Building a People-First Healthcare Staffing Company: The Story of Justin Cuviello & Kyle Cuviello of Care Team Solutions
By: Hilario Caro, Talent Optimization at StaffBuffalo
In this energizing episode of the Pain Points Podcast, Lauren Lewis sat down with brothers Justin Cuviello and Kyle Cuviello, Co-Owners of Care Team Solutions, to explore how they built a national healthcare staffing company rooted in grit, authenticity, and people-first values. From cold calling and rejection to post-COVID industry whiplash, their story is a masterclass in resilience and leadership.
From Career Crossroads to Cofounders
Care Team Solutions began long before an office, a website, or even a business plan, it started with two brothers realizing they wanted something more than just another sales job.
Justin was working in healthcare and pharmaceutical sales, navigating the instability of startups. Kyle, coming off a long run in sales himself, found unexpected time off after a job ended. Instead of jumping back into traditional roles, they decided to take a calculated risk together.
What they knew for sure?
They understood sales, relationships, and hard work—the perfect foundation for launching a healthcare staffing agency. In 2014, Care Team Solutions was born.
Recruiting Is Sales, And They Hire Like It
A core pillar of their success is simple: recruiting is a sales job.
Not everyone wants to cold call, follow up, handle rejection, or negotiate day in and day out. Justin and Kyle are open about that from the beginning.
Their hiring philosophy is grounded in character, not just experience. They look for:
Grit and resilience
Coachability
Hunger and ambition
Strong communication skills
Cultural alignment
Experience comes second. As they put it, “Most people hire on experience and fire on character. We do the opposite.”
And it works! Because travel healthcare staffing moves fast and changes often it demands people who can thrive through discomfort.
Culture That’s Real, and not Ping-Pong Tables
The culture at Care Team Solutions is fun, energetic, and relaxed, but never superficial. Dogs in the office, happy hours, and couches mean nothing unless people are supported, motivated, and growing.
They structure culture around three essentials:
1. Pay – Fair, competitive, and tied to effort
2. Purpose – Knowing your work genuinely impacts nurses and hospitals
3. Potential – A clear path to earn more, grow more, and take on more
And through industry highs and lows, especially the post-COVID crash, they’ve kept culture strong by being honest, transparent, and always available to their team.
Surviving the Boom, Bust, and Rebuild
COVID brought massive growth to the travel nursing industry. Like many staffing firms, Care Team Solutions saw explosive demand, then a sharp contraction. It forced tough decisions about spending, hiring, and long-term planning.
Instead of panicking or scaling back too far, they focused on:
Refining their processes
Investing in the right talent
Rebuilding sustainably
Supporting existing staff through uncertainty
Their smartest move? Diversifying. Today their company includes travel nursing, allied health, physician recruiting, and clinical research staffing giving them stability no matter how the market shifts.
A People-First Approach to Supporting Nurses
What truly sets Care Team Solutions apart is how they treat their clinicians. They support nurses like human beings, not transactions.
They offer:
Access to a psychologist for short-term support
Early pay options
Student loan resources
A BSN adviser on staff to help navigate clinical challenges
Consistent, proactive communication
For nurses working high-stress jobs in ICUs, EDs, and trauma units, having someone in their corner matters—and it’s why so many stay with them contract after contract.
A Mission Rooted in Care
Justin and Kyle built Care Team Solutions with no corporate backing, no shortcuts, and no illusions about how hard it would be. Their success comes from showing up every day, treating people with respect, and never losing sight of their mission:
connect great clinicians with great opportunities, while building a company where people genuinely want to work.
At StaffBuffalo, we share those values. Businesses grow when people grow, and when leaders invest in culture, transparency, and meaningful relationships.
If the Cuviello brothers’ story inspires you, let’s talk. Whether you’re scaling a team or navigating change, we’re here to help you build strong, people-first workplaces that thrive.