The $150k Question: Do You Really Need a Fractional COO?

When Hiring a COO Feels Like the Only Option

Your practice is growing. You’re seeing more patients. Revenue is up. But something’s breaking.

Scheduling is a mess. Staff turnover is climbing. Your A/R is creeping up. Patient satisfaction is slipping. You’re working 60-hour weeks and still feel behind. You think: “I need a COO.”

You find one. They’re expensive — $150k–$250k per year. But they know healthcare. You hire them. Month one, it’s great: good questions, careful analysis, thoughtful recommendations. Then… nothing changes. Or it changes slowly. Or it changes in ways you didn’t expect.

The Real Problem with Hiring a COO

A fractional COO is expensive, slow, and often ineffective:

• Expensive. $150k–$250k per year is 15–20% of profit for many solo practices.
• Slow. It takes 3–6 months to learn your practice and another 3–6 to implement changes. A year before real results.
• Generalist. GI is nothing like primary care; orthopedics is nothing like optometry. A non-specialist will give advice that doesn’t fit.

What You Actually Need

You don’t need someone on staff. You need clarity and guidance every month, in your specialty, with specific actions.

That’s exactly what AileronMD Consult does. For $199/month, you get a monthly briefing that tells you how your practice is performing, how you compare to others in your specialty, and what to focus on. No hiring. No 6-month ramp-up. No generalist advice that doesn’t fit your business.