“The dirty little secret in healthcare is that vacations are not easy,” says Dr. Lara Salyer. This week, she shares her comprehensive checklist for ensuring a worry-free vacation. Drawing from her personal experience of transitioning to a private membership-only practice, Dr. Salyer emphasizes the importance of establishing healthy boundaries and creating systems that support a balanced lifestyle business.

Dr. Salyer’s meticulously crafted vacation checklist, refined over seven years, helps solo practitioners and healthcare providers prepare for absences without compromising patient care or personal well-being. She highlights practical steps such as clear communication with patients and staff, pre-planning the calendar, and scheduling a buffer day upon return. 

Dr. Salyer underscores the value of creating a lifestyle business that aligns with one’s personal and professional goals. By sharing her strategies and insights, she aims to inspire other healthcare professionals to design a self-expressive and fulfilling career that prioritizes well-being and creativity.

Quotes

• “The dirty little secret in healthcare is that vacations are not easy. Boundaries are not recognized. Therefore, we need to take care of ourselves by establishing healthy boundaries. You need time off.” (01:48 | Dr. Lara Salyer) 

• “As a family physician, nurse practitioner, or PA, you’ll generally have a staff member cover for you when you’re on vacation. That’s usually how it goes. But if I’m honest, it wasn’t always easy and it wasn’t always effective. They don’t know the patients like you do. When it’s your turn to cover for them, you get a dose of that medicine. Sometimes decisions are made hastily, or you’re getting to their lot of work after your long day, and so it might not be your best care. Nonetheless, we scrape by as a system until a better one is invented.” (02:03 | Dr. Lara Salyer)

• “When I transitioned to my private membership-only practice, I knew I wanted to run a lifestyle business. I wanted this wonderful chapter of medicine to be self-expressive of how I would like to show up in the world and teach my patients how they can role model this as well. So, I’ve been running this vacation checklist for the last seven years, ever since I opened my practice. It has served me well.” (02:39 | Dr. Lara Salyer) 

Links

Catalyst Archetype https://3nb09zv7070.typeform.com/archetype

Connect with Lara: 

Website: https://drlarasalyer.com

The Catalyst Way: https://drlarasalyer.com/catalyst

Instagram: @drlarasalyer

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/drlarasalyer

Linked-In: https://www.linkedin.com/in/drlarasalyer/

YouTube:  https://www.youtube.com/c/DrLaraSalyer

TikTok: @Creativity.Doctor

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