Heather Van Housen
Episode 100

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 friends. Welcome to another episode of The Story and Experience Podcast. I'm delighted to be sitting with my guest here and I am at Adventist Health Bakersfield in the office with them sitting right across the table. They're laughing and excited to be part of this as well, which I am as well. So if you're brand new to the podcast, I have a hundred questions, they become progressively more open and more vulnerable as they talk about stories and experiences that shape the life of this person in front of me into the leader that they are today. I'm going to begin straight away with question number one before I hand the floor over to you. Could you tell us your name and does anybody ever mispronounce it?

Heather Van Housen: Yes. My name is Heather Van Housen, and it's spelled Van Housen.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, yes, I was just going to say.

Heather Van Housen: We get that a lot and I answer to both.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, and do you correct people if they say-

Heather Van Housen: I Usually don't.

Japhet De Oliveira: So Van Housen, you said?

Heather Van Housen: Van Housen.

Japhet De Oliveira: But Van Housen is how I've heard people say it a lot.

Heather Van Housen: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, all right. All right, well great. I'll just call you Heather, how about that?

Heather Van Housen: That works for me, Japhet, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great. So Heather, what do you do for work?

Heather Van Housen: I am the patient care executive for our four Adventist hospitals here in Kern County.

Japhet De Oliveira: Fantastic.

Heather Van Housen: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right.

Heather Van Housen: A nurse by background.

Japhet De Oliveira: I've got to know then, so what called you into nursing?

Heather Van Housen: You know, I can't imagine a time that I didn't say I wanted to be a nurse.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Heather Van Housen: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Wow, that's fantastic.

Heather Van Housen: I had one of my mother's cousins who was a nurse, worked at a pediatrics hospital in Seattle, and I think that early on she was a larger than life figure in my world at the time, and I think I just always aspired. She was really inspiring.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really fantastic. Now, you work across the network, right?

Heather Van Housen: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: So you're helping with patient experience across all the network, so explain that a little bit. Unpack that for someone who doesn't really understand structure and how this model works.

Heather Van Housen: Sure. So as the nursing executive, I have responsibility for nursing practice, so making sure that our care at the bedside is within scope of practice and also that it aligns with evidence-based practices and that we provide an excellent and mission-based experience for our patients.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great, that's great. It really matters.

Heather Van Housen: It does matter.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, and you guys do an amazing job.

Heather Van Housen: Thank you, thank you.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, so how long have you done this role now?

Heather Van Housen: So I have been in the nurse executive role for a decade, for 10 years.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh my goodness.

Heather Van Housen: I know. I can't even believe that.

Japhet De Oliveira: Wow, a decade.

Heather Van Housen: I know. I've been here in Kern County for five.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, that's great. That's great. Now, where were you born?

Heather Van Housen: I was born in the big city of Ukiah, California. I was raised in Willetts.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, really? Okay.

Heather Van Housen: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: So as a child, you mentioned this, you wanted to be a nurse from a very early age, right?

Heather Van Housen: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, all right.

Heather Van Housen: I think I was called. I can't even imagine doing anything else.

Japhet De Oliveira: I do believe that, actually. I do believe people are called into vocations. They have, you can tell, there's this joy from it. Hey, habits, are you an early riser or late night owl?

Heather Van Housen: Gosh, I would say I'm probably more of an early riser, but I've been known to burn the midnight owl.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. When you say early riser, what's that?

Heather Van Housen: 4:30, 5:00.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. All right, that's great. So then this morning, 4:30, 5:00, when you got up, what was the first thought that went through your mind?

Heather Van Housen: Honestly, this morning, so it's Pinktober in recognition of breast cancer awareness, and I think I thought to myself, oh my goodness, did I plan to wear something pink today? Because on Wednesdays we were pink.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that's good. Pink is a good color any season, but this month, of course, in October it's phenomenal, so that's really good. Okay, here's a leadership question for you. Are you a backseat driver?

Heather Van Housen: Gosh, no, not as a leader. I'm right beside you in the car saying, "Okay, where are we going?" I'll probably show up saying, "I'm here to support you. I brought snacks, here's my playlist." Yeah, that's an interesting leadership question because I also think, gosh, who is the driver? Kind of knowing the situation, could I imagine myself? I mean, 90 plus percent of the time I'm right there, but I can also imagine having a leadership moment where I'm not even in the car. Am I the pilot car in front going ahead and is this the right direction?

Japhet De Oliveira: I like that.

Heather Van Housen: Kind of clearing the way. Then I can imagine from the backseat, if it were an inexperienced someone who may be off track, I could see a small piece of me that would feel the need to speak up if something was going to be unsafe. I'd probably ask permission, "Do you want my unsolicited advice?" and do it in a loving, kind way. But I could imagine as a leader, I would need to have maybe some more situational awareness.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, especially because you wanted to have both, right? You wanted to have quality-

Heather Van Housen: I do, I do.

Japhet De Oliveira: ...and experience. So hey, that's great. All right, that's fantastic. So look, we just covered nearly all of the front questions, but I have one that I missed that I need to bring back. It's like in the morning when you get up, do you have coffee, tea, water, or a liquid green smoothie? How do you start your day?

Heather Van Housen: Oh my goodness. Well, I always start with-

Japhet De Oliveira: It tells a lot.

Heather Van Housen: ...a drink of water, but then got to have that coffee. On the way to get the cup of coffee, how about that?

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. All right, all right, fair enough. Great, all right, so the floor is yours. Where would you like to go?

Heather Van Housen: All right, so we've done-

Japhet De Oliveira: The first 10 are hours, and so now you get from 11 to 100 anywhere.

Heather Van Housen: Okay, well, I will try 12.

Japhet De Oliveira: 12, all right. What's your favorite movie or book of all time and why?

Heather Van Housen: Oh my goodness. Do I have to choose just one?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, I know, that's what makes it harder.

Heather Van Housen: That's a hard... That's only a 12 question?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Heather Van Housen: I don't think I could pick just one, oh my goodness.

Japhet De Oliveira: Do you have a genre that you enjoy?

Heather Van Housen: No, especially in music, it is kind of all over. I don't know, that's a-

Japhet De Oliveira: What about, so movie or book, or what are you reading at the moment that you're enjoying?

Heather Van Housen: Gosh, I finished watching... I like kind of murder mystery kind of books and movies, probably like CSI, investigative, I'll go with that genre. I'll go with that genre.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good. I'm a big fan of CSI.

Heather Van Housen: I like that.

Japhet De Oliveira: Or NCIS.

Heather Van Housen: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yes, that one, that's gone on for 5,000 years.

Heather Van Housen: I like some of the BBC.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, they're very, very good.

Heather Van Housen: It's very good, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's awesome. All right, brilliant. All right, so that was number 12. Pretty easy.

Heather Van Housen: Okay.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, you're welcome. 11 or up or down?

Heather Van Housen: I'm going to go to 22.

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

Heather Van Housen: Where would I be?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, where would you be?

Heather Van Housen: I like where I am right now.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great, that's great.

Heather Van Housen: I'm pretty happy being where I am.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's okay. That's fantastic. It's actually good to be in a place where, you know, I'm happy to be right here. Yeah, all right. That was 22, where next? Up or down?

Heather Van Housen: You're going to notice my trend, let's do 33.

Japhet De Oliveira: No, I'm not guessing any kind of patterns here. All right, tell us about the best gift you've ever given someone else.

Heather Van Housen: Oh my goodness. I think probably the best gift you can give is just time. So when I think of it's not a thing, it's yourself, the listening. I mean, for me it's a joy to give. I mean, I think about friends in their time of need, I'm thinking of a particular friend and the loss of her mom and just being there in the moment with her. I think that's honestly some of the best gifts you can give, is of yourself.

Japhet De Oliveira: Time is pretty expensive, it's a very valuable gift.

Heather Van Housen: To kind of be in those sacred moments with people, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good, that's good. Do you feel that people give you time back?

Heather Van Housen: I do.

Japhet De Oliveira: See, that's great.

Heather Van Housen: I do, I have some pretty amazing people in my world.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great. I think it's good to be able to receive and to give that way, that's fantastic. All right, where would you like to go after 33?

Heather Van Housen: Let's go 44.

Japhet De Oliveira: 44, okay. What is something that you're proud to have created?

Heather Van Housen: Wow. I'm pretty proud of my family, of my kids. They're good people and they've become pretty wonderful adults. I guess I'm proud of my husband and I, and we had them young, and I don't know, I'm proud of them, of the family that we've created.

Japhet De Oliveira: It is nice to be able to see people become good people, be good people, and to see them become adults as well. That's fantastic.

Heather Van Housen: Yeah, and to go after their dreams, kind of chase, and fun to see the choices they make as adults.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, that's great. That's great. All right, that was 44, where now?

Heather Van Housen: 55.

Japhet De Oliveira: 55, I am sensing a pattern. Just sensing a little bit. All right.

Heather Van Housen: That way you can keep it straight.

Japhet De Oliveira: I know, I know. All right, share about, if you would, about something that frightens you.

Heather Van Housen: The first thing that came to mind was spiders.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, fair enough. We should not-

Heather Van Housen: I'm not a big bug fan.

Japhet De Oliveira: Have you been to Australia?

Heather Van Housen: No, I have not.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, you should try that, okay.

Heather Van Housen: I don't know if that's a good recommendation for me. Yeah, that would probably bring-

Japhet De Oliveira: All spiders?

Heather Van Housen: Spiders, snakes.

Japhet De Oliveira: All spiders?

Heather Van Housen: Yeah, they're kind of creepy.

Japhet De Oliveira: We can pray for them, all right. All right, that was 55. Where next then?

Heather Van Housen: 66, you know where this is going.

Japhet De Oliveira: 66, well, just in case you change your mind. All right, this is really funny because we addressed the movie and the book. Now, tell us about one of your favorite songs and what do you-

Heather Van Housen: Favorite song?

Japhet De Oliveira: Song, yeah, and what do you love about it? So now a song.

Heather Van Housen: Gosh, there's a version of You Raise Me Up, and it's just by this Irish group and it's just so beautiful, this female Irish group. I mean, I listen to that just to...

Japhet De Oliveira: Like a little great harmony or-

Heather Van Housen: Yes, it's just beautiful.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, Irish music tends to have a lot of that. It's very rich with that.

Heather Van Housen: It's my heritage, so yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good.

Heather Van Housen: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That was good. So I've got to ask, have you been to Ireland then?

Heather Van Housen: I have not. It is still on my list, so I think '24 may be the year.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh really?

Heather Van Housen: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: Good, good. Do you know where your family-

Heather Van Housen: I don't, that's the adventure.

Japhet De Oliveira: It is beautiful.

Heather Van Housen: I've heard.

Japhet De Oliveira: It's beautiful.

Heather Van Housen: I've heard.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really great.

Heather Van Housen: All right, I don't want to suggest, but where's the next number? That was 66.

I think 77.

Japhet De Oliveira: 77, okay. All right, share with us one of your most cup-filling experiences.

Heather Van Housen: Cup-filling experiences?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, something just like, oh man, it's overflowing with joy or amazing.

Heather Van Housen: Gosh, cup-filling. I feel so blessed that I've had lots of cup-filling experiences. I don't know. I've been present for many of my family. Being a nurse, family and friends, and welcoming new babies into the world. While that was not my specialty in nursing, I mean, it's just kind of one of those undescribable moments of joy. I don't know, welcoming a new life, yeah, it's pretty phenomenal.

Japhet De Oliveira: To be a nurse is not easy, to give 100% and to be present in people's lives. So how did you do it and how do you come every day fresh, as if it is a first day again?

Heather Van Housen: Gosh, what question number was that?

Japhet De Oliveira: I don't know where that was. That just came out because I'm just listening to your passion and I thought you'd be a person who should explain that.

Heather Van Housen: I think it's being part of something bigger than yourself. I think I mentioned it feels like a calling, and gosh, our human condition, if you can help make a difference for others, I mean, that's what gets me up. That's what brings me joy. I work with an incredible team. To get to see them be successful, that brings me quite a bit of joy. To see someone else reach a goal or an accomplishment, that's pretty exciting too.

Japhet De Oliveira: That is good, that is good. That was good. All right, that was a bonus question, you're welcome.

Heather Van Housen: I love that one.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. All right, so that was 77. Do you want to go to 88? Is that where you're going?

Heather Van Housen: Boy, it's like, can you read my mind? I didn't even know.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, tell us about how your life has been different than what you imagined.

Heather Van Housen: Yeah, if you would've asked me if I would ever be in a leadership role, that was probably not how I saw myself. I had just the benefit of some pretty incredible mentors and I hope that I can provide that to someone else going forward.

Japhet De Oliveira: I'm sure you are, I'm sure you are.

Heather Van Housen: I always knew that I would be in nursing, but I never really imagined the leadership side and it's been greater than I could imagine.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great, that is great. It is a privilege, right?

Heather Van Housen: It is such a privilege, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: I think to be able to capture that with your passion and the sacred calling, it's great. It's great to see. I'm excited for you.

Heather Van Housen: Thank you.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really good. All right, do you want to go to 99?

Heather Van Housen: Let's do it.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. All right, number 99. What is the most difficult truth that you've ever told?

Heather Van Housen: Gosh. I think from a clinical perspective, I think being in those moments with families and having to share that there isn't anything more we could do or could have done, those difficult truths and just being present, I think that those are some of the hardest moments that stand out for me.

Japhet De Oliveira: Did you have somebody teach you how to do that or did you just intuitively know?

Heather Van Housen: You're trained to understand that piece, but I think also that just observing others who do this well and have more experience than you. There's some people who do this better than others and I think through experience you learn. The best you can do is imagine what would you want? How would you want someone to show up for you in those times?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, that's good advice. I think that applies to everything, though, I mean to lots of things, lots of situations where anything that's difficult taking place or any difficult conversations that are taking place, how would you like to be treated in that?

Heather Van Housen: Yeah, and I think about it from a leadership side. Sometimes we have to make decisions about giving feedback or going separate ways from a team member. Always trying to be truthful about what wasn't working or didn't work, but honoring the person, sharing that with love and trying to show them that you still care about them as a human being, even if you have a difference.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, good, good. All right, up or down?

Heather Van Housen: Okay, let's see.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, where do we want to go now with-

Heather Van Housen: Well, I might as well get 100 out of the way. Let's just do it.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. Well, all right, so this is question 100. Tell us, if you would, Heather, one question that you just don't want to answer.

Heather Van Housen: Ooh, don't want to answer? I don't know. I think specifically on a podcast, maybe something painful, something that is still healing, just being that vulnerable where it's still raw, maybe. Loss, that kind of thing.

Japhet De Oliveira: Vulnerability is an interesting place, right?

Heather Van Housen: Mm-hmm.

Japhet De Oliveira: Transparency is an important place as well, but not everything has to be transparent in order to be an authentic person.

Heather Van Housen: Yeah, I love that.

Japhet De Oliveira: Which is hard to balance. There are places for it and there are places that it's like TMI.

Heather Van Housen: Yeah, I don't want to go there right now, right?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, but I think the ability to be able to reflect on things that are actually difficult is good for our soul, good for people.

Heather Van Housen: There's growth in that, for sure, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Good. All right, so you've hit 100. Now where would you like to go?

Heather Van Housen: I don't know. Okay, did I do 11? I didn't do 11.

Japhet De Oliveira: No, you didn't do 11.

Heather Van Housen: Let's do 11.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, 11 it is. Tell us about the most adventurous food or meal you've ever eaten.

Heather Van Housen: Oh my goodness. Okay, so I don't know if it counts because I don't know that... It was so small of a bite, I don't know if I've ever made it in my mouth, but there's this spiky fruit in the Philippines.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yes, yes.

Heather Van Housen: Is it durian?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yes, I've heard about this, the one that smells or-

Heather Van Housen: It's so horrible smelling.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, really?

Heather Van Housen: I don't know if I really tasted it or I just smelled it and-

Japhet De Oliveira: You smelled it and that was enough.

Heather Van Housen: That was enough, but that was an adventure for me.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, all right. Yeah, I have never smelled it, I've only seen videos about it. By your facial expressions, I think I should avoid that. All right. All right, that was 11 then. So yeah, up now.

Heather Van Housen: Okay, let's go to 24.

Japhet De Oliveira: 24, all right. Tell us about a time you were over or underdressed for an occasion.

Heather Van Housen: When I first moved to Bakersfield. It's either Bakersfield casual or people are very glam. So I think it took me a good year to kind of figure out-

Japhet De Oliveira: Where the space is?

Heather Van Housen: Yes, where's this being held? Who's going to be there? That is my gauge.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. All right, that's good. That's good. All right, so where next after that?

Heather Van Housen: Let's go to 34.

Japhet De Oliveira: 34, all right. Tell us about a moment that a person's kindness made a difference in your life.

Heather Van Housen: Oh my goodness.

Japhet De Oliveira: I know, so many, right?

Heather Van Housen: Oh my goodness, like every day. I mean, what's coming to mind as you're asking the question is I just finished my doctoral program.

Japhet De Oliveira: Wow, okay. Congratulations.

Heather Van Housen: Thank you, in May. My team gave me a surprise, a surprise party afterwards. That was very touching to me, I didn't expect it. They're just pretty gracious.

Japhet De Oliveira: That is beautiful.

Heather Van Housen: It was.

Japhet De Oliveira: It is nice when it's a surprise, right?

Heather Van Housen: Yeah, and I've always said, "Oh, I don't know if I really like surprises," but it was wonderful.

Japhet De Oliveira: But this was like-

Heather Van Housen: It was wonderful.

Japhet De Oliveira: Good, new chapter.

Heather Van Housen: Yes, there we go.

Japhet De Oliveira: Give me surprises everywhere.

Heather Van Housen: No, it was just beautiful and unexpected.

Japhet De Oliveira: That was beautiful, yeah.

Heather Van Housen: Yeah, okay.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, this is good. All right, we're next then.

Heather Van Housen: 34?

Japhet De Oliveira: 34?

Heather Van Housen: Was that 34?

Japhet De Oliveira: No, we haven't done that one. Tell us about a moment that a person's kindness made a difference.

Heather Van Housen: No, we did that.

Japhet De Oliveira: We just did that.

Heather Van Housen: Yeah, so it must be 44. No, let's do 45. Now I'm making you lose count.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, you are. You are. Okay, yeah.

Heather Van Housen: Let's do 45.

Japhet De Oliveira: 45 it is. When people come to you for help, what are they usually asking for?

Heather Van Housen: When they come to me, I think that they know the answer, and I listen and I generally ask them what they think we should do. They just need permission, I think.

Japhet De Oliveira: Permission or affirmation?

Heather Van Housen: Yeah, I think people know the answer most of the time, but they want to run it by you, check-in.

Japhet De Oliveira: It's good to have strongly leaders like that.

Heather Van Housen: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: But it's also good too for accountability, that's great. Yeah, I like that. All right, that was 45, so where next?

Heather Van Housen: Let's do 56.

Japhet De Oliveira: 56, all right. Share an activity that when you start this, you just lose all sense of time.

Heather Van Housen: Reading.

Japhet De Oliveira: Reading?

Heather Van Housen: I can get lost in a book, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, it's true. It's true. The imagination just grows, yeah, it's true. Are you one of those people, do you read books that are turned into movies or vice versa?

Heather Van Housen: Yeah, but I'd rather read the book.

Japhet De Oliveira: Rather read the book, yeah.

Heather Van Housen: The other kind of challenge I have is once I start reading something, even if it's horrible, I have to finish it. I just have to know what happens.

Japhet De Oliveira: Do you ever skip?

Heather Van Housen: Not really.

Japhet De Oliveira: No, you read the entire thing?

Heather Van Housen: Yeah, I really want to know.

Japhet De Oliveira: It wasn't that good, but I'm going to read every word.

Heather Van Housen: I'm going to finish, I'm committed to it. Yeah, I'm committed.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, well done. Okay, so that was 56, what now?

Heather Van Housen: Okay, let's do 67.

Japhet De Oliveira: 67, all right. What's the best picture that you've ever taken and why?

Heather Van Housen: Oh my goodness, the best picture? Wow. I have a picture of my mom with all her grandchildren. She was sick, she was on her cancer journey, and we had hired a professional photographer to come and take pictures. I have a candid, one of them kind of getting arranged to take the picture. We didn't even know if she was going to feel well enough to take a picture. Just the natural interaction between her and her grandchildren, that is just really special to me.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's a beautiful memory.

Heather Van Housen: Yeah, it's a good one.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, that's a really good one. I like that a lot. All right, that was 67, so where next?

Heather Van Housen: Let's go 78.

Japhet De Oliveira: 78, all right. Tell us what gives you kind of childlike joy.

Heather Van Housen: Oh my goodness, childlike joy?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Heather Van Housen: I don't know. I think laughing.

Japhet De Oliveira: Laughing, yeah.

Heather Van Housen: Sharing a good laugh with friends. I don't know. I like to play games and I don't probably do that often enough.

Japhet De Oliveira: Board games or physical games?

Heather Van Housen: Yeah, board games, any of it. That's pretty fun. I like that competitive kind of thing.

Japhet De Oliveira: So would you play Monopoly?

Heather Van Housen: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: And are you-

Heather Van Housen: Do I have to be the banker?

Japhet De Oliveira: I was going to ask, do you have to be a-

Heather Van Housen: No.

Japhet De Oliveira: No, okay.

Heather Van Housen: No, but I was the oldest child and I did spend many years as the banker.

Japhet De Oliveira: Fair enough, fair enough, just checking. Monopoly is an interesting game, it tells a lot.

Heather Van Housen: No, we probably should do that more often. Maybe this is what we're going to spend the weekend doing.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, good for you. Good for you. All right, that was 78. So you have time for two more, so final two numbers.

Heather Van Housen: Okay, that was 78, you said?

Japhet De Oliveira: Uh-huh.

Heather Van Housen: Let's do 89.

Japhet De Oliveira: 89, all right. What is the most impactful no that you've said recently?

Heather Van Housen: I said no to going to dinner with some amazing friends because I needed to rest in this last weekend, and for me that-

Japhet De Oliveira: That was big.

Heather Van Housen: It was big. To just have the friends say, "Yeah, absolutely, there'll be another time," for me that was like, yeah, I put some limits on my time.

Japhet De Oliveira: Some boundaries, essential boundaries.

Heather Van Housen: That's right.

Japhet De Oliveira: Good, good. All right, last number?

Heather Van Housen: Okay, let's do 98.

Japhet De Oliveira: 98, all right. What is the one great thing that you're capable of achieving?

Heather Van Housen: I don't know yet. I don't know.

Japhet De Oliveira: Fair.

Heather Van Housen: What's that next challenge?

Japhet De Oliveira: Is there something you have an aspiration to do or that you're working towards? I mean, you've just done your doctorate.

Heather Van Housen: Yes. I think as a team we will be five star, and I would love for our nursing team to achieve magnet, so there you go.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really good.

Heather Van Housen: I declare that.

Japhet De Oliveira: You declare it, go for it. You guys will do it.

Heather Van Housen: We got this.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, that's going to be great. That's going to be great. Heather, it has been a delight to be able to connect with you. Thank you for your time. Thank you for sharing. I just want to encourage people to do the same, sit down, maybe even have a cup of tea, which is actually great as well-

Heather Van Housen: Love that.

Japhet De Oliveira: ...and learn, because by asking good questions we actually grow together with that. So God bless everybody, and until we connect next time. Heather, again, thanks so much.

Heather Van Housen: 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 AdventisHealth.org/story. The Story and Experience podcast was brought to you by Adventist Health through the Office of Culture.