YOU’VE SEEN THE POSSIBILITIES, NOW MEET THE PEOPLE BEHIND IT
Velora isn't a service. It's a group of people who've done this for themselves, and for the physicians who trusted them to do it right.
WHY VELORA EXISTSWe built this because no one built it for us.
So we built it ourselves, then opened the door behind us.
Every person on this team has stood where you're standing, staring down a lease, a build-out, a hiring plan, with no roadmap and no one to call. We remember the nights spent reading contracts we didn't fully understand because the attorney's retainer was money we didn't have yet. We remember the calls to vendors who sensed we didn't know enough to push back, and the quiet panic of realizing the system wasn't going to meet us halfway, that no one was coming to make this easier.
We didn't find this industry. We survived it. And we did it without the thing every physician deserves: someone who's already walked the road, standing beside you on it. That's not a tagline. That's the reason this company exists.
The people in your corner.
Decades of experience. One unified team.
From clinical operations to PE-side business development to people strategy, this team has built, scaled, and exited practices across specialties and states. We've sat on both sides of the table, running the day-to-day operations that keep a practice alive, and structuring the deals that determine what it's worth. We've hired the wrong person and learned what to look for the next time. We've navigated state-by-state licensing differences, payer contract negotiations, and the operational gaps that only reveal themselves once a practice is actually open and running.
That range isn't incidental. It's the reason we can see three steps ahead of a problem most teams won't notice until it's already cost you time or money.
You're not hiring a vendor. You're inheriting a team that already knows what's coming before you do.
THE EXPERIENCE YOU CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN7 De Novo Launches
$12M
Revenue Built
Multi-State Expertise
meet the teamEvery person here has already done this.
You'll know exactly who's in the room, because you should.
Jennifer Wood Sayed, MS
Jennifer Wood Sayed is a healthcare executive and serial entrepreneur with over a decade of experience building, scaling, and exiting high-growth behavioral health organizations, including Mindful Health (grown to seven locations and $12M+ in revenue) and Psych Now (acquired by MindCare Solutions in 2020). Her background spans COO, CEO, and EVP roles across major healthcare systems, giving her deep expertise in clinical operations and strategic growth. Inspired by that experience, she founded Velora Health Partners to help independent providers maintain autonomy while building thriving, patient-centered practices.
Founder
Christina McDonald, MHA
Christina McDonald is a healthcare operations leader with more than 20 years of experience helping behavioral health and ambulatory care organizations strengthen performance, optimize financial results, and deliver exceptional patient care. She holds a Master of Health Administration from the University of Florida and has held senior leadership roles at Sutter Health, SCA Health, and Texas Health Surgery Center Rockwall, along with recent positions as Director of Operations at Psych Pointe Texas and Clinical Director at Mindful Health Texas. A recognized industry voice featured in OR Today and named to Becker's "40 Rising Stars Under 40," Christina brings that same results-focused, collaborative leadership to every practice she launches at Velora Health Partners.
Chief Operating Officer
Staci Bradshaw is a clinical operations leader with more than a decade of experience in nursing leadership, regulatory compliance, and multidisciplinary team management across behavioral health and acute care settings. A Texas Woman's University nursing graduate, she brings clinical expertise spanning surgical oncology, perinatal services, and outpatient psychiatry, including hands-on leadership of specialty programs like Spravato therapy and TMS. Her experience with Joint Commission readiness and multi-site de novo clinic builds means she's launched practices like this repeatedly and at scale. At Velora Health Partners, Staci ensures every launch is built on a clinical foundation that's both compliant and exceptional.
Chief Nursing OfficerStaci Bradshaw, RN
Susie Willingham is a talent acquisition and HR leader with more than 25 years of experience connecting exceptional people with exceptional organizations across healthcare. Her career spans founding her own recruiting firm, Healthcare Talent Support, and serving as VP of Talent at MindCare Solutions, along with senior talent acquisition roles at CareHere LLC and All Medical Personnel. A Certified Diversity and Inclusion Recruiter, she brings an intentional, equitable lens to every hiring strategy she builds. At Velora Health Partners, Susie ensures every practice opens its doors with the right team in place to deliver exceptional patient care from day one.
Chief People OfficerSusie Willingham
Alexis Michelle Foote is a behavioral health executive, Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, and clinical strategist with over a decade of experience across inpatient, outpatient, virtual, and community-based settings. She holds a Master of Science in Counseling from Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi and has supervised clinicians, developed scalable therapeutic programs, and led compliance initiatives across multiple levels of care. At Velora Health Partners, Alexis oversees clinical operations and program development, ensuring every practice launches on a foundation that supports strong patient outcomes and a culture that retains exceptional providers.
Chief Clinical OfficerAlexis Michelle Foote, M.S., NBCC, LPC-S
Kristi Lewis is a licensed behavioral health professional and relationship-driven business development leader with more than 35 years of experience across the full mental health continuum of care. With a master's in counseling and nearly 30 years as a Licensed Professional Counselor, she brings a rare combination of clinical grounding and strategic outreach expertise, including 16 years leading business development for the Ross Institute for Trauma. At Velora Health Partners, Kristi is the bridge between clinical credibility and community reach, ensuring every practice launches with the referral network and visibility it needs to thrive from day one.
Director of Business DevelopmentKristi Lewis, LPC
Kristin Hanes is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse practitioner and behavioral health leader with more than 20 years of experience across inpatient and outpatient psychiatric care. Her clinical expertise spans directing outpatient services at Glen Oaks Hospital for nearly two decades, leading nurse practitioners across multi-site locations, and her current role as Practice Administrator at Psych Pointe Texas, where she's developed scalable programs and implemented advanced treatments including Spravato therapy and TMS. At Velora Health Partners, Kristin brings a rare perspective: someone who has lived inside behavioral health operations at every level. Her deep understanding of Joint Commission standards and multi-site de novo builds gives Velora the clinical intelligence to not just launch practices, but launch them right.
Clinical Operations AdvisorKristin Hanes, PMHNP-BC
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