MEET THE BUSINESS
September 2019
Ramona Ataya-Dakour, MD & Ramzi Dakour, MD
Dr. Ramona Ataya-Dakour and Ramzi Dakour are the owners of Greater Beaumont Pediatrics and Family Medicine in Beaumont, Texas. A wife and husband team in Beaumont that provides healthcare to the entire family, from birth until the twilight years.
Below are a few questions to help facilitate this interactive connection. At the end of the page you will have an opportunity to post your own questions to Dr Ramona and Dr. Ramzi.
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What made you start this business?
Dr. Ramzi: We always wanted to have a practice together. Family is very important to us, so it was important that we be able to provide health care to the entire family in one place. Ramona’s father was a Pediatrician in Beaumont, and her mother was his office manager. Their help was instrumental in getting our practice launched. For three years, Ramona was able to practice with her father until his unfortunate passing. Her mother is still the office manager, so the business is truly a family affair!
How did you become an entrepreneur? Can you tell us a bit about yourself?
Dr. Ramzi and Dr. Ramona: When you’re doctors who own a private practice, you are forced to be entrepreneurs as well. This includes managing a staff and payroll, buying and recording inventory, billing, and keeping up with the laws that govern healthcare. The number of private practices is dwindling because of the time and expense that is required to run them efficiently. It is oftentimes easier to have a hospital or other entity take over the practice so the doctors can focus just on the delivery of healthcare. Unfortunately, this can leave decision-making to those who are far removed from patient care, and this can be to the detriment of the patient. We are focused on keeping full ownership of our practice into the future.
Please discuss a moment or turning point in your life that led you to your career path:
Dr. Ramona: After we got married, we were each still working in different cities. Ramzi was working in Austin for Austin Diagnostic Clinic and I was working in Houston for Texas Children’s Hospital. We had to decide where we wanted to live and practice medicine. At the time, we were both working for big organizations and had become jaded working for other people. I knew what it was like to work for yourself and be you own boss because I grew up with a dad who was also a physician with his own practice. My dad and I always had dreams of working together one day, so it was also a very special moment when Ramzi and I decided to move Beaumont. I knew my dad was getting older and I didn’t want to miss out on the opportunity to share something with him that we were both passionate about. As for Ramzi, he was also ready for the opportunity to venture out on his own. We were very lucky that we were able to join my dad’s thriving practice, but also have the ability to build our own business.
Please discuss a role model that motivated you or mentor you had that helped guide you:
Dr. Ramona: For me, it was a combination of my mom and dad. Growing up, I watched how much my dad loved what he did. He was always working but I never once saw him complain about it. He loved everything about being a Pediatrician. Patients and families adored him and he was truly the smartest, hardest working physician I ever knew. I just knew from a young age that I wanted to be like him one day. I looked up to him in every way, in the way he loved life, his work and his family. He left a real legacy in Beaumont that I never want to see die. My goal has always been to carry on the legacy he left behind.
My mom continues to be a mentor for me because of her work ethic, selflessness, motivation and intelligence. She ran my dad’s practice to the end and continues to help with ours. She helped us establish our practice, which would have been very difficult to do without her expertise. I continue to look up to her and learn so much from her. You really never stop learning from your parents. Even with my dad gone, I continue to learn by his example through his patients and all who knew him.
Do you recall any specific challenges you encountered and overcame? How did you overcome that and what advice would you give others in your situation?
Dr. Ramzi and Dr. Ramona: There are always going to be challenges when it comes to starting and running a business. The best advice we could give is to be honest and ethical in all that you do. You will be more fulfilled with your accomplishments knowing that you did it with integrity. Also, treat the people who work for you with respect and recognize that it takes a team to make a business successful.
As an entrepreneur, what is it that motivates and drives you?
Dr. Ramzi and Dr. Ramona: What motivates us most of all is keeping our autonomy, both when it comes to patient care and taking care of our family. We pride ourselves on being our own bosses and being able to make our own medical and business decisions, which both place the patient at the center of it all. We are not beholden to a profit-driven corporation. We are proud that we are able to provide jobs for people in our community and maintain a practice that has a family-oriented, personal feel.
What would you say are the key elements for starting and running a successful business?
Dr. Ramzi and Dr. Ramona: To start and maintain a successful business, you have to have passion for what you do. It’s not an easy task, so it definitely helps when you have other people in your field who can guide you. In our case it was family members, but a mentor can be anyone you trust and get along with. You can even find your mentor on Network 1017!
Where do you see your business in the next 10 years?
Dr. Ramzi and Dr. Ramona: We would love to own our own building and be busy enough to where we can expand and possibly include a physician extender such as a Nurse Practitioner or Physician Assistant. We also hope to continue to raise our two sons in Beaumont, Texas.
What advice would you give to other entrepreneurs who are starting out?
Dr. Ramzi and Dr. Ramona: If you have an opportunity to start your own business, don’t hesitate to take it. It might be risky, but all new paths are.
Tell us a little bit about your hobbies outside of your field:
Dr. Ramzi: Watching Texas Longhorns and Dallas Cowboys football, weightlifting, talking politics.
Dr. Ramona: Spending time with family, traveling, cooking (when I am not stressed for time or by screaming children).
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