In celebration of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, AdventHealth is recognizing team members who are pioneering new approaches to whole-person care delivery. The team members below share insights into what innovation looks like in their respective areas of work.
It's Much More Than Numbers
Anand Singh, director of consumer analytics at AdventHealth, believes innovation is the building block of an organization’s success. Singh and his team leverage insights from hospital visits and online and mobile interactions to provide valuable perspectives to AdventHealth leaders.
With the organization’s aspiration to be a consumer-focused connected network in mind, he worked with his team to create dashboards to report on 60 performance metrics.
“Seeing the hundreds of leaders who use these dashboards each month makes me proud,” he said.
While Singh’s work is about numbers, he understands that it's much more than that. He is passionate about creating “happiness,” which is the meaning behind his Indian name, Anand. For him, “happiness” means empowering patients and communities to own their wholeness journey.
"The data we provide directly impacts lives, so it’s important to focus on the human side, such as improving patient call waiting times,” he said.
Before presenting reports, Singh ensures that the data is meaningful, actionable and proactive, helping leaders make informed decisions about the people they serve.
Committed to Delivering Value
"The journey to excellence never ends,” said Hui Jiang-Saldana, MD. Dr. Jiang-Saldana was inspired by her father to pursue a career in medicine, starting her career as an OB-GYN physician in her native country, China. As the chief strategic performance officer for AdventHealth’s West Florida Division, Dr. Jiang-Saldana remains committed to delivering value to patients.
“As a physician, I’m often asking myself what works best for the patient in my decisions,” she said.
Dr. Jiang-Saldana believes effective communication with clinical and non-clinical teams is key to anticipating needs and providing solutions.
Under her leadership, her team introduced several strategic improvements, including establishing a centralized agency management process to meet the pandemic-related staffing needs of facilities. This effort resulted in significant savings and enhanced care delivery.
She also advocated for best practices in patient blood management, surgical capacity efficiency and emergency lab turnaround time – areas where she says every minute counts.
"I cherish the bond with my team and the trust we’ve established,” she said. “We’re always working on new ideas, and there’s a lot of collaboration with other teams across our organization.”
Inspired by Father's Journey
Jessica Jacobs' father's journey inspires her to contribute to health care excellence. When her father needed emergency care a day before her wedding, the exceptional care provided by the AdventHealth Celebration team enabled him to walk her down the aisle.
This pivotal moment drives Jacobs to use her talents to promote hope, healing and joy to team members and the people AdventHealth serves.
As the executive director of strategy for AdventHealth's operations in Florida, Jacobs collaborates with senior leaders to develop and implement several strategic initiatives, including expanding the system’s footprint and strengthening service lines to provide excellent care, just like her father received.
Jacobs said that her background at the AdventHealth Leadership Institute, which includes her involvement in creating the “Leading in AdventHealth” program, has transformed her development.
"Each experience we designed was eye-opening, enabling me to gain a deeper understanding of myself and the significance of establishing meaningful relationships," she said.
Jacobs, a first-generation Indian-American who comes from a family of health care workers, said, "I'm grateful to accept my calling in health care and help fulfill our mission.”
Compassion Is Key to Care
Vivina Maninang, a nurse manager at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth La Grange, describes her father’s Alzheimer’s diagnosis as a defining moment in her 25-year nursing career.
Having learned about the condition’s challenging symptoms, she traveled to the Philippines, her home country, to comfort her mother.
This experience motivated her to find new ways to help Alzheimer’s patients. Maninang and her team introduced specialty beds with safety indicators, painted Alzheimer’s patients’ rooms with calming colors, displayed their care plans on large whiteboards, and provided geriatric recliner chairs for enhanced comfort and mobility.
“Change is the only constant thing in life,” she said. “Getting to know our patients and treating them with uncommon compassion is key to providing excellent care.”
Maninang’s sister, who was also a nurse, inspired her to pursue a career in the field.
Today, Maninang believes fostering collaboration among her team is essential in care delivery and promotes one-on-one meetings and safety huddles.
“I’ve witnessed several innovations among our teams, but one thing that has remained consistent over the years is AdventHealth’s unique mission,” she added.
A Conversation About Cultural Upbringing and Work
In the video below, Joel George, executive director of retail services, discusses the unique aspects of innovation and what it means throughout the construction and design phase and, ultimately, in clinical and patient outcomes. George is joined by Victoria Navarro, vice president of construction and design, and Samuel Bae, MD, general surgeon at the Lake Mary Health Park, to talk about their cultural upbringings and how it plays into their everyday work.