[ez-toc]
Prasana Ruxmohan entered healthcare because she experienced the access challenges her own family faced. In her words, “What really kind of triggered me to get into healthcare and operations was my own personal experience of accessibility... my parents were second generation from Africa, really navigating that space, English not being their first language.” These early challenges shaped her passion for patient-centered improvement, especially in outpatient settings where linguistic and cultural barriers can leave patients feeling adrift.
Personal experience with healthcare navigation as a child of immigrants
Recognition of outpatient care’s unique gaps: Outpatient facilities have historically lagged behind hospitals in language services and patient navigation.
Desire to transform operations for better access: “That is kind of like the role I play within ambulatory operations, which is access, capacity, and really transforming our operations in regards to inefficiencies that are happening,” she explains.
Takeaway: For aspiring leaders, firsthand experience with healthcare’s frontlines can be a powerful motivator—and a critical lens for driving meaningful change.
The UCI Health Administrative Fellowship stands out for its hands-on, project-based approach, top-level mentorship, and unique mission. Ruxmohan applied to just seven fellowships nationwide, seeking programs with:
Project-based—not rotation-based—structure
Direct mentorship from senior leaders: At UCI Health, “My preceptors are the CEO and COO. I’ve loved that partnership.”
A mission centered on both friendliness and accessibility: “To be the most friendliest, but also the most accessible, is very hard to come by in a mission,” she says.
Exposure to high-level decision-making
Fellows are part of the “room where it happens,” learning not just how decisions are made, but why.
Supportive, open culture
“At UCI Health, I always said this—they’re a yes organization. If you bring on something, they’ll say yes… there are people that are there to really help you and support you but also to see you grow.”
Diverse patient and workforce population
The Orange County environment and UCI Health itself are noted for their celebration of cultural diversity, from employees to patients.
For professionals considering administrative fellowships: UCI Health offers not just a credential, but a genuinely transformative environment for leadership development.
UCI Health addresses cultural and language barriers head-on by providing in-person and virtual translation services and actively celebrating patient and staff diversity.
Ruxmohan highlights that in Orange County, a significant portion of patients speak Vietnamese or Spanish, so language access is a core operational priority. “We have adapted, having translation services on our floors, especially in the outpatient setting, having that in-person touch and feel. Even when we can’t accommodate, we have Zooms where translators come in,” she shares.
Translation services tailored to population needs
Cultural celebrations integrated into daily operations
“We’re celebrating Diwali, we’re celebrating Black History Month, Chinese New Year… You’re seeing not only your patients celebrating with you, but your employees also engaged in that atmosphere.”
Proactive outreach for patient navigation: Ruxmohan notes the challenge of helping patients from various backgrounds understand how to access care—an ongoing, organization-wide effort.
Actionable insight for other organizations: Investing in both operational and cultural strategies can turn a diverse workforce and patient population into an enduring organizational strength.
A Transformation Specialist in ambulatory operations is a change agent, responsible for turning strategic ideas into operational realities—while securing buy-in and improving both efficiency and patient experience.
Ruxmohan explains: “You’re not only doing project management but you’re in the weeds of trying to bring ideas to fruition… many times, strategies are formulated, then they hit operations. It’s like, okay, how do we take that next step?”
Identify pain points and inefficiencies in ambulatory operations
Partner with directors and clinic managers to co-design solutions
Drive adoption of new workflows or technologies
Maintain patient-centric perspective: Ensuring that any changes improve—not just preserve—access and experience
Distinct from directors, who make final calls and manage day-to-day flow, the specialist acts as a connector and project leader, moving the organization forward.
The day-to-day for an ambulatory operations transformation specialist at UCI Health is fast-paced, collaborative, and solution-oriented—balancing digital transformation, access challenges, and direct stakeholder engagement.
“I deal more with what are the solutions associated with these problems and how do I connect those pieces with the chairs… If we’re not thinking about the next step for us as an organization or specialty, then we’re just going to continue to be putting out fires,” Ruxmohan notes.
Problem-solving phone calls with clinical chairs and managers
Collaborating on digital transformation initiatives (e.g., hospital expansion, digital access projects)
Stakeholder meetings to identify and address capacity issues
Partnering on operational improvements that reduce staff burnout and improve patient throughput
Average hours? While the schedule can be demanding, the focus is less on “putting out fires” and more on sustainable, system-level improvement.
Experiencing healthcare systems across Texas, Illinois, Maryland, Missouri, and California gave Ruxmohan a uniquely broad perspective. She saw firsthand how each region’s population, technology adoption, and strategic priorities differed:
Dallas (UT Southwestern): Focus on emerging technologies
Missouri (Barnes Jewish): Addressing patient throughput and ED crowding
California (UCI Health): Emphasizing diversity, access, and digital transformation
“Each place has a different experience and a different population… each spot has their own challenges and their own in-depths,” she says.
For future healthcare leaders: Seek out experiences beyond your home turf—regional diversity is a training ground for innovative, flexible problem-solving.
Career progression after a transformation specialist role is dynamic—and increasingly, it may mean inventing your own job. Ruxmohan’s path demonstrates how the most rewarding opportunities often don’t exist yet.
“I told my boss, my job doesn’t exist today… I’ve really enjoyed the digital operation side of things, being the connector piece to a lot of our digital technology and pain points. That would be kind of a new position in a way that would have to be invented.”
Digital operations lead or informatics integration specialist
Launching new internal teams focused on automation and AI in ambulatory settings
Entrepreneurship—building solutions for persistent healthcare gaps
Takeaway: Healthcare is moving fast, and the next generation of leaders will be those who can bridge clinical, operational, and digital domains.
Prasana Ruxmohan’s entrepreneurial streak led her to found, scale, and sell an app-based company, Advocacy and Maternal Health, in St. Louis. This platform connected patients with nonprofit resources—from doulas to diaper banks—in real time.
“We have so many nonprofits, amazing works being done, but it’s hard to connect people to what’s happening… so [the app] was basically to connect all these nonprofits to a patient.” The company was acquired and is now expanding beyond St. Louis, using the technology backbone she helped build.
For other healthcare leaders: Applying entrepreneurial thinking—connecting resources, closing gaps, leveraging technology—can translate to major operational and patient impact.
One high-impact digital project Ruxmohan led targets provider burnout by automating patient messages and appointment management through Epic (UCI’s EHR system).
“If there’s a way to automate some of the messages… automatically add me to a waitlist… if a patient doesn’t show up, I can show up within a vicinity. So, we’re looking for automation to help support us, rather than each person having to use a dot phrase or manually type in.”
Automated appointment waitlist management
Smart inbox sorting for providers
Epic dot phrase optimizations
Cross-team collaboration (clinical informaticists, directors, frontline staff) to vet solutions and address risks before launch
Lesson for executives: Meaningful digital transformation starts with frontline pain points—and succeeds through deep cross-functional partnership.
UCI Health’s open, supportive culture stands out for its commitment to mentorship, networking, and professional growth. Ruxmohan emphasizes that at UCI, reaching out to leaders—even the CEO or COO—for a one-on-one conversation or project advice is not just permitted, but encouraged.
“I always said this—they’re a yes organization. Even when it came to me reaching out for a one-on-one or coaching advice, there are people there to help you and support you, but also to see you grow.”
Access to C-suite mentors
Encouragement for proactive coffee chats and informal meetings
A culture that supports pilot projects and innovation from all levels
For fellowship candidates: Look for organizations where mentorship is not an afterthought but a core leadership value.
Building connections—and the confidence to reach out—is a learnable skill, not an innate talent. Ruxmohan confesses, “When I first started, I was really shy… but I learned a lot of communication styles from mentors like Colette Kennedy, now CEO at Carl Broman. After those experiences, I understood how different communication styles work for different leaders.”
Take the initiative for coffee or lunch chats
Develop relationships across disciplines—clinical, operational, digital
Don’t be afraid to ask for advice, coaching, or support
Value diverse experiences—each connection can unlock new solutions
Core message: Connections don’t just help you get jobs—they help you get things done.
Prasana Ruxmohan’s journey through the UCI Health Administrative Fellowship and beyond illustrates the profound impact that diverse lived experiences, robust mentorship, and entrepreneurial spirit can have on U.S. healthcare systems. Her leadership story shows that operational transformation is about more than process—it’s about people, partnership, and persistent problem-solving. As healthcare grows ever more complex, the organizations that succeed will be those that invest in leaders who are both connectors and innovators.
