Cristy Castaneda is a seasoned healthcare executive and the Founder of Vital Impact Solutions (VIS), a consulting firm specializing in strategy and execution for mission-driven organizations in healthcare and beyond. With over 35 years of experience, Cristy has successfully led programmatic implementations and expansions across a range of industries, including healthcare, travel, aviation, banking, and automotive.
Prior to launching VIS, Cristy served as Senior Director of Change Management at Simply Healthcare Plans, where she oversaw Marketing, Community Outreach, Social Services, the Project Management Office (PMO), and Internal Communications. Her leadership was instrumental in driving growth and operational excellence. Among her accomplishments: establishing a statewide PMO, designing and implementing internal communications and change management model for 2,000 employees improving the organizations culture, and supporting three major health plan acquisition initiatives that resulted in nearly 95,000 new Medicaid members in under two years. She also led the launch of Simply’s first brick-and-mortar community resource center.
Cristy has been deeply involved in advancing health equity and improving access to care, particularly for underserved communities across Florida. She managed a multi-million-dollar grantmaking portfolio to fund community-based partnerships, served on Simply Healthcare’s Foundation Committee directing investments into education, housing, mental health, food insecurity, maternal health, and more, and was a key member of the organization’s Emergency Management Committee, helping to coordinate disaster response and strengthen community resilience statewide.
Today, through VIS, Cristy offers expert support in building scalable PMO’s, business development, marketing and communications and AI enablement. She specializes in guiding organizations through Medicaid and Medicare strategies in Florida specifically for the SMMC contract, community-based partnerships and compliance government regulations.
Beyond her leadership roles, Cristy is a devoted wife, mother, and caregiver who enjoys travel and lifelong learning. She is passionate about humanizing the workplace, bridging generational gaps, community advocacy, and mentoring the next generation of leaders.
Board Affiliations:
Junior Achievement of South Florida
Easterseals of South Florida
