Stanford Healthcare
20??
Forecasting demand for diagnostic imaging.
How do you align facility strategy with business forecasting that puts patients first and makes every resource, minute, and count?
Stanford Health Care was at a pivotal moment. With a new hospital on the horizon and growing demand for imaging services, they needed a strategy that could do more than just keep up. They needed one that could anticipate change, serve patients better, and make smarter use of resources.
We partnered with Stanford to meet this challenge head-on. Together, we combined deep data analysis with strategic foresight and a patient-first mindset. The result? A future-ready plan that improves access, reduces environmental impact, and ensures imaging services are exactly where (and when!) patients need them.
Our Approach:
Data-Driven Forecasting Using EMR Encounter Data
Facility Strategy Alignment with Business Planning
Outpatient Network Optimization
Patient Origin and Resource Location Analysis
Environmental Impact Modeling
Leadership Engagement and Persona Development
Reaching New Solutions Through Collaborative Design
As the analysis unfolded, we worked side-by-side with Stanford’s strategy, business, and clinical teams to co-create solutions that addressed both operational challenges and patient experience.
One key breakthrough was a redeployment strategy that brought imaging services closer to where patients live. We also developed patient personas to make the data more relatable—real stories of real people navigating the healthcare system.
Leadership workshops helped bridge the gap between clinical intuition and data-driven insights, building trust and alignment across departments.
Solutions That Advocate for Patients and Systems
To serve both patients and the broader healthcare system, we developed a comprehensive set of solutions that balanced strategic planning with real-world impact. This included a redeployment plan that aligned imaging resources with where patients actually live, making services more accessible and reducing unnecessary travel. We built custom forecasting tools tailored to outpatient imaging demand, enabling more accurate planning and smarter resource allocation. Environmental modeling helped quantify the carbon savings from reduced patient travel, reinforcing the sustainability benefits of these changes. To support implementation, we created strategic decks and full-scale experience visions that guided decision-making across departments. Scenario planning was also used to optimize imaging resource utilization and inform future investments. Together, these tools gave Stanford the confidence to move forward with a validated master plan, grounded in data, shaped by collaboration, and focused on meaningful outcomes.
“I’ve never had this much confidence in a final report.”
— Susan Spielman, Stanford Health Care
“We’ve created a plan in an existing building that’s even better than the new hospital.”
— Dr. Rusty Hoffman, Stanford University Medical Center
Our Impact:
10 million vehicle miles saved, equivalent to planting a 50-acre forest.
Improved patient access through localized imaging services.
Optimized facility planning aligned with future business strategy.
Environmental and operational benefits through smarter resource allocation.
Validated master plan with high confidence from clinical and planning leaders.