How to Run a High-Performance Clinic Like a Relay Race
In high-performance sports, there are few events more thrilling—or more precise—than a 4-person relay race. Every runner is strategically placed. Every handoff is intentional. And the difference between winning and losing often lies not in how fast each person runs, but in how well they pass the baton.
That’s exactly how your clinic should function.
At MedPro Dojo, we use this relay metaphor to illustrate how aligned, accountable teams create smooth patient experiences and strong business outcomes. Whether you’re a solo provider scaling up or an established practice optimizing systems, this concept applies to you.
Let’s break it down.
🏃 The Relay Race Visual: Why It Matters
Imagine your clinic as a 4-person relay team:
Leg 1: Front desk greets the patient and sets the tone.
Leg 2: Case manager gathers patient history and pain points.
Leg 3: Provider delivers clinical care and builds trust.
Leg 4: The front desk closes the loop with scheduling, payments, and follow-ups.
Each team member has a leg to run—but more importantly, a baton to pass. That baton may be physical (like paperwork), digital (like EHR notes), or relational (like patient expectations). If the handoff is sloppy or rushed, the whole rhythm breaks down.
That’s where the magic of training, trust, and systems comes in.
📋 Why Checklists Aren’t Optional
Even Olympic athletes use checklists. So should your team.
Checklists help team members:
Stay focused under pressure
Avoid autopilot mistakes
Ensure that no step is missed in the patient journey
Provide consistency across different team members
Each “leg” of your clinic’s race should have a position-specific checklist—a simple flow that outlines exactly what needs to happen before passing the patient (or process) to the next runner.
But a checklist is only as good as the training behind it.
🧠 Training, Apprenticing, Trusting
We teach a 3-part progression for building a high-performing team:
Train – Set the standard. Teach the “what,” the “how,” and the “why” behind each task.
Apprentice – Shadow and support. Let them practice under supervision.
Trust – Empower them to own their leg of the race.
When team members are thrown into the race without this structure, they stumble. But when they’ve been guided through all three phases, they develop ownership—and ownership is where excellence lives.
🛠️ SOPs: Your Secret Weapon
Checklists are the “what.” But Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) are the “how.”
Each item on your checklist should be backed by a clear, repeatable recipe:
What steps are involved?
What tools or software do they need?
What communication should happen?
What if something goes wrong?
These SOPs allow you to scale your clinic without chaos. They ensure that every handoff is clean, and every patient interaction feels seamless—even when team members change or emergencies arise.
🚨 Is Your Team Dropping the Baton?
Here’s how to know if your “race” isn’t going as smoothly as it should:
You hear team members say, “I didn’t know that was my responsibility.”
Patients fall through the cracks between departments.
Team members feel overwhelmed or unclear about their roles.
You’re constantly fixing problems instead of scaling forward.
If any of these sound familiar, it’s time to retrain your team, rebuild your checklists, and redefine your SOPs. You don't need more hours in the day—you need tighter handoffs and better communication.
✅ Finish Strong: Building a Team That Wins Together
A successful clinic doesn’t depend on a single superstar. It depends on the precision of the team. That means:
Everyone knows their lane.
Everyone respects the baton.
Everyone runs with urgency and excellence.
If you want a clinic that flows smoothly, serves patients powerfully, and grows sustainably—build it like a relay team. Train. Practice. Trust. Repeat.
And if you need help building those flow sheets or SOPs?
📞 Need a partner to help you sharpen your systems and build a high-performance clinic?
We’d love to talk.
👉 For more on Onboarding, Training, and Apprenticing, watch the full video training here
📕 Book a Discovery Call Now
📩 Email: [email protected]
📞 Call or Text: (833) 678-0800
