiver to be stored when it’s being carried back-and-forth.
Bluetooth Headset
A Bluetooth headset is so important for business calls. My Jabra 25* has been extremely reliable and I’ve had it for many years. It’s great because it can pair with your phone or your computer.
Magnetic File Folders
I bought these magnetic file folders from Amazon* and they have been great for organization. We are able to separate paperwork needed for each clinician. They are very strong and have been very helpful in keeping things out of the way.
ADA-Compliant Trash Can
If your office has a bathroom or other place for a garbage can, make sure it’s ADA-compliant. Not everyone is capable of pressing the foot pedal on garbage cans or opening one manually. ADA-compliant trash cans* simply have a hole without a top so it can be easily accessed. This is something I personally never thought of until several years into having my practice.!
