Starting an independent vein clinic takes more than clinical expertise. See how Dr. Allyson Walker used HPS peer guidance and vendor relationships to launch Vein-ity Vein Care Centers of Kansas, avoid a quoted $50,000 setup fee, and open her practice for $275,000.
MEET THE PRACTICE
Owner: Dr. Allyson Walker
Location: Kansas
Joined HPS: 2024
After working at a big-box vein institution, Dr. Allyson Walker enjoyed the clinical work but knew she could provide better care by striking out on her own. However, making the leap to independence came with a steep learning curve. As a physician with no family background in entrepreneurship, she wanted to understand what building a business entailed from the bottom up—but finding trustworthy guidance seemed impossibly expensive and isolating.
Before discovering HPS, a third-party company quoted Dr. Walker a staggering $50,000 (in 2024) just to set up the clinic—a fee completely separate from her actual startup and equipment costs.
Dr. Walker had the clinical expertise but lacked the foundational knowledge of where to start, who to contact, and how to build a business infrastructure from scratch.
Practicing in Kansas meant Dr. Walker lacked the local peer network found in hubs like Texas, New York, or Florida. There were very few fellow vein physicians nearby whose clinics she could visit to see how an independent practice operates.
“I’m a physician. I’m not a business person. I don’t have anybody in my family who’s ever opened up their own business. So, I didn’t know how to start, where to go.”
Dr. Allyson Walker
It was by luck that a colleague mentioned Dr. Pittman and HPS. Dr. Walker called him on a Monday, and he immediately invited her to the HPS biannual meeting that same Friday. By the end of that weekend, she had the roadmap she needed. HPS provided practice-changing value across four key pillars to get Vein-ity off the ground:
Instead of paying $50,000 for a third-party consultant, Dr. Walker relied on the HPS community. Experts within the network walked her step-by-step through the process of starting a business, freely sharing the operational secrets she needed without hiding or hoarding information.
When starting a practice, capital is tight. HPS allowed Dr. Walker to evaluate multiple vetted vendors to find the best fit for her specific needs, while leveraging group purchasing power to secure better contracts, better options, and drastically lower overall costs.
Whether she has a question about a patient’s care, procedural outcomes, or the absolute best way to utilize a laser or foam, she knows there is always an expert in the HPS group ready to share their wealth of knowledge.
Despite being geographically isolated in Kansas, HPS gave Dr. Walker immediate access to a nationwide community of independent vein physicians. Support is always just a phone call, email, or Google video chat away.
THE RESULTS
With HPS’s guidance, Dr. Walker completely avoided the $50,000 third-party setup quote and successfully launched her clinic on a highly efficient budget. While a realistic startup cost for a rental-space clinic in Kansas averages between $400,000 and $650,000, Dr. Walker was able to open her doors for substantially less.
ACTUAL STARTUP COST · WITH HPS
Third-party setup fee avoided
| Expense Category | Estimated Costs |
|---|---|
| Third-Party Clinic Setup Fee Quote | $50,000Avoided entirely |
| Industry Average (Realistic Kansas Startup) | $400,000–$650,000 |
| Dr. Walker’s Actual Startup Costs (with HPS) | $275,000 |
| Total Loan Approved | $375,000 |
| Total Estimated Savings | $125,000+ |
Fellow physicians at HPS freely shared their operational secrets, creating an environment of trust and open education that allowed Dr. Walker to learn business fundamentals from the bottom up.
Rather than going with the first available option, Dr. Walker was able to consult the HPS network to confidently choose the absolute best vendors and equipment for her specific needs.
“Being part of an organization that can actually rally behind you and get you better contracts, better options, better overall cost — especially when you’re just starting out — has been good.”
Dr. Allyson Walker
For Dr. Walker, the HPS biannual meeting was a turning point. After being invited by Dr. Pittman to attend, she was able to see the organization, meet the people, and understand the level of support available. By the end of that meeting, she knew she wanted to join HPS and move forward with building her own practice. The summit reinforced the value of community, transparency, and shared knowledge among independent vein physicians.
“I called Dr. Pittman on a Monday. He said, 'If you can be down here by this Friday because we're having our biannual meeting... I will walk you through what you need to know and what we can do for you to help you start your own practice.' And by the time that meeting was over, I had already decided this was what I wanted to join and this is what I wanted to do.”
Whether you are launching from the ground up, evaluating vendors, trying to reduce startup costs, or looking for a national community of independent vein physicians, HPS gives you the guidance, contracts, and peer support to move forward with confidence.
