In every industry, successful companies have engaged selectively and strategically with partners that share a common vision. In this dynamic healthcare market and changing regulatory environment, it’s natural for hospitals to seek affiliations that could bolster their competitive advantage through broadened service offerings, increased referrals, reduced costs, and improved quality.

But an affiliation strategy that leads to sustained success can’t be based on opportunism. It requires thoughtful, proactive leaders — leaders who start by asking themselves not how to affiliate, but rather: why affiliate? If a hospital is looking to supplement successful services or capabilities, affiliation is likely a viable method. Too often, however, it’s used as an expensive, defensive tactic that increases scale but fails to address underlying problems.

Numerof has a history of helping leaders understand the strategic imperative and motivation before moving on to the important follow-up question: with whom should we affiliate? We know that a clear answer to “why?” and an understanding of your organization’s own culture, capabilities, needs, and market position will enable the identification of preferred partners and appropriate metrics for success.