Kumarie Hayes-Arjune
Kumarie Hayes-Arjune is an accomplished healthcare executive serving as the Executive Director of Patient Access at UHealth University of Miami Health System in Miami, Florida. In this role, she leads large-scale patient access operations across multiple counties, overseeing more than 50 clinics throughout Miami-Dade, Broward, and West Palm Beach. She manages a growing leadership structure that includes four directors and more than 200 direct reports, with a strong focus on strategic transformation, operational efficiency, and enhancing the patient experience across the health system.
Kumarie began her career path in pre-med but later realized her true passion was not in practicing medicine, but in making a broader impact within healthcare by improving systems that directly touch patients’ lives. This realization led her to pivot into healthcare management, where she earned her certification in Healthcare Management from the University of Miami. While completing her studies, she worked as a temporary employee in the University’s Insurance Verification Department, conveniently located near the Gables campus. That early experience marked the beginning of a full-circle journey when she later returned to the same department—this time as its Director, leading Central Insurance Verification.
Her career continued to advance as she became Director of the University of Miami Contact Center, the central appointment hub for new patients, before being appointed Executive Director for Patient Services in 2012, a role she has held ever since. Today, Kumarie focuses on high-level strategy, including AI integration, workforce optimization, burnout prevention, and the implementation of digital patient access tools that streamline check-in processes and enhance convenience. She is deeply committed to innovation and continuous improvement, often exploring new technologies and approaches to expand capacity, support her teams, and reimagine how healthcare access can be delivered more efficiently.
• Healthcare Management Certification
• HFMA (Healthcare Financial Management Association)
• Family-based community service through temple and other functions
What do you attribute your success to?
I attribute my success to my resilience and the very high expectations I have of myself. I always want to do better and push myself every year, asking what can I do differently and what can I do better to be a better version of myself. I'm very big on self-development and I'm always taking courses and reading books. My motivation and my desire to be the best version of myself really drive me forward. My mom has always been my sounding board and has always kind of pulled me back on path when I needed it. I also had the support of my current boss, Henry Samlut, who has always been instrumental in my growth. More recently, I sought out a mentor outside my organization through HFMA to get a different perspective, and Bill Evekos has been instrumental in helping me see things I didn't even know I was good at. It's been very good to have that different perspective, because when you work with someone for so long, you can become very complacent.
What’s the best career advice you’ve ever received?
The best career advice I've received comes from my current boss, who always tells me that if you try something and it doesn't work, you keep trying, because eventually it's going to stick. My mentor Bill also gave me important advice about not being afraid to explore the unknown and to try new things. He thinks I'm very motivational and has encouraged me to step into unfamiliar territory without fear. This advice has really shaped how I approach challenges and innovation in my work.
What advice would you give to young women entering your industry?
I would tell them to be bold, fearless, and confident. Whether or not we like it or not, women in very dynamic roles are still not wholeheartedly welcomed in many spaces. Sometimes you have to fight for that recognition and that position. I would tell them to be fearless, to be bold, to be confident, and to know that they're in that role or in that position because they deserve it. Don't have any doubt that you don't deserve to sit at the table or in that position. Be equal when you sit at a table. I've sat at tables as a young leader with people twice my age and of both genders, and I've been talked down to like I'm a little girl. So I tell them to be bold, be fearless, be confident, and be aware that you are where you are because you've worked hard and you deserve to be where you are. You deserve to sit at that table.
What are the biggest challenges or opportunities in your field right now?
The biggest challenges and opportunities in my field right now are staffing and leveraging technology. Staffing is a major challenge that we're constantly working to address, and I'm trying to be creative to prevent my staff from being burnt out, whether through outsourcing or leveraging technology. Just because something works doesn't mean there's not a different way or a better way, so I'm always pushing the limits and exploring what's out there. Two years ago, my team and I presented at UGM about how we've been able to restructure our workforce. We created a pre-service team that calls patients to have them e-check in, pay online, and complete paperwork before they arrive. When they come to the clinic, we don't need as much staff because they can go to the kiosk and scan their barcode, or use Hello Patient and click 'I'm here' as they're walking into the building, which prints a wristband. This has been speeding up our front line and gives patients independence - they want the same experience they have with curbside pickup or ordering groceries online. We also have a call center for follow-up scheduling and coordination, which is unusual for a front desk operation. These innovations in technology represent our biggest opportunities to address our staffing challenges while maintaining quality care.
What values are most important to you in your work and personal life?
The values most important to me are connecting with people and integrity. You have to learn to balance with people, with human beings. Sometimes it's not what you say, it's how you say things. The same thing applies with family members - just because they're family doesn't mean you can say anything without being conscious of their feelings and perceptions. Integrity is very, very important for me, both at work and in my personal life. I also value taking mental days to restore myself. I just took Monday off as a mental day when my husband was at work and nobody was at home. I was able to sit at my back porch, relax, maybe go get a massage, and spend time with myself. That's how I rejuvenate, and it allows me to show up as my best self.