This CPO knows what’s at stake when it comes to HR in healthcare

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Marathon Health is a different kind of healthcare company, working directly with businesses, governments, and unions to meet the healthcare needs of their employees and members. Its CPO, Allison Velez, understands the weight of her work in the people department.

“When you do HR work in healthcare, you have a very clear line of sight to the patient, and that is meaningful to me. It’s important. It brings a lot of fulfillment to me and to my team,” she said. “We know that the work we’re doing is really helping people, not just our teammates or our employees, but actually the patients and the clients that we serve.”

She said that’s motivated her approach to leading the HR function for the independent advanced primary care provider. She sees her team as a business within a business.

“We have to think of ourselves as almost a business inside a business, and what I mean by that is that we are also running an operation. We have certain deliverables that the organization expects of us,” she told HR Brew.

She’s worked with her team on a mindset shift imagining themselves outside the company working to deliver results that further the business’s goals, as if Marathon Health contracted with them to manage the HR work and deliver on expectations.

“In healthcare, these expectations and the table stakes are very high. It matters a lot if we have our providers staffed in a health center. It matters a lot if our culture is supportive and friendly and people want to be here, and how we interact with our clients and our patients. So all of this work is very central to the entire reason we exist,” she said.

The following has been edited for length and clarity.

What’s the best change you’ve made at a place you’ve worked?

The most meaningful change I’ve led is building a comprehensive, accessible mental health ecosystem for our teammates. We began by giving employees full access to our Live Better platform, which integrates primary care and licensed mental health support with very fast appointment availability. We then removed all out-of-pocket costs for mental health services—eliminating one of the biggest barriers to getting help—and strengthened our traditional EAP so teammates have multiple pathways to care.

Mental health is foundational to organizational performance. When people are overwhelmed, unsupported, or unable to access care, it directly impacts their ability to lead, to collaborate, and to care for others. As a leader responsible for our culture and organizational health, this work is central to how I support the enterprise.

What’s the biggest misconception people might have about your job?

The biggest misconception is that my work is narrowly focused on employee issues. In reality, my role is deeply tied to the overall health and performance of the business. Modern people leadership is about aligning culture, capability, and organizational design so the company can execute its strategy—clinically, operationally, and financially.

Most of my time is spent understanding where the organization is headed, where friction exists, and what people-centered interventions will unlock clarity, alignment, and performance. It’s enterprise problem-solving, not policy administration.

A provider recently told me that working here “gave her the joy of medicine back.” That’s not an HR transaction. That’s the impact of intentional culture and organizational design.

What’s the most fulfilling aspect of your job?

The most fulfilling part of my job is knowing that everything my team and I do ultimately supports the patient. Whether it’s talent acquisition, benefits design, leadership development, or organizational culture, our people strategies are built to ensure caregivers can deliver exceptional care through our advanced primary care model.

Caring for the health of others is a profound responsibility and a high calling. I’m grateful that our work in HR helps create the conditions where clinicians can practice with clarity, connection, and purpose—and where patients and their families feel the impact.

What trend in HR are you most optimistic about? Why?

I’m most optimistic about the growing focus on integrated well-being—not just mental and physical health, but also financial stability, connection, and organizational clarity. Companies are finally recognizing that whole-person health is fundamental to performance and culture, and that when employees thrive, patient, customer, and company outcomes improve as well.

What trend in HR are you least optimistic about? Why?

I’m least optimistic about the trend toward unnecessary complexity in the employee experience. Organizations often add more programs without focusing on clarity or integration. Employees don’t need more noise—they need simplicity and support they can actually use.