Jayme Mason
Episode 120

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 am here at Adventist Health Columbia Gorge in Oregon, and the weather outside is typical for Oregon at this time, which is maybe not different for the entire year, but we're delighted. We're delighted, if you're brand new to the cast and listen to this podcast, then I will let you know that we have a hundred questions. They progressively become more vulnerable as you get close to 100, and they're about stories and experience that shape you into the leader that you are today. So I'm going to begin with our guest today. Could you tell us your name and does anybody ever mispronounce it or misspell it?

Jayme Mason: Yeah. Yeah. My name is Jayme Mason, and yeah, people misspell it all the time.

Japhet De Oliveira: Wow. No way. How do you spell your name?

Jayme Mason: It's J-A-Y-M-E.

Japhet De Oliveira: And who decided that?

Jayme Mason: My lovely parents.

Japhet De Oliveira: I'm glad, your lovely parents.

Jayme Mason: But if you think about it, it sounds just like it's spelled.

Japhet De Oliveira: Actually, it does.

Jayme Mason: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, it does.

Jayme Mason: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Maybe it's the correct way.

Jayme Mason: I don't think it is.

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

Jayme Mason: I'm a patient care executive here at Adventist Health Columbia Gorge.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. So now for somebody who doesn't know what patient care actually is, patient care executive, could you unpack that a little bit for us?

Jayme Mason: Yeah. It's a chief nursing officer, so I oversee the entire nursing workforce here.

Japhet De Oliveira: Sounds easy.

Jayme Mason: Oh yeah, it's a breeze.

Japhet De Oliveira: Hey, that's fantastic. You were a nurse before?

Jayme Mason: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: For how many years?

Jayme Mason: 24.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, my goodness. That's great.

Jayme Mason: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: How long have you been in this role?

Jayme Mason: I've been in this role now for two years.

Japhet De Oliveira: Superb, superb. All right. Hey, that's brilliant. Let's talk about this morning when you woke up, first drink of the day. I see that you have a bottle of water right next to you now, but did you have water when you woke up? Coffee? Tea? Liquid green smoothie? What's your first drink of the day?

Jayme Mason: A hundred percent coffee.

Japhet De Oliveira: A hundred percent coffee.

Jayme Mason: Yeah, I drink it on my way to work every morning.

Japhet De Oliveira: What kind coffee do you have?

Jayme Mason: Just a Starbucks make-at-home coffee with a little cream. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good. That's good. That's good. Okay. Jayme, where were you born? She looked away from the microphone and smirked.

Jayme Mason: I was actually born at this hospital.

Japhet De Oliveira: Were you really?

Jayme Mason: Yeah, I was, this exact hospital, exact OB unit.

Japhet De Oliveira: Seriously?

Jayme Mason: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's amazing.

Jayme Mason: I know. I won't tell you how long ago.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, no, no, I'll guess. '75? No, that's amazing.

Jayme Mason: I know.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, hey, that's fantastic.

Jayme Mason: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: I'm so happy to hear that. So you are local.

Jayme Mason: I'm real local.

Japhet De Oliveira: You are real local.

Jayme Mason: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's fantastic. That floored me. That's brilliant. When you were a child then, you grew up here?

Jayme Mason: I grew up about 40 miles east of here in Sherman County.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay.

Jayme Mason: On the wheat fields and the farm. Yep.

Japhet De Oliveira: So when you were a child, what did you imagine you would grow up to be?

Jayme Mason: Believe it or not, I wanted to be a veterinarian.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Jayme Mason: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: I don't know why. I don't know why. That's pretty good.

Jayme Mason: I loved animals was in 4H involved with showing horses, all the things, so I really wanted to be a vet, and then I found out how long you had to go to school to be a veterinarian.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, come on. And so you made the switch?

Jayme Mason: So I made the switch. I had a few family things. My grandma had passed away and so I experienced nursing in that capacity and then decided, you know what, this is where I want to go.

Japhet De Oliveira: It does change your path.

Jayme Mason: Yeah, it does.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Meeting the right health professionals can inspire you in such a way. That's really good. Okay, personality. If people were to describe you, how would they describe you? Extrovert? Introvert? And would you agree with what they say?

Jayme Mason: I am a hundred percent an extrovert.

Japhet De Oliveira: No way. Okay. All right.

Jayme Mason: But my emergency department year shaped me into who I am today. I'm cool, calm, collected, nothing really stresses me out. In fact, I thrive under pressure.

Japhet De Oliveira: Interesting.

Jayme Mason: If it's not mass chaos, I'm bored.

Japhet De Oliveira: Note to self.

Jayme Mason: I have twin 13-year-old boys.

Japhet De Oliveira: Do you really?

Jayme Mason: So my chaos is both in my home life and work and I love it. I love being a boy mom.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh wow. Do you have any other kids or just the two?

Jayme Mason: Nope, just the two.

Japhet De Oliveira: Twins would be enough. Right?

Jayme Mason: Twins were definitely enough. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Wow. All right. So you worked in the ED as well?

Jayme Mason: Yeah. That's where... Well, I initially started in the ICU here, but then worked down into the emergency department. So the majority of my 20 some years here have been in emergency medicine.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really?

Jayme Mason: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's pretty intense stuff.

Jayme Mason: Yeah, I loved it.

Japhet De Oliveira: Wow, that's good. Hey, I'm glad to hear that. Thank you for that. So not vet, but helping people in incredible emergencies.

Jayme Mason: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Are you an early riser or late night owl?

Jayme Mason: I'm an early riser.

Japhet De Oliveira: And what's early for you?

Jayme Mason: On my days off...

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. Okay. That's good. I like the qualifier. All right.

Jayme Mason: It's 6:30, 7:00. During the work week, it's 4:30 or 5:00.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay, you've got to break this down. How is it possible if you're getting at 4:30, 5:00, that you switch over to 6:30, 7:00?

Jayme Mason: I just relax.

Japhet De Oliveira: You do?

Jayme Mason: Oh yeah. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: You don't just naturally just wake up at 4:30.

Jayme Mason: No, I don't. I'm a good sleeper.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. All right. Good for you then. All right, so this morning when you woke up, workday, 4:30, what was the first thought that went through your mind?

Jayme Mason: Probably what was going to be on my plate today at work.

Japhet De Oliveira: Good day so far?

Jayme Mason: Very good day.

Japhet De Oliveira: Very good day.

Jayme Mason: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: That is good. That is good. All right. Here's a leadership question and then I'm going to hand it over to you. Are you a backseat driver?

Jayme Mason: No.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. What kind of driver are you then? That was a short, precise answer.

Jayme Mason: As far as leadership goes, no, I'm not a backseat driver. I'm definitely not a micromanager of my fellow leaders and my employees. I like to drive them to decision-making. I'm definitely one of those leaders that creates a culture of trust and decision-making and driving those decisions down to the boots on the ground level. I'll step in and help make decisions when needed. Yes, I do have to make difficult decisions every day on my own, but creating a culture of trust and support and the ability to let your people thrive in their environment is definitely not backseat driving for me.

Japhet De Oliveira: I teased when I said that I was going to hand it over to you. I do have one more question I need to ask. I was just thinking a little bit more about what you said earlier, and I would like to know, because it's hard to recruit nurses, really hard, right?

Jayme Mason: Yeah. Oh, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: I mean, so what would you say to somebody who's even contemplating becoming a nurse that would say, this is what seals it for you?

Jayme Mason: The ability to... It's the relationships for me. It's the ability to tap into a moment in somebody's life and make a difference through the power of words and touch and just simply caring for that person as a whole. Tapping into the spiritual and all the things that make nurses, nurses. That is what's really important and building those relationships, that patient experience because they'll always remember how they were treated.

Japhet De Oliveira: Love that and it is very true. Frontline on everything.

Jayme Mason: Yeah, a hundred percent.

Japhet De Oliveira: Great. You do say a hundred percent quite a bit, actually. I've noticed that now three times.

Jayme Mason: Okay, I'll quit saying it.

Japhet De Oliveira: No. No, I like it. I like it. It's great. I've just learned this phrase myself recently, so now I guess I'm more tuned to it because I heard this. All right, so your floor is open, 11 to 100. Where would you like to go, a hundred percent?

Jayme Mason: Oh boy, not a hundred.

Japhet De Oliveira: No, no. Take your time.

Jayme Mason: Let's do 20.

Japhet De Oliveira: 20, all right. Oh, tell us something that you would rate 10 out of 10.

Jayme Mason: My nursing leadership team.

Japhet De Oliveira: Really? Oh. Did you hand pick all of them?

Jayme Mason: Several of them, yes. I helped develop them, put them into those roles. The others were already in their positions when I stepped into the CNO position. But I just have the most amazing nursing leaders who are just so good and authentic leaders. They believe in our mission and they believe in caring for the community and it just comes across day in, day out. I'm just super impressed with them. Very thankful.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great.

Jayme Mason: That's a 10 out of 10.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's a 10 out of 10. You should see her face, as she said, 10 out of 10. It lit up. It was just like glory. That was like, whoa. Okay, 10 out of 10. Great. Where next after 20?

Jayme Mason: 50.

Japhet De Oliveira: 50, all right. Let's go there. Oh, share about who has influenced you professionally.

Jayme Mason: Professionally.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Jayme Mason: Oh yeah, so many people. When I was hired 22 years ago in this organization, there was a chief nursing officer, Regina Rose, and I hope she hears this. She was somebody I looked up to and really led the organization the way I would want to be a leader. Back then, I didn't want to be a leader. I was frontline staff. I knew this was what I was going to do for the rest of my life to be a frontline staff. But she was just open and friendly and honest. She made decisions quickly, effectively. She built those relationships with every employee. She knew who you are, who your family was, if you had kids, where they went to school, what sports they were in. She just really cared about you as a person and she's just somebody that I've always been like, "I want to be like a Regina." Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Now have you told her this?

Jayme Mason: No. So she actually, about I'd say 10 years ago, moved from here to the coast to take a job at Coos Bay and she since retired. The last time I touched base with her, I think, was when my boys were born. She reached out.

Japhet De Oliveira: So 13 years ago.

Jayme Mason: Yeah, to say congratulations. But no, I thought about writing a card.

Japhet De Oliveira: You should.

Jayme Mason: I know, telling her her how it's inspirational she was.

Japhet De Oliveira: Wouldn't that be amazing if she'd get that from you and let her know what you're doing now?

Jayme Mason: I know.

Japhet De Oliveira: I know. I want to hear about that story someday.

Jayme Mason: Okay.

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

Jayme Mason: I'll come back and tell you.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, no, that's great. All right. Hey, professionally, that's an inspiring person.

Jayme Mason: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. I'm glad that you also model... That's actually very good for many people to find somebody they really admire and try to model themselves after.

Jayme Mason: Yeah, because you learn from those experts and those peers and you, especially early on, model their behavior. That is a very true and current too, with my leaders and myself. By being those authentic transformational leaders that we are, our staff look up to that. So that's where you see that culture shift and you start to see people modeling the same behavior, respectful, kind. Yeah, so it's been life changing.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's pretty good. Lovely. All right, that was 50. Would you want to go up or down?

Jayme Mason: Let's go up.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay.

Jayme Mason: Let's go to 75.

Japhet De Oliveira: 75, all right. Do you remember the very first thing that you bought with your own money? If so, what was it and why did you buy it?

Jayme Mason: My very own. Well-

Japhet De Oliveira: You thought of something there, clearly. Okay.

Jayme Mason: Well, so I've been working since I was 14. Then on top of that, we did 4H out in the country, so I had animals, so I had my very own money at the age of like nine.

Japhet De Oliveira: Can you tell me what 4H is?

Jayme Mason: 4H is a program where kids... Well, there's different programs, but I was in the animal program. So kids get their animals when they're baby animals and they grow them for several months and they show them at the fair and then they auction them.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh.

Jayme Mason: Yeah, which is very-

Japhet De Oliveira: I was going to say, it was really a beautiful story until you got to that moment. I was like, oh, whoa.

Jayme Mason: Well, it's sad the first couple of years, but it teaches-

Japhet De Oliveira: You grow the child and then you drop them off.

Jayme Mason: The thing is, is it teaches you so much responsibility, work ethic, having to figure things out on your own because parents can't help. So from a young age, I was working and earning money and putting that in the bank account. I wasn't allowed to spend it.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, that's good.

Jayme Mason: The very first thing-

Japhet De Oliveira: What did you buy?

Jayme Mason: I bought... Well, I do remember the very first car I bought and I ended up having to, my senior year of high school, I had to sell my show horse because I was done showing. I was also very big into horse shows. So I sold my horse and I bought a car and it was a purple Toyota Paseo and it was my-

Japhet De Oliveira: Yes, I know it.

Jayme Mason: College car, two door, little hatchback, purple. It was like-

Japhet De Oliveira: It was very cool.

Jayme Mason: Periwinkle purple. I'll never forget it. So anyway, that was my first big purchase.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good.

Jayme Mason: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Was it a stick shift or a-

Jayme Mason: No, it was automatic.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. All right, good. All right, that was 75. Where next?

Jayme Mason: Let's go 80.

Japhet De Oliveira: 80? All right. Ooh. How would you like to change in the future?

Jayme Mason: Me personally?

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. Yeah.

Jayme Mason: Ooh, I would like to learn to take more time off. Mm-hmm, yeah. Actually my family just got back last week, or actually last Friday, from a week in Maui.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good.

Jayme Mason: And it was our first vacation since 2019.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh my, yes.

Jayme Mason: Yeah. So things I need to change in the future is I need to stop, enjoy the-

Japhet De Oliveira: Present.

Jayme Mason: Uh-huh. Because pretty soon I'll blink and my kids will be graduated and gone.

Japhet De Oliveira: I understand.

Jayme Mason: So taking time with the family and away from work. I'm a little bit of a workhorse, so that's hard for me.

Japhet De Oliveira: So can I go a little bit in different direction?

Jayme Mason: Sure.

Japhet De Oliveira: Or actually with that same thought, where did you get that idea that you have to do all of that with work all the time? Where did that come from?

Jayme Mason: I think it has to do with the way I was raised.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Jayme Mason: My dad's a farmer. Mom, very busy, active, always had a job.

Japhet De Oliveira: Seven days a week then.

Jayme Mason: Yeah. Yeah, exactly. And then it also has... Part of that is also that self-drive. It was never just settled. I needed to always strive and do more, kind of the way I am. So yeah, that really drove my work ethic and the ability to not stop and take time for my family and myself.

Japhet De Oliveira: Do you feel guilty if you take time?

Jayme Mason: Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah. So what are you doing with that now? Teach somebody who's does exactly like you and you're like, "No, no, that's a bad idea."

Jayme Mason: So yeah, what do I do?

Japhet De Oliveira: To not feel guilty.

Jayme Mason: Well, to not feel guilty, I think about the moment and the importance of where I am. If I am away with my family, I focus on my family and think this is important because this is the here and now, and there's never be another right now. So I really focus on my surroundings and being with my kids and family. That always wasn't the case. When I had my twin boys, I was working full time. I'd feel guilty to leave them, but I'd feel guilty to miss work if they were sick. So I know that constant push and pull for a mom, but eventually as they get older and a little more self-sufficient, it eases a little. But as far as time away and not feeling guilty, it's really focusing on the present.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's good. Good advice for all of us.

Jayme Mason: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Good. All right. That was 75. Where next? No, no, that wasn't 75. That was actually 80, right? Yeah.

Jayme Mason: Ooh, it goes to a hundred?

Japhet De Oliveira: It does go to a hundred.

Jayme Mason: How many more questions do I have?

Japhet De Oliveira: I'll let you know when you get down to two. So you just have free time right now.

Jayme Mason: Okay. Let's go, 90

Japhet De Oliveira: Play time. Okay, 90. Tell us about how you overcame a seemingly insurmountable obstacle.

Jayme Mason: That's a good question.

Japhet De Oliveira: Thank you.

Jayme Mason: I would say when I was director of the emergency department, prior to stepping into my role, being privileged to step into my role, I thought it was impossible for me to advance in this organization because of the fact that it always felt like we were hiring from the outside.

Japhet De Oliveira: Interesting, okay.

Jayme Mason: So I felt kind of powerless and I was doing everything I could to prove myself, getting my master's and leading multiple initiatives and really digging deep, that work ethic coming back, but I felt like it was never going to be possible.

Japhet De Oliveira: Interesting.

Jayme Mason: Initially. And then Don Wenzler, the past CNO, came to me and said, "Listen, I think you've got what it takes." And I said, "Really? You're kidding, right?" He's like, "No, no." So he took me under his wing and showed me his ways and how he did things. I learned a lot before he retired. I went through the interview process and I was the only one to interview for the position.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's great.

Jayme Mason: Thankfully, the executive team, I was privileged to join them and it's been fantastic, but it felt like a huge obstacle at the time.

Japhet De Oliveira: Sure, sure.

Jayme Mason: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's encouraging.

Jayme Mason: I know. And especially with no previous executive experience. Lots of leadership experience, but not in that capacity. So that felt like a big mountain to climb, but-

Japhet De Oliveira: Well done.

Jayme Mason: By gosh, I did it.

Japhet De Oliveira: And are doing it. That's great. That's great. Super. Thank you.

Jayme Mason: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right, Jayme, that was 90, so where next?

Jayme Mason: 95.

Japhet De Oliveira: 95. Oh, how do you see your faith and your life intersecting?

Jayme Mason: Oh, good question. Well, I will say my faith has been challenged several times. I'll just speak about my children situation. So I'm pregnant with twins, ended up going into labor at 32 weeks, ended up at OHSU, ended up with babies born in the NICU and being in the NICU. That really challenged where I was.

Japhet De Oliveira: Sure.

Jayme Mason: I'm born Christian, Presbyterian, so there was a lot of the ups and downs of a month and a half in a NICU with husband by my side and the ups and downs and struggles. There was a lot of praying, a lot of praying and a lot of support of family and friends. So that life and faith intersected there for sure. Then last December, my Levi, very active, outgoing, very much like his mom, perfectionist. Work hard, work hard, work hard, straight A student athlete, you name it. We ended up in the emergency department here at the beginning, December 1st to be exact, and he was diagnosed with flu A and pneumonia, but his pneumonia was so bad he was going into septic shock.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh my goodness.

Jayme Mason: Yeah. So we made a trip to OHSU, ended up in Doernbechers, and let me tell you what, that was the worst couple days of my life. Not knowing if your child's going to survive, I don't wish it upon anybody. But thankfully, with the power of prayer, those miraculous doctors in the peds ICU down there, fantastic care, definitely academic medicine, way different than community medicine, but still the power of knowledge and the ability to care for my child. It was two or three days, it was touch and go. He ended up with a chest tube. He'd never got intubated, thank goodness. And then being a mom who's a nurse-

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah, I can imagine

Jayme Mason: Understanding all of this. It was really the worst. It is the worst situation I've ever been in my entire life. But Jesse and I prayed and we prayed over Levi. It was constant. But again, another time in my life where my faith and my life collided. Those are two very powerful times, but thankfully made a full recovery. He's back to his normal self. He's a hundred percent happy and healthy and no issues.

Japhet De Oliveira: Do you feel stronger with your faith life?

Jayme Mason: Oh, a hundred percent stronger. Oh, yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: It's interesting, isn't it?

Jayme Mason: Yeah. It's amazing when you come through something like that, how when it rocks you to the core like that, it just really solidifies the power of God and just how your faith and how the miracles of this world, the miracles of medicine, the miracles of the power of prayer. I remember one specifically one time I prayed over Levi's chest with my hands on his chest and just prayed to my core that his lungs would heal and sure enough.

Japhet De Oliveira: We would replace ourselves, wouldn't we?

Jayme Mason: Oh, a hundred percent.

Japhet De Oliveira: If we could.

Jayme Mason: A hundred percent. He was a twin. The other twin was at home wondering where his brother was. It was-

Japhet De Oliveira: That's really tough.

Jayme Mason: Eek. Not fun.

Japhet De Oliveira: Well, I'm glad you guys have all pulled through.

Jayme Mason: Yes, we've all pulled through and it's taught us a lot.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yes. Present.

Jayme Mason: Present.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. All right.

Jayme Mason: Present.

Japhet De Oliveira: All right. Where next? Where next?

Jayme Mason: Let's do a hundred.

Japhet De Oliveira: A hundred. All right. All right, okay. Jayme, if you wouldn't mind, could you tell us about one question that you don't want to answer?

Jayme Mason: One question I don't want to answer. I don't think there isn't a question I wouldn't answer.

Japhet De Oliveira: Says the extrovert.

Jayme Mason: Well, I am such an open book. There's really nothing off-limits for me. Nothing. I don't know. I honestly don't know. I am who I am and I don't really feel like there's anything I wouldn't answer.

Japhet De Oliveira: What is the most powerful life experience you've ever had that you would say this changed everything?

Jayme Mason: I would say that December moment last year, a hundred percent.

Japhet De Oliveira: What did it change specifically?

Jayme Mason: It changed my attention to my family.

Japhet De Oliveira: Oh, that's good.

Jayme Mason: It changed the fact that I need to be present and focused on my family. You only have so much time with your children before they're grown and gone and I had to refocus. Frequently distracted with work, after hour phone calls, text messages, checking emails. The constant go-go-go-go-go. Sometimes I just got to stop and look around and pay attention.

Japhet De Oliveira: Love it.

Jayme Mason: Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira: Great. All right, we have time for final two numbers.

Jayme Mason: Okay.

Japhet De Oliveira: Where would you like to go for your final two?

Jayme Mason: Well, let's go backwards.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay.

Jayme Mason: Let's go, let's go to 15.

Japhet De Oliveira: 15, all right. Oh, what's the one thing that you always misplace? You're like, what? She's looking up in the sky. She's looking, what?

Jayme Mason: I don't really know if I miss place anything.

Japhet De Oliveira: I was going to say...

Jayme Mason: Occasionally my name badge, but no.

Japhet De Oliveira: That's about it. Okay, whoopie do. All right. All right. That was a complex one.

Jayme Mason: I know, right? Sorry.

Japhet De Oliveira: No, that's good. All right, so last number.

Jayme Mason: Okay, we'll go with... Let's go 40.

Japhet De Oliveira: 40, all right. Let's have a look here. Oh, tell us about a time that you failed.

Jayme Mason: Oh, I don't fail. Just kidding.

Japhet De Oliveira: I was like, okay.

Jayme Mason: Just kidding.

Japhet De Oliveira: Yeah.

Jayme Mason: Well, recently when I first stepped into this CNO role, PCE role, exactly, probably two weeks after Don Wenzler, had retired and gone, there was an incident in the emergency department and I failed. I got the call that night, but I failed to alert our president about it.

Japhet De Oliveira: Okay. Okay.

Jayme Mason: I owned that must mistake immediately. So used to dealing with everything on our own and managing things, that's the emergency department director in me, and managing things that I failed to communicate up. So I learned my lesson on that one. It was very nice and there was no major issues, but communication is key and we have to let others know what's going on so if they get asked, they know the story.

Japhet De Oliveira: They know what's going on. That's so true. Jayme, thank you for your time.

Jayme Mason: Yeah, thank you.

Japhet De Oliveira: It has been a privilege. I would encourage people to do the same thing, I say this for every episode, sit down with a friend, ask them good questions, listen. You discover things that will change yourself and them, which is great, but maybe this particular weekday, we should think about how we can be more present. I think that's a good word for everybody, right?

Jayme Mason: A hundred percent.

Japhet De Oliveira: A hundred percent, a hundred percent. Jayme, thanks again.

Jayme Mason: Yeah, thank you.

Japhet De Oliveira: God bless everybody and we'll connect soon.

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.