Written by Nia Bowers
When he founded healthcare consulting firm Astra Culture, Sam R. Patel was aiming to help medical practices reach their full potential. Today, Astra Culture operates in the United States, the Middle East, and Europe, but Patel has found that demand for the company’s services is especially strong in a place that might surprise some: Texas.
Astra Culture works with practices of all sizes. Some of Patel’s clients are new practices with a handful of employees, while others are multi-location conglomerates. They span just about every specialty.
“Our portfolio is quite diverse now,” Patel says of the company’s client base. “I would say medspas and plastics are maybe 25%. Probably 20% are dental practices. The rest are family medicine, internal medicine, and other doctors going into concierge medicine.”In his work with Astra Culture, Patel has found that hospitality and customer service are quickly becoming differentiators in the competitive healthcare market. And through his viral anonymous calls to clinics, he’s discovered that hospitality varies considerably between practices.
Although many medical practices share similar pain points, Patel stresses the importance of an individualized approach.
“We have to custom-curate their training. The way we consult is the same way we treat people in medicine,” he explains. “If three patients come in with back pain, they all could have back pain for different reasons. I can't give them the same treatment because it may not work for them.”Astra Culture has an international focus, with operations concentrated in the U.S., Europe, and the Middle East. However, Patel has noticed that Texas has quickly become a hotspot for medical consulting.
Why Texas? The state is home to sprawling healthcare systems. Texas Medical Center (TMC), the largest medical complex in the world, is one of them. TMC includes more than 59 participating institutions, and it employs over 120,000 people.
Although Astra Culture works with practices and healthcare systems of all sizes, larger systems often need significant consulting support. Streamlining operational efficiency at scale is a challenge, and services like Astra Culture’s help bigger clients serve their patients effectively and efficiently.
The Texas healthcare landscape has also become a destination of sorts for private equity firms. The state’s business-friendly regulatory environment and ample opportunities for consolidation are contributing factors, as is the perception of the healthcare industry as recession-proof.
Private equity firms place a premium on operational efficiency and cost-effectiveness, so as they flock to Texas, they drive demand for consulting services like Astra Culture.
Patel’s background in healthcare, business, and consulting makes him uniquely qualified to advise practice owners. He owned and operated 12 separate clinics before founding Astra Culture. He’s also a current student at Harvard Business School’s Owner/President Management (OPM) Program.
When helping clients transform their practices, Patel draws on a vast knowledge base.
“The advice we give is from consulting with over 2,500 practices,” he says. “We've taken the knowledge of all these different practices, and our knowledge continues to grow. Most consultants haven't done 2,500 clinics in their entire career. We did it in less than four years.”As demand for consulting continues to increase, Astra Culture has adapted to meet clients’ needs. Patel has several developments in the works, including an in-person center where clients can receive clinical, management, and business training.
What’s behind Astra Culture’s rapid-fire growth? Patel says it all goes back to the company’s custom-tailored approach.
“I think we're becoming more attractive because we're not cookie-cutter. We practice consulting in an individualized way,” he reflects. “It’s the way medicine should be.”
