On June 1, 2020 – the first day of her new role leading the revenue cycle at Tufts Medical Center – Nio Queiro walked into what felt like chaos. Outside, four blocks of people stood in the sweltering heat waiting for COVID-19 tests: elders in wheelchairs, parents with crying children, staff scrambling to hand out water and fans. The lines were so severe they were featured on CNN.
When Nio sat down with the CFO that morning, she didn’t ask what the numbers looked like. She said, “We have to fix this.” Within hours, hierarchy disappeared: titles aside, everyone was called in. What followed was more than problem-solving—it was transformation.
With pre-registration systems, numbering, and redesigned workflows, wait times plummeted from ninety minutes to thirteen, and eventually to five. In 2021, the initiative was honored as one of Modern Healthcare’s Top 25 Innovations. Nio accepted on behalf of the team, saying, “Innovation demands bold action – you fall on the sword. But it’s the team that makes the impossible possible.”
The Anatomy of Innovation
For Nio, innovation isn’t about awards. It’s about vision. “Creativity is seeing things as they could be, not just as they are,” she says. “Every situation has multiple lenses. Innovation happens when you find the opportunity in the gaps—and when people see the value in it, when they connect with it.”
Innovation, she explains, is not a linear process or a stroke of luck – it’s a mindset. It’s about critical thinking, refusing to accept things at face value, and leaning into failure as a teacher. “Failure isn’t the opposite of innovation—it’s part of it,” she insists. “You test, you learn, and you make it better.”
True innovators don’t wait for perfect conditions, they take action and create momentum. “You have to be willing to fall on the sword,” Nio says. “You’re the architect of your life, and you must be willing to take calculated risks to move projects, visions, and people forward.”
A Journey Across Lenses
Nio’s career is a testament to this mindset. She began in health information management, quickly moved into finance, and eventually transitioned into the business side of healthcare and consulting. Each shift demanded new perspectives and sharpened her ability to see problems from multiple angles.
Her path to senior leadership wasn’t without hurdles. Entering finance and executive roles in healthcare, she often found herself the only woman and minority in the room. Navigating biases and high expectations, she learned early that resilience, clarity, and courage were essential because the journey is not designed to praise or validate you, but to live an impactful purpose and to pave the way for others.
“As leaders, we can’t stay static,” she reflects. “We must always be in growth mode, engaging with like-minded leaders, learning, and allowing ourselves to be influenced. Innovation doesn’t happen in isolation. It happens when we connect, collaborate, and share ideas.”
This perspective resonates across industries, from women breaking into the C-suite, to entrepreneurs building from scratch, to graduates stepping into their first roles. Wherever they are, Nio believes leaders need to ask the same questions: Where do I get my insights? How intentional am I with my focus? What vision am I really leading toward?
Mentorship and Lifting Others
For Nio, leadership is inseparable from mentorship. She is passionate about helping other women break into the C-suite, take bold actions, eliminate limited beliefs, and claim the spaces they deserve. “I believe in lifting as you rise,” she says. “The success of others is not a threat—it’s proof that the path is possible for all of us.”
Bold Action, One Step at a Time
For many, bold action feels intimidating, like a leap into the unknown. Nio breaks it down with refreshing clarity: start small. “Every step gets you closer,” she explains. “You have to be willing to put fear aside, believe in yourself, and just move. Get a coach, find support—because often the only thing between you and your purpose is fear.”
Her formula is simple but profound:
Start behaving like the person you want to be.
Go after what you want.
If something doesn’t work, figure out why and build from there.
“You won’t become an innovator, leader, or successful entrepreneur without risk,” she emphasizes. “But if you believe it, receive it, and keep moving forward, everything changes.”
From Survival to Purpose
For all her professional achievements, Nio’s most profound innovation came from a deeply personal place. In 2021, she suffered two sudden cardiac arrests that forced her to confront life’s ultimate question: Why am I here?
That brush with death ignited a soul-searching journey. Her answer was purpose. First you have to survive and then you have to get back to what you do, move past the survival. You have to take a chance and take a risk on yourself. “I always had a drive—that was instilled in me by my parents.
But true purpose? That came later. Surviving changed me to live my authentic life, and not the version of my life others expected for me. I realized I needed to tell my story so other women could see that they, too, can transform their lives into what they’re meant to be.”
This awakening became the foundation of her book, Joy Notes—a deeply personal work blending story, healing, and leadership. Now, with its Spanish release on October 8th, Nio is taking that message even further.
As a proud Cuban-American, bringing Joy Notes to the Latina community is not only a milestone, but a mission. “This is for the women who grew up like me, who need to see themselves in these pages and know their voices matter,” she shares. “It’s my love letter to my heritage and a reminder that joy is universal—but so is our power to lead with it.”
Leading the Next Paradigm
In an era defined by disruption and uncertainty, Nio represents a new kind of leader—one who blends strategy with soul, innovation with humanity, and boldness with intentionality. She reminds us that innovation is not just about systems or technologies; it’s about people. It’s about seeing possibilities where others see obstacles.
As this October issue celebrates women leading with vision, Nio offers a final reminder: “Innovation happens when we believe in ourselves, when we connect, when we listen intentionally, and then move forward—one bold step at a time.”
✨ Pull-Quotes for the Feature Layout
“Creativity is seeing things as they could be, not just as they are.”
“You are the architect of your life—you must be willing to take calculated risks.”
“Failure isn’t the opposite of innovation—it’s part of it.”
“Innovation happens when we connect, collaborate, and share ideas.”
“Every step gets you closer—start small, believe, and keep moving.”
“I believe in lifting as you rise—the success of others is proof the path is possible.”
Name: Nio Queiro
Bio: Nio Queiro is a Cuban-American entrepreneur, speaker, and author who transforms lives through leadership, purpose, and innovation. With a career spanning healthcare, finance, and consulting, she is passionate about mentoring women and leaders to break barriers, embrace bold action, and create meaningful impact. Her book, Joy Notes (Spanish release, Notas de Alegria, October 8), chronicles her journey from near-death experiences to discovering her purpose, offering guidance for anyone ready to turn challenges into triumph.
