Landmark Recovery is making headlines with its ambitious behavioral health treatment expansion plans. Despite ongoing staffing shortages that have gripped the behavioral health sector, the Franklin, Tennessee–based provider is confidently accelerating its growth. Starting 2023 with eight facilities, Landmark aims to double that to 16 by year-end and then reach 40 facilities by the end of 2024. This rapid pace exemplifies their commitment to behavioral health treatment expansion through organic growth.
A Different Growth Strategy: No M&A or Telehealth Focus
Unlike many competitors, Landmark Recovery’s behavioral health treatment expansion strategy deliberately avoids mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and telehealth as primary tools. CEO and co-founder Matthew Boyle explained that previous M&A efforts created cultural and operational challenges, delaying integration and impacting patient care. “I hate M&A,” Boyle said bluntly, emphasizing that Landmark prefers to build new centers rather than acquire troubled ones.
Similarly, while Landmark uses telemedicine technology internally, Boyle made clear the company is not pursuing telehealth delivery for treatment. He stated, “We’re not interested in playing the telemedicine angle right now,” reflecting confidence in Landmark’s facility-based model as the foundation of their behavioral health treatment expansion.
Diversifying Beyond Substance Use Disorder
Landmark’s vision for behavioral health treatment expansion includes broadening services beyond substance use disorder (SUD). Boyle noted the company is actively evaluating entry into other behavioral health areas and aims to no longer be “single-threaded” through SUD within five years.
Next year, Landmark will launch an office-based opioid treatment (OBOT) program, following a successful pilot. Roughly 25 OBOT sites will open in Indiana and Kentucky, further diversifying Landmark’s treatment portfolio. Alongside its established SUD services—medical detox, inpatient and outpatient rehab, partial hospitalization, medication-assisted treatment, and therapy—this expansion will serve a wider patient base.
Combating Workforce Shortages with Innovation and Incentives
Workforce shortages, especially among nurses, pose significant challenges for Landmark’s behavioral health treatment expansion. Boyle highlighted that demand for nurses has roughly doubled since the 1980s, while nursing school capacity has remained stagnant, creating a critical bottleneck.
To retain and incentivize staff, Landmark launched the “Escalator Program,” which provides transparent earning potential and financial incentives. While inflation has complicated this approach, the program has helped reduce turnover in many locations.
Technology also plays a vital role in supporting Landmark’s behavioral health treatment expansion. A new telemedicine-based intake system enables nurses to process paperwork remotely, improving utilization rates from 70% to 80%. This boost in efficiency translates to substantial cost savings and helps standardize patient documentation and experience across states.
Commitment to Outcomes and Future Value-Based Care
Landmark Recovery’s behavioral health treatment expansion is grounded in a commitment to measurable outcomes. Boyle shared confidence in the company’s data on readmission rates and quality metrics. Though value-based care is not yet central to Landmark’s model, the company is interested in pursuing it, aiming to leverage its outcomes data to engage insurance providers.
“I stand behind my outcomes 100%,” Boyle said. “It’s on our list of strategic objectives.”
Looking Forward: Sustainable Growth in Behavioral Health
Landmark Recovery’s approach to behavioral health expansion is notable for its emphasis on organic growth, operational consistency, and data-driven care. By eschewing M&A and telehealth for now, Landmark focuses on controlled facility growth and expanding service lines while addressing workforce shortages through innovation.
This balanced strategy positions Landmark well for sustained success amid an evolving behavioral health landscape. Their aggressive facility rollout, combined with technology-enabled efficiencies and a growing treatment portfolio, offers a model for how to scale behavioral health services effectively and responsibly.
