Natalie Sandall is a driven entrepreneur and experienced health-care provider with a passion for patient care. A dental hygienist in Syracuse, Utah, for nearly 25 years, she has translated her passion for clinical interactions into building her own company.
She is the co-founder of The Healthcare Advocates, a hands-on recruitment agency that she is growing in the Master of Business Creation (MBC) program at the University of Utah’s David Eccles School of Business. Her business provides staffing solutions by connecting skilled clinicians with care facilities, fostering partnerships that thoughtfully balance the needs of both providers and employers.
The Healthcare Advocates was co-founded by Sandall and her close friend, Nicole Price, after they spent time examining the challenges in the healthcare industry. They recognized that improving staffing consistency in medical facilities could create meaningful benefits for both clinicians and the organizations that rely on them. The founders recognized the opportunity to turn their insights into a viable business.
“Nicole came to me with the idea of starting a recruitment agency on her own, and it just made sense,” Sandall said. “In long-term care facilities, there’s such a shortage of workers. We felt that by starting a company, we could truly make a difference in this space.”
“Nicole brings an incredibly optimistic and competitive energy to the company,” Sandall said of her co-founder. “She’s a really good people person, then with my background in clinical interaction, and how to run a business, I came into the equation.” Sandall added that her husband, a fellow entrepreneur who owns two businesses, has also given her valuable insight into business operations what it takes to run a successful company.
Sandall enrolled in the Master of Business Creation program to gain the skills needed to build a strong foundation for her company.
“I wanted to learn how to structure a business correctly from the ground up, so we can propel it to where we want it to be,” she said. Reflecting on her early coursework, she recalled a pivotal article: “For one of my first assignments, I read an article that talked about how not just to play the game, but how to win.” That moment marked a turning point in her mindset, shifting her focus from simply entering the field to asking, “How can we develop a business that truly wins?”
Looking ahead, The Healthcare Advocates are working toward gaining passionate clinicians and facilities eager to join their mission and help scale their business. Sandall and her team have found particular success in places like Hawaii, where she said the healthcare culture emphasizes “treating patients more like family and less like patients.” This approach highlights the vital role of personalized care in fostering institutional harmony, reinforcing the value and necessity of the services that The Healthcare Advocates provide.
To learn more or inquire about The Healthcare Advocates, contact nsandall@thehcadvocates.com
