Patients don’t just remember clinical expertise—they remember how they felt during their visit.

Will Guidara, the former co-owner of Eleven Madison Park, transformed his restaurant into the #1 in the world not through food alone, but through hospitality. In Unreasonable Hospitality, he explains that businesses thrive when they surprise and delight customers in ways that feel personal and human, not just expensive or extravagant.

This applies directly to healthcare, where even small efforts to personalize care can turn anxious patients into loyal advocates—without adding significant cost or time.

Sourcing from Guidara’s practices in the restaurant business and one of our member’s spin on service, we’ve compiled three hospitality principles that you can incorporate into your practice without requiring a five-star chef or interior designer.

Short on Time? Here's What You Need to Know.

🔹 Your patient experience is your brand—it’s not just about medicine; it’s about how people feel in your care.

🔹 Borrow from hospitality— Guidara believes small, intentional gestures can turn routine visits into memorable experiences.

🔹 Dr. Omar Shakir proves it works—his patient-first approach led to rapid growth, patient loyalty, and a strong referral network.

🔹 Start small—many of these changes take less than a minute but have a lasting impact.

Beyond Luxury: The Business Case for Scalable Hospitality

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Dr. Omar Shakir, MD, MBA, founder of Coastal Eye, built a thriving practice by prioritizing patient experience.

While his practice includes premium features, his biggest successes came from small, scalable changes that any physician can adopt. Patients notice when you go one step beyond expectations, whether that means a 30-second follow-up call, a more welcoming check-in process, or a simple acknowledgment of their concerns.

The impact?

✅ Higher patient retention.

✅ Better online reviews.

✅ Improved revenue.

Here’s how any practice can apply Guidara and Shakir’s hospitality principles—without disrupting workflow.

1. First Impressions Are a Sales Funnel (Even in Medicine)

The first 10 seconds of a patient’s visit shape their perception of the entire experience. In medicine, this starts before they even enter the office.

👉 What Most Practices Do:

• Patients wait on hold, listening to generic music or robotic prompts.
• The front desk greets patients mechanically, if at all.
• The waiting room feels sterile and impersonal.

📈 What Scalable Hospitality Looks Like:

• Humanize the first contact: Instead of “Please hold,” train staff to say, “Thanks for calling Dr. Patel’s office! How can we make your visit great today?”
• A welcoming environment without high costs: Dr. Shakir redesigned his space, but any practice can make small, affordable upgrades—softer lighting, fresh paint, or rearranging seating to feel less transactional and more welcoming.
• Acknowledgment matters: Patients shouldn’t feel like a number. Eye contact, a simple “We’re glad you’re here,” or using their name can shift their experience instantly.

⏳ Time Impact: Less than 30 seconds per patient.

🎯 Action Step: Audit your phone, front desk, and waiting room experience. What’s one low-cost change you can make this week?

2. Make Every Patient Feel Like a VIP (Without Spending More Time or Money)

In Unreasonable Hospitality, Guidara tells the story of a family visiting New York who casually mentioned they’d never tried a famous NYC hot dog. His team ran four blocks to get them one, creating an unforgettable moment.

👉 What Most Practices Do:

• Dismiss patient anxiety as “normal.”
• Provide one-size-fits-all explanations.
• Rush through post-op instructions.

📈 What Scalable Hospitality Looks Like:

• Acknowledge patient emotions, not just symptoms: Instead of "This is a routine procedure," say, "I know this feels like a big deal for you, and we’ll be with you every step of the way."
• Offer clarity, not just information: Dr. Shakir’s team creates custom patient education materials and has a staff member dedicated to preparing patients with pre-surgery Zoom calls, but any practice can provide a simple printed checklist or a follow-up email with FAQs to ease post-visit confusion.
• Follow-ups that take 30 seconds: A quick call or text the next day saying, “Just checking in—how are you feeling after your visit?” can turn a one-time patient into a long-term advocate.

⏳ Time Impact: 30 seconds to 1 minute per patient.

🎯 Action Step: What’s one small patient interaction you can personalize today?

3. Hospitality Drives Word-of-Mouth—Which Drives Referrals

Patients don’t tell their friends about a good experience—they tell them about an unexpectedly great one.

👉 What Most Practices Do:

• Assume that great care speaks for itself.
• Focus only on clinical outcomes, not patient experience.
• View marketing as separate from patient care.

📈 What Scalable Hospitality Looks Like:

• Turn patients into storytellers: Dr. Shakir’s practice grew rapidly because patients raved about their experience—not just the surgery, but the way they felt taken care of.
• Ask for feedback and use it: Regularly survey patients and implement even one small improvement from their responses.
• Build trust, and marketing takes care of itself: 72% of patients say they choose a new provider based on online reviews.

⏳ Time Impact: Minimal—hospitality naturally fuels word-of-mouth growth.

🎯 Action Step: What’s one thing your practice could do today that would make a patient excited to tell someone about their visit?

Unreasonable Hospitality is a Mindset, Not a Budget

This isn’t about luxury. It’s about intentionality.

💡 Not every practice can offer concierge-style perks, but every practice can make patients feel cared for beyond the clinical interaction.

Medical professionals who embrace hospitality as a strategy don’t just improve patient satisfaction—they build resilient, thriving businesses.

At Lucens, we believe in helping physicians apply business and service principles to build careers they love—whether that means scaling a private practice, improving patient experience, or expanding into new ventures.

If you’re thinking about how to implement scalable hospitality in your practice, connect with physicians who’ve done it inside the Lucens community.

👉 Join the conversation today.