The 12 Numbers That Tell You If Your Practice Is Healthy
12 KPIs every practice owner should track - with benchmark targets, calculation formulas, and a review cadence that takes 15 minutes a week.
The 12 numbers that separate thriving practices from struggling ones
Most practice owners check their bank balance and call it financial management. That's like diagnosing a patient by looking at their teeth from across the room.
There are exactly 12 KPIs that tell you whether your practice is healthy, sick, or headed for trouble. Track these, and you'll catch problems months before they hit your bottom line.
Your Practice Health Scorecard
| # | KPI | Benchmark Target | Why It Matters |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Production per Provider | $65K-$90K/month (solo GP) | Your revenue engine output |
| 2 | Collections Rate | 98% of net production | You produced it - did you collect it? |
| 3 | Overhead % | 55-65% of collections | Every point above 65% eats your paycheck |
| 4 | New Patients/Month | 25-50 per provider | Your growth pipeline |
| 5 | Case Acceptance % | 75-80% | National avg is 40-60% - huge revenue gap |
| 6 | Hygiene Production Ratio | 33% of total production | Hygiene should fund itself at 3.5x wages |
| 7 | AR Aging (90+ days) | <15% of total AR | Old receivables become bad debt fast |
| 8 | Cancellation/No-Show Rate | <10% | Empty chairs = $0 revenue, full overhead |
| 9 | Revenue per Patient Visit | $250-$400 | Are you doing enough per visit? |
| 10 | Reappointment Rate | 85%+ | Retention is cheaper than acquisition |
| 11 | Staff Cost % | 24-28% of collections | Your biggest controllable expense |
| 12 | Marketing ROI | $150-$300 per new patient | Spend 4-7% of revenue, track every dollar |
If you're hitting 10 of 12, your practice is in great shape. Below 8? You've got structural problems that won't fix themselves.
Here's the thing most consultants won't tell you: these numbers talk to each other. A low case acceptance rate drags down production per provider. High cancellation rates kill your revenue per patient visit. You can't fix one in isolation.
Pro members get the full playbook below - how to calculate each KPI, what to do when you're off benchmark, and a tracking system that takes 15 minutes a week.
