In April 2025, CMA Physician Services launched MedWay, a new subscription-based service available to all independent practices in California and uniquely designed to meet the needs of health care providers. With services including HR, benefits and retirement, compliance, and time tracking, MedWay enhances practice efficiency while preserving independence – allowing physicians to spend more time focusing on patients rather than paperwork.

The experience of the first cohort of physicians has been hugely positive. By working with MedWay, some practices have saved 40-50% on employee benefits. Physicians also report the time they have saved has allowed them to plan the future of their practice.

On the October 27 episode of Medical Economics’ Off the Chart podcast, CMA Physician Services CEO David Ford described how the concept for MedWay grew out of direct feedback from independent physicians, frequently hearing that many felt burdened by the challenges of managing and running their practices – often leading to less time for seeing patients and increased burnout.  

“A lot more independent physicians ... are looking at the world and thinking they didn't go to school – for, in some cases, 20 years – to run payroll. And we know that some of those hassles are why physician burnout is so epidemic right now, because these physicians are trained to treat patients,” said Ford. “I think as a society, that's what we want – we want them in that exam room treating their patients, doing what they are very, very highly trained to do. That was the thinking behind Medway: The more of all that other stuff we can take off their plate, the better. We’ll restore some of that joy of being a physician.”

Ford also discussed why supporting independent practices benefits patients and the health care system as a whole.

“From a health care perspective, the patient outcomes from independent physicians are incredibly good,” Ford said. “We know that independent physicians are more likely to work in underserved areas, to treat underserved populations. They are incredibly good at building that really personal connection with their patients that is so important for so many people to have favorable health outcomes.”

Ford’s interview with Medical Economics editor Richard Payerchin covered a range of topics, including:

• The range of services MedWay offers to support practices (4:29)
• The logistics of enrolling and the onboarding process for new subscribers (15:14)
• MedWay’s pricing and value proposition relative to competitors (18:44)
• What makes MedWay’s first-of-its-kind model unique (26:01)

To learn more about MedWay or schedule a demo, visit MedWayDocs.com or call (916) 775-0175. You can listen to David Ford’s full interview on the Medical Economics website, Apple Podcasts, Spotify, or wherever you get your podcasts.