Proven Playbooks from Today’s Most Effective Executives
The first 90 days in a new healthcare leadership role are decisive. Early actions shape credibility, influence organizational culture, and establish the trajectory for long-term success.
HealthSearch Partners’ First 90 Days series captures real-world insights from accomplished healthcare executives and search leaders who have successfully navigated this critical transition period. These articles go beyond theory—highlighting practical strategies, leadership behaviors, and decision-making frameworks that drive meaningful impact from day one.
What You’ll Learn
Across this series, you’ll gain actionable guidance on how healthcare leaders:
Establish trust quickly across clinical, operational, and executive teams
Set priorities while balancing immediate pressures and long-term strategy
Build alignment with boards, physicians, and frontline staff
Identify early wins that create momentum and credibility
Shape culture through visible leadership and consistent action
Whether stepping into a CEO, CMO, or senior executive role, these lessons provide a structured approach to navigating complexity from the outset.
I Heard It In The Huddle…Terence Farrell’s Transformative 90-Day Strategy
As part of our ongoing series exploring the innovative first 90-day strategies, we are featuring Terence Farrell, a CEO who harnessed the power of structured daily huddles to create transparency, foster problem-solving, and transform organizational culture from day one.
In The First 90 Days, Small Changes and Employee Ideas Can Drive Big Results – Part 2
At the heart of every successful healthcare organization lies its people—the nurses, physicians, administrative staff, and support personnel who keep the system running.
In The First 90 Days, Small Changes and Employee Ideas Can Drive Big Results – Part 1
In part one of this two-part article, Shane Cerone, CEO of Kada Health and a seasoned turnaround leader, details his approach to the first 90 days in an executive leadership role.
Leading Through the Middle
In the latest iteration of our 90 Days Series, Jim Decker, a retired healthcare CEO turned author and leadership coach, offers a different kind of wisdom—less flashy, more foundational.
Shed The Shackles Of Spreadsheets
Therman Trotman doesn’t want a leader’s first 90 days to look like a parade of meetings, inbox chaos, and forgotten good intentions.
The Prequel To The Plan
Our continuing series of articles on the first 90 days of leadership generally explores what happens after a leader takes the helm—when the work of observation, relationship building, and cultural alignment begins.
Learn The Terrain Before You’re Asked To Lead The Hike
“Your first ninety days actually start before you arrive.” That’s the foundation of Anil Prahlad’s approach to new leadership roles—and it reframes how we think about executive transitions.
First 90 Days: Pick Up the Trash, Answer the Phone—And Build a Team That Will Follow You Anywhere
When we talk about setting the tone in the first 90 days, few leaders I’ve ever met got it more right than my very first boss—Grover Martin. It was 1984.
Look Outward, Not Just Inward
This latest installment in our First 90 Days series features thoughts from Burl Stamp, FACHE, president and founder of Stamp & Chase, a healthcare performance improvement firm based in St. Louis.
Flying Under The Radar While Being Overly Observant.
In our continuing series on First 90-day leadership strategies, this article features Feras Asakrieh, former Vice President of Sales and Customer Service for a nationwide U.S. bank.
From One-to-One to One-to-Many
In most organizations, new leaders spend their first 90 days talking too much and learning too little. Brad Shawhan did it differently.
Unintended Consequences Of Intentional Rounding
In this installment of our First 90-day leadership series, we delve into the carefully crafted strategies of Michael Pulido, SPHR, MHA, a seasoned healthcare executive known for his hands-on approach and focus on intentionality.
And You Get A Visit, And You Get A Visit
As we continue our series on groundbreaking strategies for healthcare leaders’ first 90 days on the job, we shine the spotlight on Jay Robinson, a seasoned CEO with a unique approach to setting the foundation for his tenure in a new organization.
On The Lanes. At The Gym.
Continuing our series on CEOs’ impactful first 90-day strategies, we bring you part 2 of Derick Ziegler’s unique and immersive approach to connecting with frontline staff through job shadowing.
Put On My Uniform. Step Into My Shoes.
Continuing our series on CEOs’ impactful first 90-day strategies, we highlight Derick Ziegler’s unique and immersive approach to connecting with frontline staff through job shadowing.
Scrubbing In: Standing Shoulder-to-Shoulder With The Surgery Team
In this article in our series on innovative tactics for the first 90 days of leadership, we spotlight Wayne Sensor, a former CEO known for his bold hands-on approach to onboarding.
Our Bench of Executives
Feras Asakrieh
Former Vice President of Sales and Customer Service at a nationwide U.S. bank.
Dan Castillo
Managing Principal at Health Management Associates
Shane Cerone
President and CEO of Kada Health
Jonathan Donahue
Principal Consultant at Leadership Effectiveness
Neill Marshall
Chairman at HealthSearch Partners
Kurt Mosley
Associations Practice Leader at HealthSearch Partners
Anil Prahlad
Founder & CEO at Vitus Intel
Michael Pulido
Senior Client Executive at OneDigital
Jay Robinson
Senior Vice President/Area Manager at Kaiser Permanente
Wayne Sensor
Founder & Managing Partner at Sensor & Associates
Brad Shawhan
Former Marine and National Guardsman turned Enterprise CX Director
Burl Stamp
President and Founder at Stamp & Chase
Derick Ziegler
President and Founder at Stamp & Chase
Explore the Series
Dive into the full collection of First 90 Days insights to learn how leading healthcare executives:
Build trust across diverse stakeholder groups
Drive early operational improvements
Align teams around shared priorities
Establish a leadership presence that endures
Partner with HealthSearch Partners
At HealthSearch Partners, we don’t just place healthcare executives, we help organizations identify leaders who can succeed from day one.
Our search process is grounded in a deep understanding of what it takes to lead effectively in today’s healthcare environment, including the critical first 90 days.
Connect with our team to learn how we support leadership success from search through transition.
