Innovation case study: How Lehigh Valley Health Network transformed its strategic planning practices.


Healthcare providers know their own facilities and services well because they work through operational and strategic planning to optimize them and to implement new practices that better meet the needs of patients. But with a focus on current patient experiences, how do providers identify communities that provide strong opportunities for expansion or grasp the distribution of health plans in their area?

Providers rarely have the resources to see these types of broader patterns and opportunities. Oftentimes, claims data external to a provider network can help fill in the gaps to allow for more informed planning and decision support that can provide a much-needed edge in the healthcare marketplace.

In this case study, providers can learn from Lehigh Valley Health Network and how they addressed critical planning challenges including:

  • Where are patient referrals coming from?
  • What physicians/physician groups should we engage with for network optimization?
  • Are there new communities we aren’t serving that provide opportunities for expansion?
  • What is the distribution and influence of the health plans that provide coverage to members across our network?