The staffing squeeze: How minimum wage hikes are hitting small practices

Rihan Javid, D.O., J.D., co-founder and CEO of Edge, explains why minimum wage increases are landing so unevenly across physician practices. He says roughly half of organizations have planned and budgeted for 10–30% jumps in hourly pay, while the other half — especially rural hospitals and small offices — are getting blindsided and watching their budgets “destroyed.”

Javid emphasizes that higher wages are good for frontline staff who are often doing the work of two or three people, but warns that without deliberate planning and flexibility, sudden wage hikes can turn into a serious financial shock for already stressed practices.