Flight Path: How healthcare leaders got their start - and who's coming next
Veronica Villarreal's Journey to Becoming a Health Care Executive
Nov 2, 2026 · 30 min · 9 segments
Veronica Villarreal earned her joint MHA/MBA at the University of Houston–Clear Lake, took her first job out of the program at DHR Health in the Rio Grande Valley, and worked her way up through…
Veronica Villarreal earned her joint MHA/MBA at the University of Houston–Clear Lake, took her first job out of the program at DHR Health in the Rio Grande Valley, and worked her way up through revenue cycle and operations into the C-suite. She served as Chief Ambulatory Officer over a network of roughly 75 clinic locations and more than 30 specialty service lines. She then moved to UT Health Rio Grande Valley, where she is now Chief Operating Officer. Along the way, she wrote the book she wishes someone had handed her. *C-Suite Bound: How Self-Discovery Leads to Ultimate Success* became an Amazon bestseller and was featured in Forbes. In this episode, Veronica traces the actual route: why revenue cycle turned out to be an executive on-ramp rather than a detour, what an interim title really tests, what it takes to move from a private specialty network into an academic health system, and why she thinks comparison is the thing most likely to derail a talented person’s career. Flight Path is produced by the Department of Healthcare Administration at the University of Houston–Clear Lake, which has offered healthcare administration education since 1974 and is based in the Texas Medical Center. A University of Houston - Clear Lake MHA/MBA grad who climbed from revenue cycle to COO, and then wrote the roadmap for everyone behind her. **GUEST BIO** **Veronica Villarreal, MHA/MBA**, is Chief Operating Officer of UT Health Rio Grande Valley. - At UT Health RGV, she previously served as Assistant Vice President of Operations, leading multi-site ambulatory operations. - Before that, she was Chief Ambulatory Officer at DHR Health Clinics, overseeing approximately 75 clinic locations across more than 30 specialty and sub-specialty service lines. - She began her career in ambulatory revenue cycle. - She is the author of *C-Suite Bound: How Self-Discovery Leads to Ultimate Success*, an Amazon bestseller featured in Forbes. - She holds a joint Master of Healthcare Administration and Master of Business Administration from the University of Houston–Clear Lake. **LINKS FROM THIS EPISODE** - C-Suite Bound: How Self-Discovery Leads to Ultimate Success - Veronica’s website - Veronica on LinkedIn - UHCL alumni feature, “From quiet corners to big impact” Hosted by Simplecast, an AdsWizz company. See pcm.adswizz.com for information about our collection and use of personal data for advertising.
Veronica Villarreal earned her joint MHA/MBA at the University of Houston–Clear Lake, took her first job out of the program at DHR Health in the Rio Grande Valley, and worked her way up through…
