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Case · Fractional Executive

From 3 to 6 Clinics in 14 Months Fractional COO in Healthcare

A fertility clinic network scaled from 3 to 6 locations through fractional COO leadership — establishing operational standardization, governance, and investor-grade reporting while maintaining clinical excellence.

Healthcare / Fertility14 months
Exterior of a healthcare facility with clear signage

Doubled clinic footprintClinical quality maintainedSeries B-ready governanceZero compliance violations

3 → 6
Clinic footprint
65+%
Clinical success rate
72+
Patient NPS
60+
SOPs implemented
The problem

What they came to us with.

A fertility clinic network with three successful locations had attracted growth capital and planned to expand to six clinics within 14 months. Clinical operations were excellent — 65%+ success rates and strong patient satisfaction — but the organization ran in founder-led mode without professional operational infrastructure. The three clinics operated independently with inconsistent protocols, ad-hoc financial reporting, and no formal governance. Leadership couldn't articulate which clinics were profitable or why patient acquisition costs varied by location. The new investor capital came with accountability: quarterly reporting, governance expectations, and financial discipline. The founders needed experienced operational leadership to build systems in parallel with growth — not a permanent COO, but a fractional executive who could install the infrastructure and then transition cleanly to internal ownership.

Growth outpacing the operating model is a specific failure with a specific fix — standardise first, then scale onto it. That is the growth and turnaround pattern, delivered through a seated operator.

Method

How the work actually ran.

  1. 01

    Operational diagnostic

    Conducted a comprehensive assessment across all three locations, documenting process inconsistencies, critical risk areas, and the gap between clinical excellence and operational maturity.

  2. 02

    SOP standardization

    Developed and implemented 60+ standard operating procedures covering clinical protocols, patient intake, financial processes, and compliance — with 98% staff adherence within 60 days.

  3. 03

    Governance + compliance

    Built a PIPEDA-compliant data privacy framework, clinical governance protocols, and risk management controls suitable for institutional investor scrutiny.

  4. 04

    Financial visibility

    Created clinic-level P&L accounting and a KPI dashboard tracking volume, success rates, acquisition cost, profitability, and NPS by location.

  5. 05

    Scaled launch

    Recruited a 4-member advisory board, established quarterly investor reporting, and managed a standardized launch process for three new clinics with operational consistency from day one.

The fractional COO was transformational. Within 14 months, the company went from operationally fragmented to a professionally managed network with governance discipline and proven ability to scale without losing clinical quality. That operational maturity was the prerequisite for Series B funding.
Healthcare InvestorGrowth Equity Firm
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