The Smart Practice Solution Guide | Tracy Cherpeski International
Tracy Cherpeski International • Session 2
The Smart Practice Solution Guide
You've diagnosed where your practice is losing ground. Now let's figure out how to move forward — wisely, not hastily. Work through each section honestly. Your snapshot will build at the bottom.
1
Your Starting Point
Anchor to what your diagnostic surfaced
Which category surfaced as your top priority?
Before we go any further — is this a:
A tool will not fix a process problem. A new hire will not fix a tools problem. Getting clear on which category you’re actually in is the difference between a smart investment and an expensive mistake.
2
Foundation Check
Eliminate → Automate → Delegate — in that order
Check all that apply — honestly. The more accurate your answers, the more useful your snapshot will be.
Eliminate first
I have identified tasks that could simply be removed or stopped entirely
I have audited what we’re currently paying for that isn’t being fully used
Before automating anything
This process is documented and stable — not still changing week to week
My team is trained on everything we currently have before adding anything new
I have a baseline measurement of this problem — time spent, cost, frequency
Leadership & team
Leadership is aligned on solving this — this isn’t one person’s initiative
My team understands WHY this change would help them — not just the practice
Check items above to see your readiness signal
Your foundation status will appear here.
3
Vendor Evaluation Checklist
Bring these to every demo — before you fall in love with anything
Questions to ask any vendor
Check the ones you’ve asked — or plan to ask before deciding.
What specific problem does this tool solve — and what does it NOT solve?
What biases does this AI carry from the data it was trained on?
When is your tool LEAST reliable — and for which patient populations?
Has anyone outside your company independently evaluated it?
Who owns patient data? Is any of it used to train future versions of your product?
If the model changes, how will you communicate that — and how will it affect our patients?
Is this compliant with applicable patient data privacy regulations — verified in writing, not just claimed? (HIPAA in the US, PIPEDA in Canada, GDPR in Europe, Privacy Act in Australia, or your regional equivalent)
What does implementation actually require from our team — and over what timeline?
What does your contract say about exit clauses, renewals, and price increases?
Once I have your data, what am I actually able to DO with it? What support do you provide after?
Red flags — check any that apply to your current situation
Honest check — these are signs to slow down, not stop forever.
I’m buying under pressure because something is broken right now and I need a fix
I saw one demo and I’m already sold — I haven’t compared anything else
I already told them my budget
I haven’t defined what success looks like in 90 days
One person is driving this decision — leadership isn’t fully aligned
I haven’t checked who owns this company or whether they’ve been recently acquired
Complete the sections above — your decision snapshot will appear here.
The evaluation framework in this guide was informed by insights from the Smart Practice Roundtable — AI, Automation & the Smart Practice (August 2026), featuring Dr. Sarah Baldwin (Cortico Health), Brett Spark (Aurora’s Health), Christian Ortiz (Justice AI • SOMA), Damien Adler (Zanda Health), and Robert Lapp (C3 Tech Advisors). Watch the replay →
