Health optimization and longevity services are surging in mainstream demand, but it was just a few years ago that world-renowned surgeon, Darshan Shah, MD, found himself faced with the grim reality of declining health without options for proactive care.
Dr. Shah was considered overweight with elevated blood pressure, pre-diabetes, joint pain, and difficulty breathing, was prescribed five medications and was told that he might not live to see his son graduate high school if his healthspan didn’t drastically improve. He knew his doctors were right and that there had to be a better way.
He began to study functional medicine and put what he learned into action; as his healthspan improved, he shared these strategies with patients–some of whom were able to cancel their surgical procedures due to the results.
Dr. Shah founded Next Health to centralize the proactive healthcare services that transformed his life and make them available to everyone. At its founding in 2016, Next Health was considered an “emerging concept;” that concept quickly transformed into locations that average $4M+ annually with a 73.7% margin, now a top franchise opportunity.
The wellness economy is projected to surge 26% to $8.5T by 2027. Inevitably, just as has taken place with other industry booms, one brand will rise to the top from among the rest and be synonymous with the health optimization and longevity movement.
That brand is Next Health.
The past eight years at Next Health have been spent meticulously crafting this one-of-a-kind business, from its hyper-strategic buildout and extensive service menu to its staffing model and customer experience.
Next Health was created to solve large-scale problems that transcend demographics:
- Traditional healthcare is vital, but treats those who are already ill, diseased, or injured, underserving those seeking health optimization.
- Americans spend <20 minutes annually with their provider, making it impossible to partner on individualized health.
- Traditional treatment plans focus on symptoms as opposed to a functional approach with nutrition and lifestyle enhancements.
- Services we seek (functional medicine provider, cryotherapy, IVs, aesthetics, weight/hormone management, etc.) are spread across town, or aren’t available at all.
We’re experiencing a mindset shift toward prioritizing health, demanding access to personal data and deciding that we want to be healthier for longer. This is reminiscent of where fitness was 50 years ago: awareness spreading, key opinion leaders emerging, and curiosity evolving into action. People were ready to live healthier and make fitness a staple as opposed to a chore, and that boom continues today.
Next Health is one-of-a-kind for four reasons:
- Each location has a medical provider: allowing customers to have a relationship with their provider and ensuring that lab test results are personally reviewed with an expert.
- Centralized Wellness Staples + Advanced Services: Staples such as IV hydration and supplementation, aesthetics, infrared and cryotherapy are offered under the same roof as advanced services like therapeutic plasma exchange and regenerative therapies.
- Dynamic & Evolving: Next Health isn’t shackled to any one service and is known for offering “what’s next in health.” As services evolve, Next Health’s menu remains agile with Dr. Shah and at the forefront of R&D and innovation. Others in the space lean heavily on one or two modalities, catering to a limited customer base and falling victim to the rapidly evolving landscape.
- Proprietary Technology: significant investment has been made into proprietary business-management and customer-facing technology.
The tipping point for businesses with plans to franchise should always be operational perfection. Before awarding the first Next Health license, two years of inspection and investment were made into the business’ operation to transform it into a machine that can weather storms and smoothly scale. This followed opening locations during the pandemic, including one in NYC, which has performed so well that its square footage was expanded by 30% to accommodate the demand.
Given the global surge of demand and lack of supply, Next Health maintains a substantial pipeline of franchise and investor candidates. With a 0.02% pass-through rate to final rounds of approval, Next Health is extremely deliberate in selecting franchisees. On the flip-side of that coin, franchise candidates scrutinize the management team, brand authority, operational history, FDD; after all, a Franchisee Agreement is a 10-year partnership, and that decision must be made carefully on both sides!
The cohort of Next Health Franchise Partners are world-class and discovered a business that’s not only poised to lead the industry, but has the tools to set every location team up for success because Next Health is scaling responsibly–this is a long game.
Next Health is on a mission to make proactive healthcare accessible, and locations will reach markets around the world in a tiered approach:
- Markets where customers already know the brand and its services are in demand
- Markets where customers may not know the brand, but services are in demand
- Markets that don’t yet know the brand, but are likely to experience a surge in demand as awareness grows
Next Health has sold approximately 70 licenses, with 20 new locations joining thriving centers across LA, Manhattan, and inside Four Seasons Resort Maui at Wailea in 2025.
Next Health’s more than eight-year history puts the brand ahead of others who are attempting to shatter the same ceiling it’s already cracked. Together with franchise partners, Next Health is scaling longevity and redefining the way the world views and invests in their health.
Welcome to the new age of proactive healthcare; it’s here to stay, and so is Next Health.
Scott Svilich is a visionary leader driving operational excellence and transformative growth. With extensive expertise in franchising, business optimization, and market expansion, Scott has played a pivotal role in drastically increasing same-store sales and scaling wellness and fitness brands both domestically and internationally. Known for his strategic vision and innovative approach, he has led teams to achieve remarkable results, from doubling franchise locations to pioneering cutting-edge growth strategies in the health and wellness industry.