Marcel Smolders and Corné Otto of Dutch Health Clinics

The paths of Marcel Smolders and Corné Otto crossed more than 22 years ago, and since then, they have been almost inseparable. They share one passion: making elective medical specialist care—planned healthcare—more efficient and future-proof. ‘We aim to become a top 3 player in the market for independent treatment centres,’ say Marcel and Corné.

Marcel and Corné, met during their medical studies in Leiden. Both are entrepreneurs at heart. In 2002, they founded a company specialising in the placement of occupational and insurance physicians. When that market declined, they established Mauritsklinieken in 2004 with a third partner, specialising in dermatology. There, they proved that with a new-style independent treatment centre, they could transform healthcare.

Professionalising non-urgent care

Marcel says, ‘Healthcare is characterised by long waiting times, high costs, and a lack of service orientation and time for patients.’

Corné adds, ‘By shifting parts of hospital care to smaller, patient-focused, specialised clinics, we can reorganise healthcare services. Acute and complex treatments, such as trauma and cancer care, belong in hospitals. But elective care, which is non-urgent and therefore highly plannable, should be provided in specialised clinics.’

Both men are fully committed to this vision. ‘This approach improves healthcare, makes it more efficient, and ensures patients receive faster treatment. A win-win situation.’

Proven success

Marcel and Corné continue, ‘At Mauritsklinieken, we proved that our vision works. We successfully treated literally thousands of patients every week. Eventually, we sold the organisation to private equity firm Waterland.

‘After that, we explored acquiring a hospital, but that turned out to be a dead end—though we learned a lot in the process. We then briefly helped medical startups establish themselves before launching the Eisenhower Clinic in The Hague in 2016, specialising in orthopaedics and pain treatments. In 2024, we entered discussions with MG Partners.’

Aligned vision

The two entrepreneurs explain, ‘MG Partners surprised us. They were a young and dynamic private equity firm; unlike any other investors we had met. Entrepreneurial, driven, and financially astute. More importantly, our visions for healthcare were perfectly aligned.’

‘MG Partners had already invested in Dr. Kuypers Kliniek, Wikler Kliniek, and Huidzorg Houten. Essentially, they were looking for entrepreneurs like us who could develop and implement an overarching strategy for these treatment centres. After selling the Eisenhower Clinic, we took on this challenge wholeheartedly. That was when we launched Dutch Health Clinics and later acquired the Heelkunde Instituut Nederland.’

Decentralised entrepreneurial freedom and integration

‘Dutch Health Clinics is different from other large clinics. We believe in local entrepreneurship—strong local ties, a unique identity, and close integration with primary healthcare providers. After all, most of our patients come from primary care.’

‘Patients are treated with professionalism, efficiency, and a customer-focused approach. Small-scale operations and specialist teams of no more than 25 professionals support this model. Each business retains its own name and identity, which differentiates us from market leaders such as Bergman Clinics and Equipe Zorgbedrijven.’

‘So, no rigid blueprint for us. However, behind the scenes, we are building a professional back-office in finance, HR, and IT, allowing us to operate as efficiently and professionally as possible in our core processes,’ explain Marcel and Corné.

Ambitious goals

Corné says, ‘Of course, we are personally invested financially as well—a very healthy approach. MG Partners manages financial operations, including valuations, financing, and refinancing. Thanks to their hands-on entrepreneurial approach, they also act as our sparring partner. They introduce experts from their network and actively contribute to strategic planning and growth. We focus on the market. Together, we create value and expand our network through a carefully structured M&A strategy.’

Marcel adds, ‘Together with MG Partners, we have big ambitions. We want to become a top 3 player in specialist elective healthcare.’

‘Recently, we announced the acquisition of Polikliniek De Blaak/Signe in Rotterdam, a highly regarded specialist in dermatology, venereology, proctology, and cosmetic treatments. This is a perfect addition to our portfolio and a strong presence in the Rotterdam region.’

Building a strong brand

Marcel and Corné conclude, ‘Our vision is becoming increasingly recognised. We now have more than 200 healthcare specialists and generate almost €30 million in revenue. But more importantly, the market understands what we stand for. Dutch Health Clinics is becoming a strong brand. In 2025, we will invest even further in strengthening this brand, paving the way for continued growth.’

‘With MG Partners, we are highly confident in our future.’

Professional network with 200 healthcare specialists

Dutch Health Clinics operates a professional network in elective healthcare, covering a wide range of specialist treatments: plastic and aesthetic surgery, hand surgery and dermatology, orthopaedics and laser treatments, gallbladder surgery and common hernia operations, acne and camouflage therapy, chemical peels and advanced skin treatments, venereology, proctology, and cosmetic procedures.

This extensive expertise allows Dutch Health Clinics to deliver high-quality care while ensuring efficiency and accessibility for patients.