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Satellite Healthcare
Satellite Healthcare was established in 1973 by Dr. Norman Coplon, a nephrologist who set out to build a non-profit provider focused on comprehensive kidney...
Satellite Healthcare
Satellite Healthcare was established in 1973 by Dr. Norman Coplon, a nephrologist who set out to build a non-profit provider focused on comprehensive kidney care. The organization remains anchored in its founding mission, operating under a board chaired by Robert Fahlman with CEO Jeff Goffman overseeing day-to-day leadership. Unlike for-profit dialysis chains, Satellite Healthcare reinvests earnings into its clinical network and research initiatives. The organization delivers in-center hemodialysis, home hemodialysis, and peritoneal dialysis, alongside patient-education and transplant-support services. Its geographic footprint includes centers in California, Texas, and Tennessee, with administrative offices in Milpitas, California, and Denver, Colorado. Satellite Healthcare consistently posts top-tier scores in the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services patient-satisfaction surveys and quality-outcome reviews, a data point it promotes as competitive differentiation from larger for-profit chains. The care model emphasizes early CKD education, with wellness-oriented content on diet, exercise, and kidney-function monitoring. Satellite Healthcare's team includes board vice chair Luis Alvarez and governance and compensation committee chair Christobel Selecky. Though exact total assets and endowment figures remain undisclosed, the organization manages a multi-state dialysis-center network, a commercial headquarters in Milpitas, and regional back-office operations in Denver. Philanthropic and research functions sit under the Satellite Healthcare Applied Research Program (SHARP). Jeff Goffman additionally serves on the Board of Directors for CureDuchenne and participates in the American Cancer Society's CEO's Against Cancer network, aligning the organization’s mission with broader healthcare advocacy. As a non-profit, Satellite Healthcare is structurally insulated from the earnings-pressure dynamics of publicly traded dialysis providers. This governance shape — no external shareholders, a physician-led culture, and an explicit strategy to maximize home-based therapy — positions it more like a clinical delivery cooperative funded by operating surpluses than a traditional asset owner.
General information
Firm type
Endowment / Foundation
Year founded
1973
Location
Region
North America
Country
United States
City
San Jose
Corporate office
San Jose, California, United States
Additional offices
Denver, Colorado · Watsonville, California
Principals
Jeff Goffman
Chief Executive Officer
Dr. Norman Coplon
Founder
Robert Fahlman
Chair of the Board of Directors
Luis Alvarez
Vice Chair of the Board of Directors
Christobel Selecky
Board Member, Governance and Compensation Committee Chair
Sector focus
Frequently asked questions
Is Satellite Healthcare a for-profit dialysis chain or a non-profit organization?
Satellite Healthcare is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization founded in 1973 by nephrologist Dr. Norman Coplon. It does not distribute earnings to external shareholders. Revenue from its dialysis-center network is reinvested into patient care, facility expansion, and research through the Satellite Healthcare Applied Research Program (SHARP).
Who makes the major operational and strategic decisions at Satellite Healthcare?
CEO Jeff Goffman oversees day-to-day operations and strategy. The Board of Directors — chaired by Robert Fahlman with vice chair Luis Alvarez — provides governance. Dr. Norman Coplon's founding vision continues to shape clinical direction, and the organization describes itself as nephrologist-led.
What types of dialysis does Satellite Healthcare offer, and where does it invest disproportionately?
Satellite Healthcare provides in-center hemodialysis, home hemodialysis, and peritoneal dialysis. The organization was an early pioneer in home modalities and claims to consistently maintain the highest percentage of patients on home dialysis in the United States, a stat it uses to differentiate its care model from center-heavy competitors.
How does Satellite Healthcare fund its operations without a traditional endowment or outside capital?
Operations are funded through clinical service revenue — routine dialysis treatments reimbursed via Medicare, health plans, and hospital contracts. Satellite Healthcare's non-profit status means surpluses flow back into the organization rather than being paid as dividends, allowing it to self-finance center expansion and research programs.
What is SHARP, and how does it sit within Satellite Healthcare’s overall structure?
The Satellite Healthcare Applied Research Program (SHARP) is the organization's internal research division. It conducts clinical studies to improve dialysis treatment standards and patient quality of life. The organization states that positive findings are rapidly adopted by treatment providers, positioning SHARP as a translational-research unit integrated into a care-delivery network.
Profile maintained by Altss using OSINT (open-source intelligence), regulatory filings, licensed data partners, and verified direct submissions. Read the methodology. Last updated: . Continuous refresh with full update cycles at least every 30 days.
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