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How to grow as a specialised healthcare provider — without losing focus

Top clinical care requires focus. But it also requires reach.

For a specialised healthcare provider with nationwide ambitions, this created a strategic question: how do you increase patient inflow to the main location without creating fragmentation or compromising quality? The solution was sought in a satellite model: regional locations for pre- and aftercare, while complex treatment remains concentrated at one central location.

Sounds logical. But where do you establish such a satellite? And who do you partner with?

First determine where growth is truly possible

Top clinical care is not a volume business. Patients are willing to travel further for specialised treatment, and referrers actively seek out quality. Still, a model with one central location has its limits. Travel time reduces accessibility and, as a result, the potential for nationwide growth. We therefore first identified where there was sufficient latent demand to generate additional patient inflow to the main location. At postcode level, we combined several data sources to model regional healthcare demand. This showed where untapped potential remained.

But healthcare demand alone is not enough.

Travel time, market position and partner fit

Next, we looked at travel times to the main location as well as to potential alternative providers. This allowed us to determine where a satellite location would genuinely lower the threshold for patients. The provider’s existing position also mattered. For each region, we analysed current market share, referral patterns and growth potential.

This led to two relevant questions:

  • Where can an existing position be strengthened further?
  • And where is there healthcare demand that is currently barely being reached?

We then mapped potential partners in each region. For each organisation, we looked at:

  • the number of relevant professionals;
  • the type of care provided, from basic to complex;
  • the degree of overlap or, conversely, complementarity.

This made it clear not only where expansion was promising, but also with whom execution would be feasible and desirable.

Health insurers also need to be on board

A satellite model only works if there is sufficient external support.

We therefore mapped which health insurers were dominant in each region and to what extent they were expected to support the concept or take a more critical view. Ultimately, five factors came together in a single decision framework:

  • Healthcare demand
  • Travel time 
  • Market share 
  • Partner fit 
  • Support from health insurers.

This resulted in a well-founded shortlist of regions and partners, based on volume, strategic fit, feasibility and external support.

Targeted growth instead of broad expansion


What started as a growth question resulted in a scalable model for nationwide expansion. The organisation gained:
  • a concrete shortlist of regions with demonstrable healthcare demand and realistic feasibility;
  • a reusable decision framework for future satellite decisions;
  • insight into promising partners based on complementarity;
  • and visibility into support within the organisation and among external stakeholders.

This enabled the organisation to invest selectively in nationwide expansion, without changing the character of the organisation.

No expansion for expansion’s sake, but sharp choices in the areas where the impact is greatest.




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