Practice Partners Podcast

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In Episode 82 of the Practice Partners Podcast, Zac Pandur takes on a solo discussion around one of the biggest challenges facing healthcare teams today: negativity in the industry and why positivity matters more than ever.
With increasing operational pressure, staffing shortages, burnout, and rising patient expectations, many healthcare environments have fallen into a cycle of stress, frustration, and reactive culture. In this episode, Zac explores how negativity impacts team morale, leadership, patient experience, and long-term business performance, and why leaders must take responsibility for shaping a more constructive workplace culture.
This is not about toxic positivity or ignoring real problems. It is about creating resilient teams, improving communication, and building workplaces where people feel supported, valued, and motivated despite the pressure.
Zac discusses:
 Why negativity spreads quickly in healthcare environments 
 The operational impact of poor workplace culture 
 The difference between realism and pessimism 
 How leadership behaviour shapes team morale 
 Practical ways to improve positivity within practices and healthcare businesses 
 Why culture is becoming a competitive advantage in healthcare 
A practical and honest conversation for practice owners, managers, healthcare leaders, and team members looking to improve culture and performance in an increasingly demanding industry.
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We would love for you to share your thoughts, questions, and stories to: [email protected]

Find any resources discussed in this podcast, and all of our other resources at https://www.practicepartners.com.au/resources/

Send us your enquiry or question directly!
In this episode, Zac Pandur and Ami Assigal break down the realities of GP recruitment and why most clinics get it wrong.
From ineffective reference checks to poor alignment and cultural misfits, this conversation focuses on the practical steps required to hire well and reduce long-term risk when bringing doctors into your practice.
We cover:
• Why traditional reference checks are losing value and where they still matter for GPs
• How to identify early “yellow flags” and manage red flags within the first 6 to 12 months
• Aligning clinical interests, billing style, and expectations before onboarding
• How to run structured, effective reference conversations
• Recruiter vs practice-led reference checks
• Trial periods and ongoing review vs traditional probation
• Cultural fit and personality in long-term success
• Key legal considerations when engaging doctors
We also speak honestly about:
• The lack of transparency across healthcare recruitment
• Why most references are overly positive and lack real insight
• The risk of hiring for convenience rather than alignment
• The long-term cost of cultural misfits
If your practice is hiring or considering bringing on new doctors, this is a necessary reset. Structured recruitment, strong alignment, and disciplined processes are critical to building a stable and high-performing clinical team.
Support the show
We would love for you to share your thoughts, questions, and stories to: [email protected]

Find any resources discussed in this podcast, and all of our other resources at https://www.practicepartners.com.au/resources/

Send us your enquiry or question directly!
In this episode, Zac Pandur and Ami Assigal break down the recent RBA surcharge changes announcement and what they actually mean for general practice.
With shifts in payment processing rules and increasing cost pressures, practices need to reassess how they approach billing, surcharges, and patient communication. This episode focuses on the practical steps required to stay compliant while maintaining financial stability.
We cover:
 • What the RBA surcharge changes are and how they impact your practice
 • The real cost of payment processing and how to manage it
 • Fee adjustments and when they are necessary
 • How to communicate pricing changes clearly to patients
 • Supporting your team with consistent messaging and scripting
 • Financial discipline and maintaining profitability in a changing environment
We also speak honestly about:
 • Why “consistent messaging is key when communicating fee changes”
 • The importance of equipping your team, not leaving them exposed
 • “Back yourself in pricing and know your practice's worth”
If your practice hasn’t reviewed its billing structure recently, this is a necessary reset. Clear pricing, strong communication, and confident leadership are critical in the current environment.
Support the show
We would love for you to share your thoughts, questions, and stories to: [email protected]

Find any resources discussed in this podcast, and all of our other resources at https://www.practicepartners.com.au/resources/

Send us your enquiry or question directly!
Risk in healthcare is not theoretical. It is operational, daily, and often hiding in plain sight.
In Episode 79, Zac Pandur and Ami Assigal take a structured look at risk management in general practice, focusing on compliance, staff accountability, and the increasing scrutiny around Medicare and Assignment of Benefit.
As regulations tighten, practices that lack discipline in their processes will be the first exposed.
We cover:
 • The real sources of risk in medical practices today
 • Assignment of Benefit changes and what they mean for your clinic
 • Medicare compliance and audit preparedness
 • Staff training, accountability, and behavioural risk
 • The intersection of HR, compliance, and operational control
 • Practical steps to assess and mitigate risk across your practice
We also speak honestly about:
 • Why staff behaviour is one of the biggest uncontrolled risks in clinics
 • The gap between “knowing” compliance and actually executing it
 • The ownership burden, and why risk ultimately sits with you
If you are not actively managing risk in your practice, you are accepting it. This episode gives you the framework to take back control.
Support the show
We would love for you to share your thoughts, questions, and stories to: [email protected]

Find any resources discussed in this podcast, and all of our other resources at https://www.practicepartners.com.au/resources/

Send us your enquiry or question directly!
Most practices do not fail from big, obvious issues. They drift through small, unnoticed problems that compound over time. Spot checks are the mechanism that stops that drift.
In this episode, Zac and Ami break down how to implement structured, meaningful spot checks that uncover issues early and drive accountability across your team.
We cover:
• What effective spot checks actually look like in a real practice
• How to audit Medicare registrations, billing patterns, and appointments
• Identifying revenue leakage through small operational gaps
• Reviewing cleanliness, patient experience, and front desk performance
• Building simple routines that can be repeated consistently
• Turning spot checks into a proactive management tool, not a reactive fix
We also speak honestly about:
• Why most spot checks are superficial and miss real problems
• The risk of ignoring overdue accounts, billing errors, and compliance gaps
• How lack of oversight leads to cultural and performance decline
• The difference between micromanagement and structured accountability
• Why consistency in checks matters more than intensity
This is a practical, operational episode focused on giving you clear actions you can implement immediately. Spot checks are not about control. They are about visibility, consistency, and protecting the long-term performance of your business.
If you are not actively reviewing your systems, you are relying on luck. That is not a strategy.
Listen now and put structure around one of the simplest ways to improve performance, reduce risk, and protect revenue.
Support the show
We would love for you to share your thoughts, questions, and stories to: [email protected]

Find any resources discussed in this podcast, and all of our other resources at https://www.practicepartners.com.au/resources/