The journey of USF College of Public Health (COPH) alumnus Cami Leech Florio is a tapestry, where each thread—every decision, experience and degree— has been interwoven to create a meaningful and whole career connected by public health.
Leech Florio’s interest in health care administration sparked during her high school years. She recalled, "I grew up in Lakeland and when I graduated I knew I wanted to pursue a career in health care administration after a teacher suggested it to me. It sounded interesting, although no one in my family worked in health care."
Initially, she attended the University of Florida but soon realized it wasn't the right fit. "I transferred to USF as a sophomore and at that point I just wanted to focus on business. But, I didn't love math," she explained. Ultimately, she majored in English with a concentration in professional and technical writing, graduating in 2002.
Upon completing her bachelor's degree, she knew she wanted to go to graduate school and focus on getting into health care.
“It was one of my longtime mentors who encouraged me to apply," she said.
During her time in the MHA program, Leech Florio was active in the Healthcare Management Student Association, which helped her overcome her initial nervousness in the industry. "I was very nervous and had impostor syndrome about professional networking, particularly with executives," she said.
Her involvement in the student association and her position as a student representative on the board of the American College of Healthcare Executives' (ACHE) local chapter provided her with invaluable experience that got her exposure to business environments, which she said built her confidence.
Cami Leech Florio made the opening remarks at the 2020 Brevard Heart Walk, as executive chairperson. (Photo courtesy of Leech Florio)
Leech Florio earned her MHA in 2007 and followed with her master of arts in bioethics and medical humanities from the USF Morsani College of Medicine in 2009.
After graduation, Leech Florio approached the president of the ACHE chapter and expressed her interest in staying involved, eventually becoming president of the local chapter.
“It all stemmed from my time as a student and being encouraged to get involved with
the student association,” she said.
Leech Florio soon started work for urgent care centers, the BayCare system and eventually a hospital system in Cocoa Beach,” she said.
Despite her success in hospital administration, Leech Florio felt a calling towards a different path. "At that point, I knew I didn't want to continue on the path of hospital administration. It just didn't seem like the right fit for me," she explained. This led her to a chief operating officer position and eventually the chief strategic officer position at a nonprofit hospice, where she found her work deeply fulfilling.
Cami Leech Florio visited Capitol Hill to lobby for updates to the Medicare benefits for hospice and palliative care. (Photo courtesy of Leech Florio)
“We had the honor of taking care of my dad in our home for the last six months of his life, which was a profound experience as a hospice professional,” she said. “To have my colleagues in my home helping me take care of my dad was very vulnerable in a lot of ways, and we took care of him in our home until he died.”
After that experience, Leech Florio said she knew it was time to come back to their
families in the Tampa Bay area.
In 2022, Leech Florio made the significant decision to become self-employed, a lifelong dream of hers, which combined every piece of her past with both public health and business administration concepts into her own businesses.
One of her ventures, Upspring Coaching, focuses on career and business coaching, primarily for health care leaders.
"Coaching and mentoring has been important to me and my own development,” she said. “It's something I've always done for my teams and through ACHE and other mentoring networks."
Her work also includes professional resume writing.
“That’s where my technical writing degree comes back in,” she said. “I'm a certified professional resume writer as well, so I write resumes, cover letters, professional bios and I help people with their interviewing skills.”
On the small business coaching side, Leech Florio helps other small business owners either launch or optimize their businesses.
She also opened a Pilates studio in Hernando County driven by her passion for Pilates and the lack of studios in her area. "We started small, but it grew very rapidly,” she said. “I spend close to 30 hours a week teaching Pilates in my studio and a fair amount of time managing the studio as well.”
Cami Leech Florio teaches private sessions in her Pilates studio, helping clients improve flexibility and proprioception. (Photo courtesy of Leech Florio)
Cami Leech Florio teaches private sessions in her Pilates studio, helping clients improve flexibility and proprioception. (Photo courtesy of Leech Florio)
Looking at the future, Leech Florio said she plans to expand her own businesses, offering more mentorship and training programs both on the Pilates side and on the business coaching side.
“It's interesting how what you do at one point in your career eventually translates over to the next phase, and it all fits together,” she said. “It's been 20 years since I started my program, but every time I go back to visit the COPH, it instantly feels like home, where it all began.”
Fast Five
What did you dream of becoming when you were young?
A dentist.
Where would we find you on the weekend?
Taking a day trip to a small, historic town, enjoying local businesses and restaurants.
What is the last book that you read?
“The Obstacle is the Way” by Ryan Holiday
What superpower would you like to have?
The ability to do complex math in my head.
What is your all-time favorite movie?
A League of their Own