Mervin Dino serves as Multi-Site Program Manager for Advocate Aurora Health.
On April 4th, Mervin will speak at Becker's Hospital Review 10th Annual Meeting. As part of an ongoing series, Becker's is talking to healthcare leaders who plan to speak at the conference, which will take place April 1-4, 2019 in Chicago.
To learn more about the conference and Mervin's session, click here.
Question: What one strategic initiative will demand the most of your time and energy in 2019?
Mervin Dino: One exciting strategic initiative is our Future Health Leaders workforce training program at Advocate Christ Medical Center and Advocate Illinois Masonic Medical Center. Advocate Aurora Health is committed to educating motivated, underrepresented youth interested in health careers while building a diverse workforce. Through this initiative, we are investing in tomorrow’s health leaders by providing over 60 high school and college students with quality training and career development, while matching them with meaningful internship opportunities. We are also developing a scholarship program in partnership with the business sector to support our students’ career paths.
Q: Tell us about the last meaningful interaction you had with a patient.
MD: Every day, I round on inpatients with our Heart Failure team as part of our innovative collaboration focused on transitional care and reducing readmissions. One of our patients was underinsured and bounced between various area hospitals due to heart failure. I partnered with the patient’s family to help them navigate the complex health system to make sure they attended all their clinic visits and had access to the right medications, while building self-advocacy. It was heart-warming to see our patient overcome this challenge and return to living her life.
Q: Can you share some praise with us about people you work with? What does greatness look like to you when it comes to your team?
MD: For the most part, my team is uniquely staffed by volunteers – graduate interns, college interns, and international medical graduates. I continued to be inspired by their unwavering commitment to helping solve everyday issues in today’s complex health system for our patients and families, while seeing them grow as future leaders in our field. Greatness is seeing your team accomplish so much with very limited resources, while reflecting the values of social justice and humanity.