Diana Erdmann
Episode 131

Narrator: Welcome friends, to another episode of The Story and Experience podcast. Join your host, Japhet De Oliveira with his guest today, and discover the moments that shape us, our families and communities.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, welcome, friends, to another episode of The Story and Experience podcast. I'm here at Adventist Health Portland, in Oregon, and I'm sitting across with this guest who's very excited about being here. They are smiling in anticipation, and it'll be fun. It'll be fun. If you're brand new to the podcast, we have a hundred questions. They become progressively more vulnerable and more open the closer you get to 100, and they're questions about stories and experiences that shape this person into the leader that they are today. So I'll begin with the first 10 and then I'll hand over to you to be able to answer, or pick numbers so we can answer the questions. Got all tongue-tied there. All right, let's begin with your first name. Could you actually tell us your name, not your first name. Could you tell us your name and does anybody ever mispronounce it?

Diana Erdmann: My name is Diana Erdman and the only mispronunciation I get is sometimes I get to be a Diane.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, really?

Diana Erdmann: And I don't know that I like that, so I correct.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay.

Diana Erdmann: Diane sounds much older.

Japhet De Oliveira: Diana, instead of Diane, I'm going to let all the Diane's out there know that they don't sound much older, but that's really funny. That's great. Okay. Diana, tell me, what do you do for work?

Diana Erdmann: I am the PC at Adventist Health Portland, so I'm the patient care executive. So oversight over all of the nursing teams, and respiratory therapy, and pharmacy.

Japhet De Oliveira: So that would be like the equivalent of a CNO?

Diana Erdmann: CNO, yep.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. Chief Nursing Officer, same thing, but in this company it's PC. You enjoy it?

Diana Erdmann: I love it.

Japhet De Oliveira: You love it. Oh good. How long have you been doing this?

Diana Erdmann: So I've been in this role since January of 2023, but I've been with Adventist Health Portland for just a little over 18 years.

Japhet De Oliveira: 18 years. That's amazing.

Diana Erdmann: It's awesome.

Japhet De Oliveira: You've been a nurse the entire time, administration as well a bit?

Diana Erdmann: Yeah. I started as a brand new nurse on the medical unit, third floor. So I still think of that as my home base, and I've had many opportunities to grow into this role here.

Japhet De Oliveira: I've got to ask, how did you end up becoming a nurse?

Diana Erdmann: Okay. It's pretty cool.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh yeah. Okay. All right.

Diana Erdmann: We're going to go back. I moved to America in 1990. I was born in Romania.

Japhet De Oliveira: I was going to ask you where you were born, but you beat me to that. All right.

Diana Erdmann: Oh, I apologize.

Japhet De Oliveira: No, no, no. It's great. You were born in Romania. You moved to America. Okay.

Diana Erdmann: I moved to America and my parents, which is not uncommon for the Romanian culture, is they started an adult foster home business. So we took care of elderly patients in our house. So I grew up watching my mom and dad take care of these elderly people with, like they were our own. So with kindness, compassion, and so I was drawn to caregiving. So I finished high school and I went right into nursing school.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. This is probably politically incorrect, but it's just a little bit fun. I heard Romanians are very hard-working. Is this true?

Diana Erdmann: A hundred percent.

Japhet De Oliveira: A hundred percent.

Diana Erdmann: My mom and dad worked 24/7.

Japhet De Oliveira: This is what I've heard. Romanians, like they work every hour there is.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, it's true.

Diana Erdmann: It's true. They work 24/7 caring for people up until they retired a couple of years ago.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Diana Erdmann: So a lot of my work ethic comes from having watched them. They're incredible.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. Now, harder question.

Diana Erdmann: Okay.

Japhet De Oliveira: You've got a heart, you've got to like this work ethic, really strong. Do you expect everyone else to have the same kind of work ethic?

Diana Erdmann: Yes. No. No, I don't. No, I don't. No. I allow a lot of grace. I don't think, I don't think that's reasonable.

Japhet De Oliveira: But you enjoy it.

Diana Erdmann: I do enjoy it. And I think that's what allows me to work as hard as I do. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, I'm glad you're doing this for us. Thank you so much. That's fantastic. All right, so you were asked where you were born. When you were a child then, is that when you saw the idea of going to, this is what you imagined when you were a child, you were going to be in medical field, some kind of form?

Diana Erdmann: Yes, I did. Except I thought I was going to be a doctor, taking care of kids, but I've only seen healthy kids in my lifetime, so sick kids are a whole different situation. So yes, I always imagined myself in healthcare. I just never knew quite the path I would take.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. When you get up in the morning, now, a practical question. First drink of the day. Water, coffee, liquid green smoothie, tea. What do you have?

Diana Erdmann: Coffee. A hundred percent. And I mean, within minutes of being up.

Japhet De Oliveira: Intravenously. Okay. Do you have black coffee?

Diana Erdmann: A little cream. Yeah, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Straight away. All right, brilliant.

Diana Erdmann: Straight away.

Japhet De Oliveira: And then, are you an early riser or a late night owl?

Diana Erdmann: I get up around 6:00 AM, but having listened to other people, that's not that early.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's true. Some people.

Diana Erdmann: Some overachievers on this podcast.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. Okay. That's fine. That's fine. When you woke up at six, half day was done.

Diana Erdmann: Totally. That's what I felt like, and I pride myself on getting up early. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: What was the first thought that went through your mind?

Diana Erdmann: Today? Well, it's a Monday, so Mondays are a little anticipatory of the week ahead. I knew we were going to have this taping and lots of meetings with my direct reports. So just kind of thinking about the day ahead, I looked at my calendar, trying to really center myself for the day. Gave a little pause and a little prayer for some of the conversations I was going to have today.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that's good. That's good. Now, if people were to describe your personality, would they describe you as an introvert, as an extrovert, and would you agree with them, Diana?

Diana Erdmann: Oh yeah. Introvert has never been used to describe me ever.

Japhet De Oliveira: Whatever. Okay.

Diana Erdmann: Extrovert, super sarcastic.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, great.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah. Awesome.

Japhet De Oliveira: Looking forward to the next numbers. All right.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah. I thrive, which is probably why I love my role. It's all about the people.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Hey, that's great. That's great. All right, I think we are ready to move on to where you get to pick numbers.

Diana Erdmann: Already?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Oh no, I actually have one more.

Diana Erdmann: Okay. I was like, wow, we moved through that.

Japhet De Oliveira: I know. I have one more. Okay. This is a leadership question. Are you a backseat driver?

Diana Erdmann: Okay. Am I a backseat driver? So I'm fairly new in this role, and so I feel like-

Japhet De Oliveira: You've been a leader of many.

Diana Erdmann: But I've been a leader many years. So I think it depends on if I know the course, I know where we're going, but I'm happy to take a backseat, especially when I'm surrounded by content experts and leaders who have done this before me.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, that's good. Good. Super. Right. The floor is open. Where would you like to go next?

Diana Erdmann: Okay. Anywhere from 11 to a hundred grand.

Japhet De Oliveira: 11 to 100. The floor is open.

Diana Erdmann: We'll just kind of jump along. 15.

Japhet De Oliveira: 15. All right, brilliant. Here we go. What's the one thing that you always misplace?

Diana Erdmann: Well, I'd like to say my phone, but it's usually on me.

Japhet De Oliveira: So you misplace yourself?

Diana Erdmann: I misplaced myself. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. So not really.

Diana Erdmann: Not really.

Japhet De Oliveira: Not really. Okay.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah, my badge. It's always either in my car, in my purse. I'm always shuffling around for it.

Japhet De Oliveira: Do you ever have to wear the badge of shame?

Diana Erdmann: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yes. That's where you wear a badge. If you come to the hospital and you wear a badge, you're like, "Oh, I forgot mine." Yeah.

Diana Erdmann: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. All right.

Diana Erdmann: And then Chapsticks. I like to have Chapsticks in every purse, and on my car and my desk. So you will find Chapsticks everywhere.

Japhet De Oliveira: You have a Chapstick disorder?

Diana Erdmann: A little bit.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, that's great. All right, that was 15. Where next?

Diana Erdmann: Okay, we'll just hop right along. 25.

Japhet De Oliveira: 25. All right. Oh, share the most beautiful thing you've ever seen.

Diana Erdmann: Wow. Ever?

Japhet De Oliveira: Ever. So far.

Diana Erdmann: Okay. I always think the sunrise at the beach. I'm a walker. I love to walk. So anywhere that I vacation, I love to be up early and walk-

Japhet De Oliveira: At six o'clock.

Diana Erdmann: At six o'clock, which I guess it's not that early, but you'll always find me walking in the morning regardless, wherever.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's nice.

Diana Erdmann: So I like to be up with the sun.

Japhet De Oliveira: The sunrise or sunset?

Diana Erdmann: Sunrise.

Japhet De Oliveira: Sunrise.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good. That's good.

Diana Erdmann: Sunset should be in bed.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's fair enough. All right, that's 25. Where next?

Diana Erdmann: Okay. 35.

Japhet De Oliveira: 35. Oh. Share about a special interest or unique talent that you have.

Diana Erdmann: Interest or unique talent. Well, I mean I speak sarcasm pretty fluently. It's probably not the...

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Whoopie-doo.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah. Who doesn't?

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, I don't know. Some people are very good at it.

Diana Erdmann: Interest. I try to take up golf, and I have no talent or interest, I decided, in it, so I'm going to try it again later in life. I wanted to really like it and I wanted that to be my special interest, and it just wasn't.

Japhet De Oliveira: Did you like the image of yourself playing golf? Is that what it was?

Diana Erdmann: Yes, absolutely. And riding around in the cart.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, that's what it was. It's the cart.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: You could do that without the golf.

Diana Erdmann: Golf is really complicated.

Japhet De Oliveira: It is.

Diana Erdmann: I took a lesson, went to the driving range and I gave up.

Japhet De Oliveira: Are you a very patient person?

Diana Erdmann: No, not necessarily. I know. Shocking.

Japhet De Oliveira: Kind of shocked. Okay. Because golf apparently requires some patience.

Diana Erdmann: That's what my husband said. He said, "You should go get some lessons."

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good.

Diana Erdmann: But I wanted to love it. Yeah,

Japhet De Oliveira: You wanted to love it. All right, well maybe next round.

Diana Erdmann: Yep.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, where next?

Diana Erdmann: Okay, we'll go to the 40s. 42.

Japhet De Oliveira: 42. Photo on your phone. Background photo.

Diana Erdmann: Okay.

Japhet De Oliveira: What is the photo and why?

Diana Erdmann: Okay, let's look. It's my family.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, lovely.

Diana Erdmann: It must have changed over actually, because-

Japhet De Oliveira: You don't control it.

Diana Erdmann: Well, I think I must have done it.

Japhet De Oliveira: Unbeknownst to yourself.

Diana Erdmann: Yes. But currently it's of my husband and my kids. It was our Christmas card, but I had just changed it. We had just vacationed in the Bahamas for spring break, so I had done the sun setting and my husband and I. So I love being at the beach.

Japhet De Oliveira: You did your Christmas photo now. Are you a planner?

Diana Erdmann: Yeah. What?

Japhet De Oliveira: Wow.

Diana Erdmann: A hundred percent.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Okay. That's pretty good. Hey, beautiful photo of your family. That's fantastic.

Diana Erdmann: Thank you.

Japhet De Oliveira: Good. All right. That was 42.

Diana Erdmann: That was easy. That was an easy 42.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, you may be surprised that they're not all, I don't know where you've heard this. I think they're great questions.

Diana Erdmann: They're amazing. Yeah, it's super.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, where next.

Diana Erdmann: Okay. 48.

Japhet De Oliveira: 48. Oh dear. No, no, I'm kidding.

Diana Erdmann: No. Okay. I saw your expression.

Japhet De Oliveira: I'm kidding. Tell us about your best personality trait.

Diana Erdmann: Well, we talked about it a little bit earlier. I'm very outgoing. I haven't met a stranger I didn't befriend. It becomes really important I think in this role, as well as the connections I'm able to make with my team, with families, with our patients. My family actually teases that no matter where I go, there's always somebody I know, and I think I'm very intentional about if I see somebody out in public to really connect with them.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great. And that must be great for patients as well.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah, I love it. And I think that's what I love about the Portland community, is that we live here, we serve here, and I get to see them not only in this building, but when I step foot outside in the community.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great. That's great. Not everybody likes that.

Diana Erdmann: No.

Japhet De Oliveira: Right. Some people want to leave and go be themselves, but you enjoy seeing your patients, and people, and community in the stores and everywhere.

Diana Erdmann: A hundred percent.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah, I love it.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great.

Diana Erdmann: Now patients, I do respect their privacy, so I will say that.

Japhet De Oliveira: So you don't go up to patients say, "I saw you."

Diana Erdmann: No. So I'm talking more about my team.

Japhet De Oliveira: Right. If they come to you though, you're very happy.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah, a hundred percent. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: You should listen, all the patients.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: She's welcome. All right. All right, where next then?

Diana Erdmann: All right. 52.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, share what motivates you?

Diana Erdmann: Okay. Just in work, in life, in general, all the things?

Japhet De Oliveira: Sure.

Diana Erdmann: I think there's certain things that motivate me at work and there's different things that motivate me-

Japhet De Oliveira: Let's try both.

Diana Erdmann: ... at home. So at work I'm motivated by great outcomes for our patients. So anything I do and put my effort into, is it boosting employee engagement? Is it making this a place they want to work? Is it improving outcomes? Is it improving the experience? So that motivates me.

Japhet De Oliveira: Do you like measuring all this stuff?

Diana Erdmann: I do like measuring it and I also like feelings. Which feelings aren't measured as quite as well.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's right.

Diana Erdmann: So there's a good balance between spreadsheets and data, and then I think feelings are important as well in the work we do.

Japhet De Oliveira: Very much so.

Diana Erdmann: The business of people. And then at home, I'm motivated by, I love watching my kids accomplish things, and I love watching them develop into the young people that they are. My daughter heads off to college in the fall. Huge. Lots of feelings to process there, but I'm motivated to watch her develop and find out who she's going to be.

Japhet De Oliveira: It's a big chapter, isn't it?

Diana Erdmann: Huge.

Japhet De Oliveira: What would you say to parents who are all experiencing the same thing? So many who are going to experience it this fall as well, like you.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: What words or wisdom would you share with them?

Diana Erdmann: I think taking a-

Japhet De Oliveira: Go with them.

Diana Erdmann: Go with them. Yeah. Find a dorm nearby. Go work at a hospital near. I think I've just learned to enjoy the moments I do have with them here. I think my kids have always been a part of everything we do. We traveled together, we spend a ton of time together, so I don't feel like I've missed out on much over the last 18 years. And then celebrating a ton of firsts and a ton of lasts this year. So looking at pretty graduation announcements and college acceptance essays, all the things, and it's really hard to pause and enjoy those. I think we get caught up in the mechanics of moving through, but learning to be present and celebrate it with them, it's a huge deal. If I get sad, I'll make her sad.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Yeah. That's a really good balance between, what did you say? You said mechanics of everything and being present, which is I guess the emotional side of it and the data side of it.

Diana Erdmann: Yep.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, that's good.

Diana Erdmann: So I'm very excited for them. Yep.

Japhet De Oliveira: Good, good. All right. Where next?

Diana Erdmann: Okay, we did 52. 65.

Japhet De Oliveira: 65. Oh, share one word that would describe your past, and then unpack that word.

Diana Erdmann: My past?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, your entire life to this day.

Diana Erdmann: My entire life is one word.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, one word.

Diana Erdmann: That is a question I should have looked at.

Japhet De Oliveira: It's good.

Diana Erdmann: Learning. I have spent a lifetime learning and a lot of it came that life wasn't how I planned it. My daughter had actually asked me last week if I thought I would end up in this position. And I thought no, I went to school to become a nurse and provide care at the bedside. And I've allowed for a ton of learning opportunities along the way. I've learned to be curious. I've learned to ask a lot of questions, and a lot of it has gotten me in trouble, and landed me in new positions, because they're like, "She wants to know more."

Japhet De Oliveira: Too inquisitive.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah, too inquisitive. Yeah. So learning. I've learned, and I've learned that life's not predictable,

Japhet De Oliveira: But this community enjoys the inquisitive side.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, they do. They do. Yeah, they do. Which is great. So that's fantastic. All right, good. Where next?

Diana Erdmann: Wow. Okay.

Japhet De Oliveira: So you like-

Diana Erdmann: Am I only going up or can go back?

Japhet De Oliveira: No, you can go up and down. Freedom anywhere.

Diana Erdmann: Freedom anywhere.

Japhet De Oliveira: Between 11 and 100.

Diana Erdmann: Wow. Okay. Well let's go back to the 20s.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, sure.

Diana Erdmann: What did we do? 22?

Japhet De Oliveira: 22. If you could be anywhere right now, where would you be?

Diana Erdmann: Anywhere right now. Well, given that it's a little bit of a rainy day in Portland and I try to do my-

Japhet De Oliveira: Every day.

Diana Erdmann: ... my walk at lunchtime with a couple of my team members.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, nice.

Diana Erdmann: I'd love to be somewhere sunny.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh yeah.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah. And warm.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yes.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Humid or dry?

Diana Erdmann: Oh, dry.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. That was rather quick.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right.

Diana Erdmann: So just somewhere sunny, but I do love being here.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. All right. That's good. All right. Where next?

Diana Erdmann: Okay. 70.

Japhet De Oliveira: 70. All right, let's go there. Oh, tell us about one thing. This is great for you. Tell us about one thing that you were determined to accomplish?

Diana Erdmann: That I was determined to-

Japhet De Oliveira: That you are determined to accomplish.

Diana Erdmann: Oh, well, we already talked about golf, so I'm just going to have to write that off.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, absolutely. Put that over for the last.

Diana Erdmann: Okay. My son has gotten into hiking, so last summer we did a number of local hikes, and exploring the Gorge, and exploring all of Portland has to offer. And so, this year he'd like to do St. Helens, and it's a bit of a trek, because it's for every step you take up, you fall back two. I am committed to doing that this summer with him.

Japhet De Oliveira: Is that where the mountain exploded, and there's a trail up there?

Diana Erdmann: Yeah. And it's called, I can't remember. It's some term for the ash, so it catches you as you hike up. So literally you take one step up.

Japhet De Oliveira: I think I've only been there years, 20 years ago when it was just a viewing place. So there's actually a trail.

Diana Erdmann: There's a trail. I can't recall how many miles it is, but it takes about all day and you have to prepare a little bit. So that's my goal. For the summer

Japhet De Oliveira: Goal. For your son or for you?

Diana Erdmann: Well for both.

Japhet De Oliveira: For both, okay. All right.

Diana Erdmann: I'm going to do it.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Yeah, that's good. Hey.

Diana Erdmann: It's not technical. I think it's just more of a mindset.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh yeah.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, good. All right, where next. That's number 70.

Diana Erdmann: Okay. That was 70. What about 57?

Japhet De Oliveira: 57. If you had to endorse a brand, what would it be and why?

Diana Erdmann: Well, I'm from Portland, so Nike is, did everyone endorse Nike?

Japhet De Oliveira: There may have been another person who may have Nike as well. That question may have come up to one person.

Diana Erdmann: I know, Nike, which is crazy. If you step outside of Portland, there's many other shoe brands that-

Japhet De Oliveira: There are. You're not even allowed to say their names, they're like sacrilegious.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah, I do have a Adidas on today, but yes, Nike is such a Portland thing.

Japhet De Oliveira: So not supporting the brand.

Diana Erdmann: No. Today, yeah. You can't go into the Nike employee store if you have anything but Nike on.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Diana Erdmann: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Wow. Okay.

Diana Erdmann: So Nike is just the quintessential Portland brand. You can't.

Japhet De Oliveira: Faithful to you. Well done. Well done.

Diana Erdmann: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: Thank you. All right, where next?

Diana Erdmann: Wow. Okay, let's do 37.

Japhet De Oliveira: 37. All right. Oh my goodness me. All right then, I'll give you this one. What do you like most about your family?

Diana Erdmann: About my family. That they're hilarious.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, that's good.

Diana Erdmann: That I created mini mes. I kid you not, my daughter looks like a replica.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh really?

Diana Erdmann: Yeah. That's really cool. And she's just as sassy.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh yeah?

Diana Erdmann: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really fantastic.

Diana Erdmann: I love that. Yeah, I love that we can be together, enjoy the same things. My husband and kids work out at the same CrossFit gym, and so they're passionate about working out. They're all involved in our church work, so just, they're good people.

Japhet De Oliveira: Not everybody has as close-knit family as you do, right? So words of encouragement or wisdom would you say? "We learned this and it made our family come together, stronger."

Diana Erdmann: Yeah. We learned to have grace for each other and I think we did that. COVID made my kids grow up pretty fast. I was a director of the inpatient unit, so I spent a lot of time at the hospital, and I gave a lot to the hospital, and while they were at home managing, learning on their own, and I learned to have grace, because I think I could have been a lot more present during that time.

Japhet De Oliveira: Wow.

Diana Erdmann: So I'm making up for lost time now.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good. Good for you. A good word as well. Good word. Okay, where next?

Diana Erdmann: Wow. Do I want to jump into the 80s at first?

Japhet De Oliveira: Sure, let's go.

Diana Erdmann: 81. 81.

Japhet De Oliveira: Wow. So stressful.

Diana Erdmann: I know.

Japhet De Oliveira: No, it's not. I'm just like harping here. I don't know if I can ask this. What is something you've given you absolute best effort towards and why was it so important? See, not hard.

Diana Erdmann: No, that's not hard. I do think raising my kids, I think always that has been my number one priority. Even in all the roles I've had and as demanding as they've been, I've always wanted to make sure that they knew that they came first. Whether that meant me having to come in after dinner to come back to work or come in on the weekends. But I wanted to make sure I never missed their activities. That was important to me. Whether it was a band concert, that was awful to listen to.

Japhet De Oliveira: Tell me which one is good to listen to?

Diana Erdmann: The recorder, you know when they're going through that phase.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, I remember.

Diana Erdmann: But I really try to be at every basketball game, every school performance. I think that I have given a hundred percent to that.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well done. Well done. You've created life memories.

Diana Erdmann: Yep.

Japhet De Oliveira: Good. All right, we're next after 81?

Diana Erdmann: 81. Okay, let's do an easy one. Maybe like 18.

Japhet De Oliveira: 18? Sure. If you had to eat just one meal, right, for a month, the same meal, three meals a day, what would that one meal be?

Diana Erdmann: Tacos, chips, and salsa. A hundred percent. Every meal.

Japhet De Oliveira: Every meal.

Diana Erdmann: But just for a month, and then I'd have to be done.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, you have to be done, because you won't live beyond that. Okay.

Diana Erdmann: I'd have to do a cleanse after that.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, that's good. I didn't say you could have water, but no.

Diana Erdmann: Just a diet Coke with it.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, where next?

Diana Erdmann: Okay, well that was a fun one. What about 17, is 17 as fun?

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, share what day is the most special in the calendar as a whole, and why. The whole year.

Diana Erdmann: The entire year?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Diana Erdmann: Okay. I love Thanksgiving.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah?

Diana Erdmann: I love cooking a giant meal. I love having everyone over and I love that there's no gifts. It's just getting to enjoy a meal and the time together. And I do miss the days where you could go pick up the newspaper with all the sales. Even though I never liked Black Friday shopping. For some reason I liked perusing the-

Japhet De Oliveira: The newspaper.

Diana Erdmann: The newspaper, that was so-

Japhet De Oliveira: And have all the ink on your fingers afterwards.

Diana Erdmann: Yes. There was something-

Japhet De Oliveira: It feels so good, doesn't it?

Diana Erdmann: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: No it doesn't.

Diana Erdmann: I don't love the digital world. I love that tradition.

Japhet De Oliveira: Do you only buy physical books then?

Diana Erdmann: I do like physical books. I will read on my phone.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, you're so brave.

Diana Erdmann: I know. My eyes are getting a little squinty at times, but I do. I love a book.

Japhet De Oliveira: I'm so proud of you. Well done for joining our century. Okay, so all right, where next?

Diana Erdmann: Okay. That was a fun one. 29.

Japhet De Oliveira: 29. Oh, share three things that make you instantly happy.

Diana Erdmann: Coffee. A diet Coke.

Japhet De Oliveira: A diet Coke.

Diana Erdmann: And a walk outside.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay.

Diana Erdmann: I love walking.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, so coffee, diet Coke, and a walk. Is that the order?

Diana Erdmann: No, no. It can be any mix of those at any given given time.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay.

Diana Erdmann: Walking, I'm going to just sidebar for a minute, and then you can bring me back if needed. During COVID, when I was at the hospital, long hours, I started walking with whatever leaders. If they wanted to meet with me, I'd say great. But we're going to do a loop. It's exactly one mile around the hospital property, takes about 20 minutes. So that's still a routine I maintain and I try to find my group of leaders. We have a group chat and it doesn't happen as often now, but we'll still walk the grounds.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's pretty good.

Diana Erdmann: I did that just before I came here today.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really? That's really good. That's really good.

Diana Erdmann: So I love walking. It makes me happy. You get to visit, you get to catch up.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. And you get some air and you get to think differently. Hey, that's good. Well done. Nice tradition. Keep it going. All right, where next?

Diana Erdmann: Okay. 75.

Japhet De Oliveira: 75. Let's have a look at that. Beautiful number.

Diana Erdmann: I like to see your expression when you read them.

Japhet De Oliveira: This is great. What did you buy with your first money that you earned, and do you remember what it was, and why did you buy it?

Diana Erdmann: No.

Japhet De Oliveira: No?

Diana Erdmann: I don't remember what it was. I'm sure it was a meal at a restaurant with friends. Oh, I'm sure that's what had to be, a hundred percent.

Japhet De Oliveira: Tacos.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah, tacos. A Red Robin clucks and fries. I know.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's fine. That's fine. All right, that's fine. Good. Where next?

Diana Erdmann: Chuck's food. Okay. That was in the 70s?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. 75.

Diana Erdmann: 77.

Japhet De Oliveira: 77. Ooh. Share about one of the most cup-filling experiences that you've had. Give one example of something's like, oh, that just filled my soul.

Diana Erdmann: That's a tough one. I'm going to have to think of it for-

Japhet De Oliveira: Think of it, yeah.

Diana Erdmann: ... half a second. I think there's many opportunities when I show up at work that fills my soul. I think anytime I see one of my direct reports do really well in something, it's very rewarding to me to have watched them succeed in their role, to watch them accomplish, to watch them improve outcomes. I know it's a little bit generalized, but those are the experiences that make me coming back day after day.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really good. That is really good. All right. Give me one example of the most recent one that you just saw. So there's no bias, just the most recent experience of your directors doing something amazing.

Diana Erdmann: Okay. I'm going to pick on, so Jeff Simafranca is-

Japhet De Oliveira: Thank you for saying their name.

Diana Erdmann: Is that okay?

Japhet De Oliveira: No, no, I'm totally kidding. It's fine.

Diana Erdmann: I was like, are you going to delete that?

Japhet De Oliveira: No, no, we're not deleting. It's great.

Diana Erdmann: Jeff is a new leader. He is director of the inpatient units. So lots of meds surge, lots of patient throughput challenges, but we buckle down and really dove into patient experience, and have started meeting weekly, and having him take some action with his direct leadership team. And we're watching our patient experience scores go up.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, that's great.

Diana Erdmann: And I love watching their accomplishment and them celebrate that accomplishment.

Japhet De Oliveira: It's fantastic.

Diana Erdmann: It's been pretty amazing.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Diana Erdmann: The scores are reflection of the work we're doing. So it's not about the scores, but it's fantastic.

Japhet De Oliveira: It is an applause of the good work that's actually driven.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah. So I love that. Seeing the reports come through and them celebrating it.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great. Good. All right. You have time for two more?

Diana Erdmann: Two more. That's all?

Japhet De Oliveira: Can you believe that? I'm like-

Diana Erdmann: What? That went by so quick.

Japhet De Oliveira: So quick.

Diana Erdmann: We could do this all day.

Japhet De Oliveira: We could, see.

Diana Erdmann: See that was sarcasm.

Japhet De Oliveira: I was hoping it wasn't. All right, where next?

Diana Erdmann: Okay. We'll go in the 90s, I'll do 91.

Japhet De Oliveira: No way.

Diana Erdmann: I'll be brave. What, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: 91. All right. Describe a time in your life when you learned about forgiveness.

Diana Erdmann: Okay. I'd love to be generalized again, but I'm going to, yeah. I have a sibling with a very strained relationship, and though we're, it's still strained, there's been a lot of forgiveness along the way, and I think the Lord is showing me that you forgive. We might not forget, but I've been able to forgive the hurt. There's no really action that happened. There was no ill intent, but forgiving the hurt.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Is it that you see a difference between forgiveness and reconciliation?

Diana Erdmann: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Diana Erdmann: I don't know that they're-

Japhet De Oliveira: They don't have to happen at the same time.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah, so I don't know that I see a path to reconciliation, but I see a path of forgiveness.

Japhet De Oliveira: And no ill will.

Diana Erdmann: Not at all.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's pretty good, isn't it?

Diana Erdmann: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Because then nobody's hurting.

Diana Erdmann: Nope. And the humanness in me wants reconciliation.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, sure, sure. Yeah.

Diana Erdmann: I've given that to the Lord.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Diana Erdmann: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Good, good. Well, thank you for sharing that. I think that speaks volumes to others as well. I mean, lots of people, we'll struggle with that and try to work it out, so that's good. That was 91. Where would you like to go for your last one?

Diana Erdmann: Wow. What's the easiest one on here? Where we go?

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh yeah. Yeah. All of them.

Diana Erdmann: Okay. We're going to end on a lighthearted note.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay.

Diana Erdmann: Where are we going to go? Like 16. Have I done 16?

Japhet De Oliveira: 16. Let's have a look, shall we? Oh, no, we have not.

Diana Erdmann: Okay.

Japhet De Oliveira: You ready? 16. Tell us about one of the places you've traveled and why you want to go back.

Diana Erdmann: Okay. I talked about how I love the beach and the warmth. I love Maui. It's one of my favorite places to be. Tons of good memories there. They have, I talked about walking. They have a three-mile walking path that I love, and you can hear the ocean as you're going by. It's one of my favorite places to be.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's beautiful.

Diana Erdmann: And the sunshine and the warmth, hopefully surrounded by family or good friends.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Diana, it has been a privilege to be able to talk to you. Thank you for your time.

Diana Erdmann: Thank you.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, no, it's great. I want to encourage people to do the same. Sit with a friend, ask them good questions, listen, and we all learn and we all grow from it, so it's transformational to our lives. God bless everybody else and we will connect soon. Thanks again.

Diana Erdmann: Thank you.

Narrator: Thank you for joining us for The Story and Experience podcast. We invite you to read, watch, and submit your story and experience at adventisthealth.org/story. The Story and Experience podcast was brought to you by Adventist Health through the Office of Culture.