LEAD · INTERIM + FRACTIONAL OPERATIONS LEADERSHIP
Interim
healthcare operations
leadership
when the seat
can't stay empty.
When an operations leader leaves, a search drags on, or growth outruns your structure, Zentara steps into the seat. We stabilize what's happening, keep the work moving, and get the operation ready for the leader who comes next.
Led by a former hospital Vice President of Surgical Services.
Las Vegas + Southern Nevada on site. Nationwide remote, with travel scoped when needed.
SOUND FAMILIAR?
The vacancy is never just a vacancy.
When the person running operations is gone, the work doesn't stop. It lands on whoever is closest: an owner who should be seeing patients, an executive who already has a full job, or a manager who was never given the authority.
RESIGNATION
"Our leader resigned." The administrator, director, or VP is gone, and everything they carried is now spread across people who were already at capacity.
LONG SEARCH
"The search is taking longer than we thought." Months in and still no hire. Decisions are waiting, and projects are sitting.
FAILED HIRE
"The last hire didn't work." Now there's hesitation about doing it again too quickly, and good reason for it.
GROWTH
"We grew faster than our structure." A new location, department, program, or service line is running without clear operational ownership.
TRANSITION
"Something big is underway." An acquisition, merger, restructure, or transition needs someone accountable for the operation through it.
HANDOFF
"The next leader shouldn't inherit this." Whoever you hire next should walk into an operation that works, not a list of what went wrong.
A DIFFERENT OPTION
Sometimes the fastest hire isn't the best next move.
When a leader leaves, the instinct is to fill the seat as fast as possible. Often that's the right call. But when the vacancy exposed deeper problems, a new permanent leader inherits all of them, and you can find yourself searching again.
There is another option. Put experienced operational leadership in the seat first. Stabilize the operation, find what the vacancy exposed, fix what can be fixed, and define what the role actually needs to be. Then recruit into an organization that's ready for the person you hire.
This isn't the answer for every vacancy.
Your search can keep running while we work, or pause while the picture gets clearer.
We'll tell you which makes more sense.
IN THE SEAT
What we take on while we're there.
Scope depends on your organization.
These are the areas interim leadership usually covers.
-
Daily operational leadership and the decisions that can't wait
-
Workflows, ownership, and accountability
-
Staff alignment and leadership communication
-
Physician, APRN, and clinical team operations
-
Vendors and operational dependencies
-
Stalled projects and competing priorities
-
Growth, launch, or transition work already underway
-
The handoff to your permanent leader
HOW IT WORKS
Built to end well.
Every engagement has a defined purpose and a defined period. The goal is a stronger operation, not a dependency on us.
01
Step in.
Learn the operation fast, meet the people carrying it, and set the immediate priorities.
02
Stabilize.
Handle what can't wait and stop the problems that are compounding.
03
Realign.
Clarify who owns what, how the work flows, and what matters most right now.
04
Move the work.
Advance the projects and decisions that have been sitting.
05
Prepare the handoff.
Give the permanent leader structure, context, priorities, and an operation that works.
Time commitment, on-site presence, and length are set by what the seat needs.
WHO STEPS IN
Not someone learning healthcare on your time.
Zentara’s interim leadership is led by Allison Muhl, an experienced healthcare operator who has worked across hospital leadership in surgical services, physician practice operations, growth, workflow, technology, and complex implementation. The value is not one title. It is the ability to step into a complicated operation, understand what is happening quickly, and move the work forward.
LEADERSHIP
Led large-scale healthcare operations as Vice President of Surgical Services, with responsibility for 250+ staff, 100+ physicians, and a $25M+ operating scope while reporting to the hospital CEO.
OPERATIONS + SYSTEMS
Stepped into a physician practice to address financial and operational problems, then took on responsibility across billing, staffing, workflow, technology, service lines, and acquisition work. The focus was not just fixing individual problems, but rebuilding the systems underneath them.
GROWTH + DEVELOPMENT
Built and expanded service lines, provider operations, physician relationships, and growth initiatives across hospital and practice settings, turning opportunities into work that could actually operate.
OPERATIONS + SYSTEMS
Worked across physicians, executives, staff, vendors, and operational teams to clarify priorities, translate complicated issues, and get people moving in the same direction.
More about Allison→
THE RIGHT FIT
Who this is for.
A good fit when
-
There's a real operational leadership gap, temporary or still undefined
-
The work can't wait for the search to finish
-
You want the next leader to inherit a stable operation
-
You need someone who can work with physicians, executives, staff, and vendors from the first week
Not the right fit if you need
-
A recruiter or permanent placement
-
Low-cost administrative coverage
-
Advice or coaching without ownership
-
Someone to fill the seat indefinitely
QUESTIONS
Before you reach out.
Tell me what you are building, where you are in the process, and what you want to understand, improve, or solve. I will review your information and follow up if the opportunity aligns with Zentara's Health-Tech Advisory work.
START HERE
See if the fit is right.
Whether you already have an interim role defined or you are still figuring out what kind of leadership support you need, start with a 20-minute conversation. We’ll talk through the role, the need, and whether the experience and scope are a match.
Already have a job description or scope? Attach it when you reach out.