Lee Tafoya

About Lee Tafoya

Lee A. Tafoya is a healthcare and business development professional based in St. Louis, Missouri. He currently serves as a Business Development Executive at Midwest Innovation Laboratory, where he focuses on client acquisition, logistics improvement, and service recovery for diagnostic services.

Tafoya holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from The George Washington University and a Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy and Psychology from the University of Colorado Denver. His early career began in clinical nursing, where he gained experience in medical-psychiatric care and later advanced to roles in clinical research.

He is recognized for his work in immunology and hematology, particularly for his role in stem cell apheresis during Dendreon cancer trials, where he achieved a 100% procedural success rate. His clinical background includes work in pulmonology, nephrology, and rare immunologic conditions.

In leadership roles, Tafoya served as Clinical Director and Assistant Director of Nursing for home health and hospice agencies. He focused on reducing hospital readmission rates, improving patient care processes, and ensuring compliance with regulatory standards.

His transition into business development was driven by an interest in healthcare systems improvement. In his current role, he develops partnerships with healthcare providers and private practices, applying root cause analysis to streamline operations and improve service delivery.

Tafoya also volunteers with International Medical Relief, providing care to underserved populations. Outside of work, he has interests in philosophy, guitar, hiking, and dog training. His interdisciplinary background supports a systems-based approach to healthcare and operations strategy.