Strategic planners dive deep into data to ensure hospitals meet patients’ needs.
Key Takeaways:
- Strategic foresight drives resilient healthcare expansion: Data-informed planning keeps healthcare facilities adaptable to future needs and advancements.
- Data-backed decision-making enhances growth and efficiency: Analytics and forecasting guide smarter investments in infrastructure and care.
- Human-centered innovation shapes the future of healthcare: Aligning facilities, technology, and services enhances care and efficiency.
Healthcare organizations face an increasingly complex challenge: how to expand strategically while meeting evolving patient needs, technological advancements, and market demands. Simply constructing new facilities isn’t enough. Hospitals and healthcare systems must align growth with long-term community needs, operational efficiencies, and financial sustainability.
Strategic planning has become more crucial than ever as healthcare construction surges to meet rising demand.1 The ability to predict future population shifts, identify gaps in specialized care, and leverage analytics-powered insights allows healthcare leaders to make informed, forward-thinking decisions. Instead of reacting to growth pressures, organizations that embrace proactive planning position themselves for long-term success, ensuring their facilities remain adaptable, accessible, and aligned with the communities they serve.
For more than 30 years, Scout Strategy leadership and Page architects and engineers have pioneered innovative master planning methodologies that combine deep market intelligence with data-driven design. By integrating insights from clinical service line analysis, real estate forecasting, and emerging technology trends, they help healthcare institutions develop resilient, high-performing facilities that stand the test of time.
“We are deep diving into areas like cardiology, orthopedics, ENT (Ears, Nose, Throat), obstetrics, et cetera,” said Randall Zarin, CPA, MBA, MPH, Scout Strategy managing director and senior healthcare strategist. “Our company will come in and analyze what’s happening not only from a population perspective but also from a service line perspective.”
The market analysis, which leverages both publicly available and unique commercial data sets, digs deep into clinical service lines – reaching 170 subspecialties – to see where the largest needs are for patients.
“We are all here for patient care - not only in the design but also in the strategic planning,” added Lawrence Hanrahan, MD, MBA, National Leader for Scout Strategy and Director of Healthcare Strategic Advisory at Page.
The need for long-term strategic planning
Reports show 2024 was a good year for healthcare commercial real estate, and that trend is expected to continue. A rise in occupancy rates and an aging population with specialized care needs are part of the reason. Anticipated lower interest rates in 2025 and 2026 are also expected to spur investment. The rise in outpatient services alone could grow by 11% in the next five years, highlighting significant opportunities for expansion.2
Large hospital systems throughout the U.S. are reporting expansion plans in 2025 to keep up with demand following an uptick observed in some states, including Florida, in 2024, according to Becker’s Hospital Review.3,4
These reports align with industry leaders’ expectations for a favorable outlook for this year in terms of operating revenue and profitability, based on a survey by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.5 Industry leaders also report that developing growth strategies is a priority as health systems and hospitals look ahead to future years.
Strategic planning is a continuous process that must be updated every 18 months to remain relevant. A prime example is operating rooms. Hospitals built in the 1990s often lack the space needed for today’s advanced technology, such as hybrid ORs and robotic-integrated surgery. Modern procedures require more equipment, personnel, and larger operating rooms, which older hospitals weren’t designed to accommodate.
“It’s not a one-and-done. If you don’t have the processes in place, you’ll fall behind,” Hanrahan said. “Putting a strategic plan on a shelf, to say, ‘Yes, I have a strategic plan,’ is not wise. It must be constantly updated.”
That’s where Scout comes in to develop the right recipe to see what advancements are needed and where a specific market is headed.
Developing the right recipe for the future
Scout starts by working with executive teams and physicians to understand the vision and how a facility is currently being used. Simultaneously, data is being analyzed, including metrics such as population, incident rates for various diseases, hospital admissions, future growth projections, where physicians are referring patients, where homes are being built, the type of transportation being used, and social determinants of health (SDoH) factors. The ideal strategy combines not only the quantitative data from this analytical process but also the qualitative data from the feedback and interview process.
“We need to understand what’s happening in the marketplace,” said Zarin, who has served as a senior operating executive for major hospital systems. “We take all those different data sources, and we put it together to tell a story. Once we tell the story, we understand our strategy.”
Case study
A children’s hospital in Cleveland – UH Rainbow Babies & Children’s Hospital - is one example of how data analysis helped determine what area of specialty was needed most to help the community.
While the hospital system's initial analysis revealed a decrease in births, a deeper dive found that births were actually rising for the cohort of mothers over the age of 35.6,7
The data signified a need for high-risk OB care or maternal-fetal medicine, which also resulted in expanding the NICU to account for the increased acuity and complexity of patients.
“All of these pieces start to come together, and not only did it change the strategy of the hospital, but it changed the strategy of the building,” Zarin explained.
Real estate and market expansion
The analysis gathered helps with land acquisition—or what is known as land banking—in expected growth areas. Data is collected on homes under construction, completed homes, housing prices, median income needed to purchase homes, the types of jobs the residents may have, and the ages of new homeowners, to name a few.
Healthcare systems may start by building physician offices or outpatient clinics to evaluate the need before adding an acute care hospital.
“You don’t always start with the big hospital. You start with the smaller pieces to see what kind of business you can attract,” Zarin said.
“We want to show our clients these are the areas where you want to put your front door, your urgent care or your primary care clinic, maybe five years before a hospital will go there,” Hanrahan added.
Role of technology
Data gathering includes examining what type of technology is needed, both now and in the future, to future-proof the facility and ensure its best use. However, it’s not just about what is needed inside a hospital or outpatient facility; analysts also study what is needed in a patient’s home. The “Hospital at Home” model incorporates telemedicine and monitoring services in patients’ homes, which aid in reducing patient stays and costly readmissions.
“The more the hospital embraces these technologies, the better results they’re starting to get,” Zarin said.
Simulation and testing
To better understand operational concerns, return on investment, and need, Page uses simulation technology to examine a hospital system's current workflow and how services are being delivered to ensure correct construction and reduce rework.
“We want to have a plan in place to make sure the building is going to be built so that the needs of not only the hospital but also those of the community and the patients are met,” Zarin said.
Keeping the patient at the forefront
As the healthcare industry evolves, long-term strategic planning is no longer optional but necessary. Hospitals that fail to anticipate future needs risk operational inefficiencies, financial setbacks, and outdated infrastructure that cannot keep pace with advancements in care delivery.
“The statistics can come into play, and it tells us what we need to do and how we need to build it,” Hanrahan said. “But the foundation for everything is patient care.”
By leveraging data-driven decision-making, predictive analysis, and evidence-based design, healthcare organizations can future-proof their facilities, optimize patient experience, and strategically expand where and when it matters most.
Scout Strategy and Page are redefining healthcare planning by bridging the gap between strategy and execution by helping institutions not only adapt to change but lead it. With insights that drive smarter growth, stronger operational models, and patient-centered solutions, they are shaping the future of healthcare infrastructure.
The foundation of every successful healthcare expansion isn’t just bricks and mortar; it’s a commitment to smarter planning, better care, and a healthier future for all.
Deborah Circelli is a freelance writer with marketing experience in the healthcare, space and higher education fields. She previously wrote for newspapers throughout Florida.
References:
- Pigott, Matthew. Hospital Construction in the U.S. – Market Research Report (2014-2029). IBISWorld. (December 2024.) Available at: https://www.ibisworld.com/united-states/industry/hospital-construction/4673/
- 2025 Healthcare Update. Cushman & Wakefield. (Pages 2, 4, 16.) Available at: https://cushwake.cld.bz/Vital-Signs-2025-Healthcare-Update
- Condon, Alan. 20 large health systems growing bigger. Becker’s Hospital Review. (February 7, 2025.) Available at: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/hospital-transactions-and-valuation/14-large-health-systems-growing-bigger.html
- Condon, Alan. State-by-state breakdown of new hospitals in 2024. Becker’s Hospital Review. (January 13, 2025.) Available at: https://www.beckershospitalreview.com/capital/state-by-state-breakdown-of-new-hospitals-in-2024.html
- Janisch, A., Gerhardt, W., Shukla, M. 2025 U.S. Health Care Outlook. Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. (December 12, 2024.) Available at: https://www2.deloitte.com/us/en/insights/industry/health-care/life-sciences-and-health-care-industry-outlooks/2025-us-health-care-executive-outlook.html
- Morse, A. Fertility Rates: Declined for Younger Women, Increased for Older Women. (April 6, 2022.) United States Census Bureau. Available at: https://www.census.gov/library/stories/2022/04/fertility-rates-declined-for-younger-women-increased-for-older-women.html
- Osterman, M., et al. Births: Final Data for 2022. (April 4, 2022.) Center for Disease Control: National Vital Statistics Report. 73(2). Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/nchs/data/nvsr/nvsr73/nvsr73-02.pdf
