When Kirk Leonardelli became CEO of Surgical Solutions, he adopted a “move very quickly” approach to reverse the company’s high employee turnover and create growth.
“I really felt like I had the right team I could put together to take something that is not doing really well, but grow it exponentially,” CEO Kirk Leonardelli said.
It’s paying off. Since he stepped into the job about a year-and-a-half ago, he has led the surgery services and staffing company through a lot of change, and fast. He moved its headquarters from Chicago to Overland Park, where it works from 5,000 square feet in Lighton Plaza at 7400 College Blvd. He assembled an entirely new executive team, growing the local operation from zero to 11 employees in the first year.
Most recently, the company announced the consolidation of its leadership team with Gimmi, a German surgical instrument company. Both companies, which will continue to operate independently, are part of Grupo Vitalmex, a health care services provider based in Mexico City.
The move sets the stage for Surgical Solutions to expand its national presence in the U.S. and abroad, since Gimmi sells to 69 countries.
Leonardelli became CEO and chairman of the board for Gimmi. Three Surgical Solutions executives also joined the global leadership team. For now, Leonardelli is focused on bringing Gimmi’s surgical instruments to Surgical Solutions clients in the U.S. The team has FDA approvals for roughly 10 Gimmi products.
Their combined staff will be roughly 400 globally, around 50 based in its location in Tuttlingen, Germany — where over 50% of the world’s medical devices for surgeries are produced, Leonardelli said. He doesn’t plan to change the company’s branding, since both have strong brand recognition in their geographic markets.
Employee satisfaction
Surgical Solutions’ employees are part of perioperative care for surgeries. Essentially, they perform the nonclinical aspects of care, like cleaning surgical instruments or preparing patients for surgery. They also fill roles for tax managers or hospital directors. While they’re not glamorous jobs, they’re essential for ensuring positive patient outcomes, he said.
“We do all the jobs that no one else really wants to do,” Leonardelli said. They’re hard roles to fill. Employee turnover rates range from 35-60% annually, Leonardelli said. It’s difficult for hospitals to fill positions themselves, partly because they’re on the lower end of the pay scale. But this past year, Surgical Solutions saw record-high satisfaction rates from its employees. The turnover rate dropped below 20%”.
“On my first day on the job, I walked in and I said: We’re going to focus on the culture and our people,” Leonardelli said.
Surgical Solutions isn’t a short-term staffing solution. All of its hospital contracts last between three to five years, which allows workers to get to know the community and ensures their jobs don’t disappear, Leonardelli said.
“That allows us to staff hospitals with local individuals who use their hospitals, who live in the community and who serve the community.” Leonardelli said. “That’s a huge differentiator between us and staffing companies.”
Adding talent in Kansas City
Surgical Solutions, founded in 2007, has 350 employees across more than 40 hospitals in the U.S. With the Gimmi deal, Leonardelli anticipates that number could grow closer to 70 or 80 hospitals by the end of the year.
Currently, Surgical Solutions operates in 12 states. Before he accepted his role, Leonardelli negotiated moving the company’s headquarters from Chicago to Overland Park. He’s lived in Kansas City for almost 40 years and is a Kansas State University alumnus. His wife was also adamant they wouldn’t leave the area. Before Surgical Solutions, Leonardelli worked in senior roles in the healthcare and medical devices industries, including Labcorp and Bayer.
Australis Partners is the private-equity owner for Surgical Solutions. “When you’re in the corporate Fortune 500 world, it’s a lot more red tape, a lot more committee meetings to make decisions,” Leonardelli said of becoming CEO of Surgical Solutions. “The opportunity to lead inside of a private equity-backed company, and have the autonomy to build the team was very unique.”
The company’s been on a significant growth streak since Leonardelli took over. In fiscal year 2024, he increased its run rate revenue by 112%. He anticipates a 125% increase in run rate revenue for fiscal year 2025. He declined to disclose specific revenue figures. By the end of 2025, Leonardelli expects to expand his corporate team to 20 employees. Surgical Solutions plans to open a warehouse, logistics and training facility in Kansas City within the next 12 to 18 months. The expansion could create anywhere from 10 to 50 jobs in the next few years, Leonardelli said.
Leonardelli plans to scout out real estate in June. The new space will house, assemble and repair surgical devices and Gimmi products. “We’re definitely working to bring in more employees into the Kansas City office,” he said.
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