Is your practice set up for long-term success — and a highly profitable exit when the time comes? At AAO 2025, Polaris Healthcare Partners hosted an expert-led session designed to help practice owners sharpen their growth strategies, maximize valuation, and build thriving clinical teams. Whether you’re planning your exit or simply looking to accelerate growth, the insights shared offer a roadmap to make informed, strategic decisions.
Here’s a recap of the key themes and lessons from the session, along with why these strategies matter for your future.
Optimizing Your Exit Valuation
If you want to sell your practice for the highest possible price, it’s critical to begin with the end in mind. Polaris CEO Diwakar Sinha explored current market trends and how they impact valuation strategies for practices planning to exit within the next 12 months or those with a longer runway.
Top drivers of a strong valuation include:
- Financial performance and stability
- Provider continuity and leadership bench strength
- Operational efficiency and scalability
For owners preparing to exit soon, the advice was clear: Layer multiple improvements across operations, financial management, and leadership development to create a compelling, de-risked opportunity for buyers. Even if you’re looking at a three- to five-year runway, there is still work to do. Those with a longer runway can focus on strategic investments that increase value over time, such as optimizing payer mix, expanding service offerings, and strengthening leadership teams. By acting proactively, you can help ensure you’re receiving top dollar for your practice, whenever you’re ready to sell.
Structuring Equity Agreements to Retain Top Doctors
After valuation fundamentals, the conversation shifted to one of the most powerful — yet often underused — levers for growth: equity solutions. Mark Flock, our associate equity expert, shared some of the most common mistakes practice owners make and how to avoid them.
Some of the most common challenges include:
- Offering equity too early without clear performance benchmarks
- Failing to align incentives with long-term business goals
- Overcomplicating terms, leading to confusion or dissatisfaction
Customized equity agreements not only help lock in key talent but also strengthen provider loyalty, operational stability, and overall enterprise value. However, structuring these agreements incorrectly can create major financial and operational risks. There are a few different types of equity structures, and each have a role in boosting practice valuations while also recruiting and retaining high-performing doctors.
The biggest takeaway for attendees? Get expert advice early, and tailor equity solutions to fit your practice’s specific growth strategy.
Developing Doctors into Leaders
Clinical excellence is another unsung hero of group practice success. While you might have superstar associates, that doesn’t always mean all of them are consistently operating at the top of their licenses, and in a standardized, efficient, and effective way across the practice, which can impact the long-term growth and well-being of any practice.
To get there, doctor development is required. Dr. Steve Giannoutsos, an experienced group practice owner and Polaris clinical coach, shared how investing in doctor development transformed his organization:
- Clinical Confidence: Establishing internal residencies and structured training programs empowered doctors to deliver top-tier patient care.
- Leadership Growth: Personalized coaching helped doctors build communication and leadership skills, fueling a stronger, more cohesive team culture.
- Operational Efficiency: Focused coaching on time management and clinical protocols ensured doctors could align with practice goals without burning out.
Steve emphasized that doctor development looks different at various stages of growth — from three locations to fifteen and beyond. However, one thing remains consistent: when done right, doctor development boosts clinical quality, improves financial performance, and builds a foundation for sustainable success.
For orthodontists specifically, investing in structured doctor development programs is a major competitive advantage. The biggest opportunity? Moving beyond informal mentorship to formalized, replicable development systems that drive consistent, scalable excellence.
Final Takeaways
No matter where practice leaders are on their journeys, taking time to map out a long-term plan, organizing your activities and investments mindfully, and working with an experienced professional can ensure that your future practice aligns to your vision.
Want to learn more?
Visit our growth strategy services page or contact us for a free consultation.
