GIAN HEMBRADOR | 39

DIRECTOR, SURGICAL SERVICES

Providence Alaska Medical Center

“Leadership is solving problems. The day soldiers stop bringing you their problems is the day you have stopped leading them. They have either lost confidence that you can help or concluded you do not care. Either case is a failure of leadership.”

– Colin Powell

Hometown: Manila, Philippines

Current City: Eagle River

Education: ADN, South Texas College; BSN, University of Texas at Arlington; MBA-HM, in progress, Western Governors University

Community Work: Working at a not-for-profit hospital has been incredibly rewarding. Working through all the challenges the pandemic presented while still trying to ensure access to critical surgeries has been one of my most challenging experiences.

Family: I have two older sisters and a younger brother. I'm married to Rachel Leigh Hembrador, and we have two dogs, Charlotte and Tucker.

What is your favorite place in Alaska and why?: Homer: we love all its quirks and beautiful landscapes. Being able to enjoy both land and water activities in Homer is lovely. While we generally avoid crowds, there's something about the Homer Spit and the crowds of tourists that we find comforting.

Name the person you respect and why: I don't have just one person; currently, I'd say I have the most respect for health care workers who have had the most challenging past three years, from those new to the field to ones who have been in for decades. From the chaos at the beginning of the pandemic to the highly polarizing effects of strict guidelines that health care workers had to enforce, these outstanding professionals have risen to the occasion to provide care to those who needed it most.

What is your favorite pastime or hobby away from work?: Spending time with my wife and dogs.

What was your first job?: I was a sales associate at RadioShack. I couldn't sell anything to save my life, but I loved nerding out on all things tech.

What has been your most rewarding community service?: Toss up between Afghanistan deployments while in the USAF and working for PAMC. I'm proud to have the opportunity to work for organizations that believe in selfless service and in living the mission.

Being in a deployed environment and working closely with allied partners while being able to provide care to local Afghans who otherwise wouldn't have access to basic health care has been truly rewarding.

In my time at Providence, I've seen leaders and health care providers provide for the poor and vulnerable time and again.

In your professional life, what has been a project or achievement you have found to be the most fulfilling?: My time in the USAF. While I feel that I never achieved anything worth mentioning, being able to serve and be a part of something great was a humbling and personally fulfilling experience.

Based on your own experiences, what advice would you give on maintaining a good work-life balance?: Go home. Recharge your batteries. You can spend endless hours at work, and you'll still find yourself with more work.