Cecilia Saffold, MBA, PMP

Cecilia L. Saffold serves as Chief Executive Officer at HealthTeamWorks. Cecilia has served at the highest levels of leadership within organizations enhancing community health for twenty years. As Chief Operating Officer (COO) at HealthTeamWorks, she cultivated an internal culture of continuous improvement and high stewardship of product and service standards. This was achieved through her formation and direction of a Project Management Office (PMO), shared accountability for financial performance, and leadership of company performance evaluation activities. Before joining HealthTeamWorks she honed these skills as founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Clear Sky One LLC, (CSO) where she managed operations and held legal and fiscal responsibility for all aspects of the company.

For years, Ms. Saffold has partnered with healthcare organizations to translate their strategies into meaningful transformations. Her business leadership, quality improvement, analytics, and project management experience equip her to facilitate critical healthcare delivery conversations resulting in nuanced solutions and action plans. Cecilia planned and executed strategy while leading national practice transformation teams at TransforMED and Clear Sky One, LLC (CSO). At TransforMED, Cecilia impacted over 200 primary care and specialty practices in engagements with clinically integrated health systems, residencies, Federally Qualified Health Centers, and rural solo provider practices. At CSO she designed Clear Sky Case Conference, a technology platform for connecting primary care providers and specialists to improve patients’ experience of care and clinical outcomes. CSO was selected to join the 2016 Sprint Accelerator Network for technology startups.

Cecilia brings a passion for community well-being and grassroots organizing to her work in transforming healthcare. Adept in adaptive reuse of structures and land to strengthen neighborhoods, Cecilia spearheaded new residential and mixed-use construction projects on the Westside of Chicago with Bethel New Life. She also administered the capital and facility operating budget for Bethel’s diverse portfolio of properties including apartment complexes, emergency housing, commercial properties and a Skilled Nursing Facility.  Cecilia partnered with the Henry Horner Mother’s Guild to document and advocate for resolution of inadequacies in Chicago’s public housing developments as Housing Litigation Paralegal with the Sargent Shriver National Center on Poverty Law.

Ms. Saffold’s commitment to public health and patient safety has bridged her professional calling and includes extensive civic participation. She has served for eight years as a Brownfield’s Commissioner appointed by the Mayor of the City of Kansas City Missouri. Most recently, Cecilia has collaborated with the other founding members of Uzazi Village’s Community Expert Review Board to advocate for improved Black maternal infant health outcomes by amplifying Black women’s experience, influencing equitable research and ensuring culturally congruent care.

Ms. Saffold holds the Project Management Professional (PMP) designation, Lean Six Sigma for Healthcare Green Belt certification and an AHIMA Certified Healthcare Technology Specialist - Practice Workflow and Information Management Redesign - credential (CHTS-PW). She received her BA from Northwestern University in Evanston, IL and her Executive MBA from Rockhurst University, Helzberg School of Management in Kansas City, MO.