Healthcare strategy and operations consultant advising private equity firms and CEOs on growth, integration, and business transformation.

Clarity is a competitive advantage.

I partner with leaders navigating growth, change, and complexity to find true north - aligning strategy, systems, and execution so the organization moves in one direction.

And the results last.

Reclaim direction and control of your organizational compass.

Services

Plenty of people can write the strategy or deliver a deck.

I’m built for what comes after; the architect who tranforms the strategy into a plan, and the plan into systems, execution, and results that hold.

Engage me as a fractional executive, strategic advisor, program architect, or hands-on operator - scaled to the moment and the business needs.‍ ‍

  • M&A integration, PMO leadership, and enterprise transformation — designed as a system, not managed deal by deal. I build the playbooks, governance infrastructure, and cross-functional accountability frameworks that make complex change repeatable and built to hold.

  • The strategic counterpart to leadership — turning the executive team's biggest initiatives into coordinated, cross-functional execution. The connective tissue that keeps strategy, operations, and customer experience moving in lockstep.

  • Brand, positioning, B2B and B2C customer acquisition, patient loyalty and engagement, and marketing-to-revenue attribution — built as integrated growth infrastructure, not isolated campaigns. I connect demand generation to revenue performance and ROI with an operator's discipline to prove every dollar working.

Rachel Russell Consulting north star icon — strategic advisory and fractional executive services for healthcare and PE-backed organizations.

From complexity to clarity

Approach

  • 01

    Diagnose

    Most problems aren't what they appear to be.

    Before there's a solution, there has to be an honest diagnosis — not of the symptoms presenting at the surface, but of the real constraint underneath them.

    I diagnose the actual problem, identify the right path forward, and mobilize people around their true north. When people understand the objective, see themselves in the outcome, and work alongside colleagues who share their drive, execution stops being a mandate divorced from momentum — and cascades.

    True north is clarity. Everything else is noise.

  • 02

    Design

    A solution designed in a silo is just an assumption.

    Real solutions — ones that survive contact with reality and actually get executed — require cutting through preconceived biases, mapping the full upstream and downstream impact, and confronting two things most plans ignore: resource scarcity and priority saturation. When everything is a priority, nothing gets done well. True north disappears.

    I lead the cross-functional process that changes that — bringing the right people into the same conversation, surfacing the dependencies, and aligning stakeholders around a plan that is realistic, not just ambitious. Built to be executed, not just approved.

    It requires one thing most organizations underestimate: complete ownership. Disagreement during the design process isn't just tolerated — it's required. But once the decision is made, debate ends and commitment begins. No opting out, no pretending not to know.

    Shared accountability, laser focus, from the top down.

  • 03

    Drive

    I don't hand off a plan. I drive it.

    From project charter to launch to 90-day post-go live analysis — every governance meeting, every KPI review, every obstacle that threatens to stall momentum. Execution is where most well-designed plans go to die, and it's where I stay: driving participation and ownership at every level, navigating real-time obstacles, managing communication, and ensuring adoption holds after go-live.

    I'm a hands-on executive equally at home in the details and at the strategy table. I build and become the connective tissue across teams — keeping the work moving, the people aligned, and the mission in focus. When it gets hard, I don't step back. I step forward.

    My goal isn't just to launch. It's to execute in a way that people feel — in the results, and in the pride of having done something hard together.

Companies

  • PE-backed specialty allergy and asthma platform; grew to 80+ clinics across 13 states under Summit Partners and Noro-Moseley Partners

  • PE-backed pediatric home health platform that grew into the largest pediatric care continuum in the country; acquired by Bain Capital and rebranded as Aveanna Healthcare

  • KKR-backed post-acute services organization spanning home health, hospice, skilled nursing, and rehabilitation across 13 states; acquired by Gentiva Health Services

  • One of the largest not-for-profit health systems in the country, headquartered in Texas.Insert short description

  • PE-backed behavioral health platform operating 40+ residential, community-based, and autism programs across 20 states

  • Webster Equity-backed multi-specialty primary care platform, later acquired by Optum

  • National fitness and health club operator with locations across the United States

  • RiverGlade-backed oral surgery management platform, later acquired by Oak Hill Capital.

  • "She leads by example and is unwavering in her commitment to an organization and its people. Rachel has the unique ability to hone in on the details that matter, empathetically listen to employees and clients, and partner with leaders across all business units to paint a picture and tell a story. She is a key executive leader and an ethically sound individual."

    —Samantha Meadors, RN, CHC, COO, Cardiovascular Associates of America

  • "She has a remarkable ability to ask the questions no one else is thinking about, which often uncovered risks, opportunities, and solutions long before they became issues. She challenged us to think differently, prepare for multiple outcomes, and approach problems from every angle. Rachel leads with fairness, integrity, and a genuine commitment to doing what's right for both the organization and the people involved. I would not hesitate to recommend her to any organization seeking operational, integration, or transformation expertise."

    — Victoria Spencer, Sr. Director Operational Systems Integration, AllerVie Health

  • "She is a very trusted Executive that delivers commitments, revenue growth, and results. Her vision, creativity and instincts are incredible with significant success in driving revenue growth. She also drives value through integrating 30+ acquisitions for me throughout our tenure together. A true contributor to the entire business, she "gets it" and that translates to collaboration, results oriented execution and success."

    —Chris Roussos, Executive Chairman, AllerVie Health

  • "She leads with people first, pushes boundaries to drive meaningful progress, and never settles for surface-level solutions. Rachel genuinely cares about people, teams, and outcomes while constantly evolving to stay ahead of the curve. Her tenacity, fortitude, and drive for excellence are unmatched, but what stands out most is how empowered and supported she makes the people around her feel. There's truly no one I'd rather have by my side leading through change."

    — Chelsea Lambert, Senior Director of Marketing, AllerVie Health

  • "Together we navigated some of the most complex challenges in healthcare operations — multiple EMR/EHR system implementations and integrations, enterprise platform rollouts, M&A clinic integrations, and de novo builds. Through every one of them, Rachel brought the same relentless drive, surgical attention to detail, and unwavering focus on the end user experience. She is the consummate executive who never loses sight of the work itself, and she has a rare gift for inspiring teams to do their best while holding the bar exceptionally high. I would work with Rachel again without hesitation."

    — Wade Dykes, Director of IT & Security, AllerVie Health

  • "A forward thinking and problem solving senior leader with tireless energy for tackling challenges. Her sincere drive, collaborative spirit, and professional expertise made her both great to work with and highly effective."

    —Jeff Francis, CIO, Care Options for Kids

Let’s Work Together

Fractional executive and strategic advisor specializing in healthcare operations, organizational transformation, and operational excellence.