How to build successful consultant partnerships that maximise time and return on investment
Abstract
The continuing complexity of the healthcare industry has placed significant pressure on hospitals and health systems, many of which face an uncertain future in an increasingly challenging environment. To tackle today’s challenges, more organisations are turning to consultants for support in identifying and addressing opportunities for strategic, operational and technical improvement. Yet, these engagements inherently involve another challenge, namely ensuring they deliver value. This paper provides a road map for creating effective client–consultant partnerships that deliver targeted results. Supported with real-world examples, the paper outlines common challenges of consulting engagements, such as misdiagnosis of the underlying problem and a misalignment of culture and strategies. It offers guidance on selecting the right consultant, emphasising assessment of prior work and outcomes, determining a candidate’s capacity for additional work and identifying any red flags that may jeopardise the success of the engagement. In addition, the paper presents the important elements of building a successful engagement, including creating a comprehensive scope of work, employing strong project management and maintaining clear and consistent communication. Finally, readers will gain insight into how to structure mutually beneficial fee arrangements and avoid unauthorised additions to the scope of work that can lead to unexpected costs, thereby maximising value and optimising time and expense of the engagement. This article is also included in The Business & Management Collection which can be accessed at https://hstalks.com/ business/.
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Author's Biography
Erica Osborne, MPH, is an independent governance and leadership consultant with over 20 years of experience supporting healthcare organisations across the United States. Her work focuses on advancing board governance, facilitating strategic planning and guiding leadership teams through complex policy and organisational decisions. She is widely recognised for her ability to design and lead high-impact planning sessions and board retreats that promote strategic clarity, alignment and meaningful dialogue. Before launching her independent practice, Ms Osborne co-founded the boutique healthcare consulting firm, Via Healthcare Consulting, where, as Principal, she led numerous governance and strategy engagements. She has provided executive coaching to nonprofit boards and leadership teams, helping them strengthen communication, sharpen strategic focus and improve governance structures. She has also facilitated educational sessions for a wide range of audiences, including nonprofit, philanthropic, tribal and elected leaders, equipping them to navigate today’s rapidly evolving healthcare landscape. Ms Osborne’s work includes evaluating and redesigning governance frameworks, creating customised planning approaches and mentoring senior consultants in business development and client strategy. She is a frequent author and speaker on healthcare governance and leadership, delivering content that inspires innovation and transformation in leadership practices. Ms Osborne holds a master of public health with a concentration in health services administration from San Diego State University and a bachelor’s degree from the University of New Hampshire.
Karen Wagner is an independent consultant and content strategist with more than 20 years of experience in developing thought leadership and in-depth content for the healthcare industry. For the past 5 years, Karen has specialised in governance, leadership and strategy, supporting healthcare leaders in the articulation of complex ideas with clarity and impact. Her portfolio spans feature articles, executive profiles, educational content and marketing collateral. She has developed research papers for leading industry associations, including the American Hospital Association and American College of Healthcare Executives, and served as managing editor for a healthcare governance consulting firm. In this role, she developed internal communications for one of the nation’s largest health systems, producing a system-wide newsletter for more than 30 community boards, coordinating executive-led webinars and ghostwriting papers for senior leaders.
Terri Wagner Cammarano, JD, LLM, CHC, brings considerable legal experience to Cedars-Sinai, having served in private practice and in executive legal roles with major Southern California health systems. At Cedars-Sinai, Cammarano advises the Board of Directors and senior management on legal, compliance and tax matters. She manages the Legal Affairs Department and outside counsel and ensures that leadership has access to appropriate legal guidance. Cammarano has represented health systems, hospitals and other healthcare providers in all types of transactional matters, including mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures, joint operating agreements, affiliations, financings and strategic collaborations. She has managed attorney general proceedings, reports and investigations, federal and state tax audits, regulatory investigations as well as licensure and certification matters. Ms Cammarano has extensive experience with governance, tax-exemption and nonprofit issues, healthcare regulatory compliance, executive compensation, strategic planning and implementation of growth strategies. Before joining Cedars-Sinai, she served as a partner with Hooper, Lundy & Bookman, P.C., in Los Angeles, where she counselled and advocated for health systems, hospitals, medical practice foundations and related service providers. Prior to that, she held the position of general counsel and was a member of the executive leadership team at MemorialCare Health System and before that, at Hoag Memorial Hospital Presbyterian. In these roles, she capitalised on her prior experience of over 20 years in private law practice representing health care providers, and was responsible for planning and coordinating legal affairs, government relations, litigation management and strategy, legal support for business transactions and oversight of all outside counsel and various consultants and subject-matter experts/advisers. Ms Cammarano earned her undergraduate degree with high honours from California State University, Fullerton, and her JD and master of laws (Tax) degrees from Loyola Law School, Los Angeles. She is admitted to practice in California, Hawaii and Massachusetts, and maintains Certification in Health Care Compliance.
Citation
Osborne, Erica M., Wagner, Karen and Cammarano, Terri Wagner (2026, June 1). How to build successful consultant partnerships that maximise time and return on investment. In the Management in Healthcare: A Peer-Reviewed Journal, Volume 10, Issue 4. https://doi.org/10.69554/SVIW9519.
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