Coworking + Medical: The Rise of Medical Coworking

One of our favourite areas to explore in the wide and wonderful world of coworking and flex spaces are niches. 

There’s Coworking + Kitchens, Coworking + Recording Studios, and even Coworking + Golf.

In this article, we’re exploring a lesser known niche that has the potential to solve an international healthcare crisis. 

Coworking + Medical, also known as medical coworking, takes the coworking business model and applies it to healthcare and medical professionals.

And it has the potential to transform healthcare as we know it. 

What is medical coworking?

Medical coworking is a shared workspace designed for independent healthcare practitioners and medical professionals. Much like a traditional coworking space, medical coworking facilities offer a variety of rooms and resources that can be booked on demand. Unlike traditional coworking spaces, medical coworking facilities are outfitted with rooms for physicians, therapists, aestheticians, and more.

Here, practitioners can provide care for patients, network with other professionals, and grow their own private practice at an affordable cost.

How the medical coworking model works

1. Healthcare practitioners book a fully compliant, specialized room on a daily, hourly, or monthly basis
2. Patients arrive at the space and are greeted by a receptionist before the appointment
3. Practitioners deliver care in a comfortable, calm environment

Learn how Optix can help you automate your medical coworking space

A brief history of medical coworking

The first medical coworking space opened in Scottsdale, Arizona in 2017. Founded by John Groberg, Viva MedSuites came about after seeing an unmet need in the market for shared workspaces for medical professionals. Today, they operate two locations, supporting hundreds of practitioners across Arizona.

In an interview with Wealth Management, Groberg explained the challenges that healthcare practitioners face in starting their own practice, including the high cost of space and the additional responsibility of being a landlord and admin. Medical coworking facilities eliminate these challenges, de-risking operations for the practitioner.

In an Optix interview, Rachel Puri, Co-founder at medical coworking facility Lina, echoed this sentiment. She shared that the greatest benefit they see is the ability for practitioners to focus solely on providing exceptional care, without the burden of administrative work.

Who is medical coworking for?

Medical coworking is best for any solo practitioner in the healthcare industry who wants to expand their patient base and practice independently.

This includes:

• Family doctors and general practitioners
• Mental health therapists and psychologists
• Acupuncturists and naturopathic health workers
• Dieticians and nutritionists
• Bodywork practitioners

Most medical coworking spaces have multiple rooms specifically designed to fit a wide variety of practitioner needs, including therapy rooms, medical rooms, and cosmetic rooms.

At Lina, they offer four different kinds of rooms including private offices, medical rooms, bodywork rooms, and therapy rooms, each designed to fit the needs of a different specialization.

Benefits of medical coworking

Why might a practitioner choose to practice in a medical coworking facility? Here are some of the benefits we hear most often from our medical coworking clients.

Access to affordable space

The benefit that comes up again and again when it comes to niche coworking spaces is affordability. Medical coworking spaces, much like other flex spaces, offer a turnkey cost-sharing solution at an attractive price tag.

This means members only have to pay for what they need to use, which can save them hundreds or even thousands of dollars long-term. It empowers members to operate their own small businesses, without taking on financial risk or high overhead costs.

Networking opportunities 

Operating a medical practice can be isolating. Medical coworking spaces give practitioners the opportunity to meet other healthcare professionals and expand their networks.

Rachel uses Optix, a coworking software for medical coworking spaces, to connect members through a digital Directory to help build community amongst practitioners in the space and fight feelings of loneliness and isolation.

Referral opportunities

Having so many different kinds of practitioners in one space also creates more opportunities for in-house referrals. It’s good for business, both on the operator side and the practitioner side. 

For example, suppose you are a therapist and your patient could benefit from alternative medicine like acupuncture. In that case, you can refer them to the acupuncturist in-house – and vice versa.

More time with patients (and less time with admin work)

Oftentimes when physicians open their own practice, they find themselves spending more time on logistics and office work than they imagined.

Medical coworking spaces aim to ease this pain point by offering receptionist and administrative services for their members. This includes:

• Call answering
• Email management
• Booking management
• Payment processing

By taking care of the operational aspects of managing a private practice, healthcare providers can focus on providing better patient care.

Amenities in a medical coworking space

Coworking space amenities can range from childcare services to yoga rooms. 

At medical coworking facilities, we typically see amenities like:

• Office essentials like high-speed WiFi, printing, scanning, and mail services
• Common areas with coffee, tea, and snacks
• Front desk reception
• HIPAA & OSHA compliant spaces that are modern, clean, and well-equipped
• Patient services like a waiting room, check-in services, and refreshments

At Andador Medico for example, they offer a number of amenities and services for their members including a medical concierge, 24/7 security, cleaning services, public parking and more.

Examples of medical coworking spaces

Curious about what a real-life medical coworking space looks like? Let’s take a look at three Optix clients who are operating successful medical coworking facilities around the world.

Lina

Lina is a medical coworking space with three locations in the US. As one of the first medical coworking spaces in the country, they’ve done an incredible amount of work in paving the way for this growing coworking niche.

Lina offers a variety of rooms and services to help medical practitioners thrive in their practice.

What really sets Lina apart however is their commitment to community and excellence. Their spaces are immaculate and their amenities are top-notch.

Learn how Lina built a thriving community of independent healthcare practitioners with Optix.

Andador Medico

Andador Medico is a thriving medical coworking network with three locations across Mexico. They believe in creating personalized, delightful experiences for members. Aside from their unique amenities, they also offer four flexible membership plans to help meet practitioners where they’re at.

CareSpace

CareSpace is a medical coworking facility opening soon in Atlanta, Georgia. Along with beautifully fully furnished rooms including medical exam rooms and aesthetician rooms, they’ll also be offering flexible lease terms, administrative support, cleaning services and more for their members.

Opening a medical coworking space: key considerations

We’ve put together some key considerations to keep in mind when opening a medical coworking facility, based on our conversations with dozens of medical coworking operators over the years. 

Privacy and compliance will be front and center

As with coworking spaces for therapists, medical coworking facilities require some additional consideration around privacy and compliance. At a minimum, facilities will need to be HIPAA and OSHA compliant.

According to the HIPAA journal, HIPAA protects the privacy of the individual and their healthcare data, while OSHA is designed to protect the safety and health of whoever is using the space. 

You’ll need to think about patients, too

Operating a medical coworking space is like having two sets of members: practitioners and patients. This means operators are required to consider how their space will support patients and transitory guests.

Will they receive complimentary refreshments? How will they book with a practitioner? Once they arrive, how will they find their room and who is responsible for this process?

Community is an invaluable asset

Many healthcare practitioners want a community but struggle to find it. A thriving community of doctors, dieticians, and therapists is often the best selling tool for a flexible workspace.

Successful operators are acutely aware of how they foster community in their space. It’s an important consideration to ensure long-term success.

Technology to run a medical coworking space

Running a medical coworking space can be challenging. Building out a functional coworking tech stack can help you run your business far more effectively. This includes:

• A coworking space platform like Optix
• Door access control
• Payment gateway

A great tech stack will save you ample time and energy when it comes to running a successful business by helping you automate bookings, streamline member relations, promote events, and more.

Optix is unique in that it can help automate all of the recurring manual tasks in your space, from room bookings to lead management to member communication and more.

That way, you can focus more of your attention on supporting doctors and physicians and providing an impeccable office space. 

Learn more about how Optix supports medical coworking spaces in automating their space.

Want to learn if coworking software is right for your business? Book a free demo today.