"I saw how AdventHealth leaders embraced change and remained resilient throughout all uncertainties. The act of putting their people first and always offering a voice of care and encouragement has directly demonstrated to me the values of true leadership," says Adele Uta, first-year General Management resident in the AdventHealth Great Lakes Region.
I’ve always held an interest in healthcare, so when I learned of AdventHealth’s program while studying at Southern Adventist University, my attention was instantly captured. I was studying to obtain a BS in Health Science and BA in International Studies (Spanish emphasis), had previously held leadership roles throughout my scholastic journey, and was working as a medical assistant during college. Given that my mother is an urgent-care physician, my father is a dentist, and my grandparents are retired physicians, healthcare was always a prominent topic in my household. AdventHealth’s program seemed to directly combine two of my passions—using my people skills as a leader and pursuing my deep-rooted love for healthcare.
After graduating in May 2021, I served as a summer intern at AdventHealth before beginning my General Management Residency last October. I rotated through the hospitals, gaining exposure to the clinical and non-clinical departments and their leaders. Projects on which I assisted included budget development, hospital operational work and mission integration. Alongside gaining healthcare experience, I quickly realized how strongly AdventHealth’s leadership adheres to its beliefs and values, including the leadership principles of “lead self, lead others, lead results,” giving back and putting others before oneself.
I saw how AdventHealth leaders embraced change and remained resilient throughout all uncertainties. The act of putting their people first and always offering a voice of care and encouragement has directly demonstrated to me the values of true leadership.
Throughout the entirety of my residency, those in leadership remained focused on achieving AdventHealth’s mission of extending the healing ministry of Christ by focusing on service. A valuable takeaway is how leadership should always rotate around the questions, “What can I do to help you? What can I do to lead you? And how can I make your job easier?” Every team member was so wonderful, kind and willing to nourish, give and grow as I began my healthcare career, and it has been a blessing to work for leaders rooted in such strong values.
Come summer, I will lead the AdventHealth internship program and mentor four interns for part of the same program in which I participated following my college graduation. I look forward to emulating the focus on mission and commitment to service that was shown to me. Receiving the platform to do so is a blessing, given this is what I ultimately wish to give back and demonstrate as a leader in healthcare.
Adele Uta is a first-year General Management resident in the AdventHealth Great Lakes Region. She completed her undergraduate education from Southern Adventist University and will continue with her residency track for the next two years.
