Behind every high-performing healthcare organization, there’s a leader making things work when no one is watching.
For Camino, that leader was their newly hired Chief Operating Officer — someone they found through a strategic partnership with UHC Solutions. And according to CEO Jeremy Elkins, this wasn’t just a good hire. It was transformational.
“For me as a new CEO in the role, it was super important to have somebody who had his or her 10,000 hours and understood operations deeply.”
Finding the right person didn’t just fill a seat. It changed the game for patient access, satisfaction, and even the bottom line.
Here’s how.
A Strategic Hire That Delivered Immediate Impact
When Camino partnered with UHC to fill their Chief Operating Officer (COO) position, they weren’t looking for a figurehead. They needed someone who could drive measurable operational improvements—and fast.
“There was a moment, probably maybe six months in, where [the COO] and I parachuted up and said, ‘Hey, let’s really look back at what you’ve implemented in the first six months.’”
The results were striking.
“We reduced our wait times way, way beyond what our goal was in our strategic plan, simply because she had that deep experience and came in and attacked the problem head-on.”
In healthcare, cutting wait times isn’t just about patient satisfaction—it directly affects access to care and revenue generation. Faster service means more patients seen, better outcomes, and stronger financial stability.
The Power of 10,000 Hours
What made this COO so effective wasn’t luck. It was expertise.
Jeremy was looking for someone who had truly mastered healthcare operations—a leader who could see both the forest and the trees.
“It was super important to have somebody who had his or her 10,000 hours and understood operations deeply.”
That level of experience meant the COO didn’t just react to problems—she anticipated them, addressed root causes, and built systems that improved efficiency across the board.
And the ripple effects extended beyond operations alone.
Mission Alignment Still Mattered
At Camino, mission isn’t a buzzword—it’s the heart of everything they do. But Jeremy knew that being mission-driven wasn’t enough by itself. The right COO had to embody the mission while still delivering hard results.
“It was really finding somebody who was truly mission aligned and wanted to come to us despite some personal challenges in terms of a commute and relocation.”
That level of commitment—willing to overcome personal hurdles for the sake of the organization’s purpose—was critical. It reinforced the culture Camino was fighting to preserve, even while scaling up.
A Clear ROI on Strategic Hiring
Some organizations hesitate to spend on external recruitment, worried about the upfront costs. Jeremy’s experience paints a different picture.
“This is money well spent. This is a relationship that’s important to us in working with you all.”
The cost of a search was small compared to the value Camino received: operational excellence, happier patients, improved revenue, and a stronger, more sustainable organization.
When you find the right leader, it’s not just a good hire—it’s a strategic accelerator.
