Imee Dahl
Episode 199

Narrator:

Welcome friends to another episode of the Story & 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 & Experience Podcast. I'm delighted with our guest today, and if you're brand new to the podcast, we have 100 questions. They progressively become more vulnerable closer to 100, and they're about stories and experiences that shape this person into the leader that they are. So, I'm going to ask the first 10 and then they get to pick a number and we'll see where we go. Let me begin then with question number one. Could you tell us your name and does anybody ever mispronounce it?

Imee Dahl:

Yes. My name is Imelda Dahl, but everybody calls me Imee, however, it's very constantly mispronounced. People call me I-me, people call Amy, but that's okay.

Japhet De Oliveira:

All right. And Imee is okay. Or do you prefer Imelda?

Imee Dahl:

No, Imee is better.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Imee is fine. All right, well, Imee, I'm glad. Do you ever correct anybody if they say your name wrong?

Imee Dahl:

Not necessarily, because I would rather focus on the connection and interaction. There will be a time when it's time for me to correct them of how my name is pronounced. Otherwise, I prefer establishing the connection right off the bat.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay. All right, that's good. Now, Imee, what do you do for work?

Imee Dahl:

I am currently the operations and patient care executive at Adventist St. Helena.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay. All right. So, that's two large roles together. Tell me a little bit about that.

Imee Dahl:

So, one of the hats I'm wearing is really making sure from the clinical standpoint, really making sure that my nurses are cared for, to make sure that they're able to provide the highest quality care based on evidence-based practices. So, in charge with staffing, in charge, with making sure that we're in compliance with our policies and regulations and really commit to our mission to make sure that our patients are cared for in the manner that we care for each other. But making sure, of course, that in the process of doing that we abide by the highest clinical standard. My operations hat is making sure that the day-to-day operations of the hospital is made whole. That we have strategies to make sure that we grow, that we are fiscally responsible so we can stay viable and have the team, the ancillary team also operating at the highest level to provide the support that our clinical team deserves and need.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh, that's fantastic. Now, how long have you been in this role?

Imee Dahl:

I am actually on my seventh month here at St. Helena. So, it's been an awesome experience so far.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. All right, so what did you do before this?

Imee Dahl:

Prior to this I was the chief nursing officer in Tucson, Arizona for a 465 bed facility. At the same time managing two freestanding EDs. So, I was there for about over a year. And before that I was with Advent Health in Florida. Also as an executive, I was, for one hospital, the vice President CNO, COO, and another hospital vice president, chief nursing officer. And prior to that, a senior leader for the oncology service line.

Japhet De Oliveira:

All right. Wow. That's a lot. That's a lot. That's fantastic. Well done, well done. And we are lucky to have snagged you, so that's great. Hey, could you tell us where you were born?

Imee Dahl:

So, I was born in this very small town in the Philippines. It's called Valencia. Yes. It's in the foothills and it is actually because as you know, the Philippines was under Spain for over three centuries and we were apparently named after the small town also in Spain, Valencia because of its geography and the weather. And so it's really truly a very beautiful place.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh, that's fantastic. Have you been to Valencia in Spain as well?

Imee Dahl:

I have not. I've been to bar in Barcelona, but not in Valencia. That may be a place to visit soon.

Japhet De Oliveira:

You'll have to go.

Imee Dahl:

Yeah, I should.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah, you should. Did you grow up there or were you there just for a little bit?

Imee Dahl:

Yes, I grew up, I was born there, grew up there. Nine kilometers away is this beach town. It's actually a very big city now, but it used to be a very sleepy city. Went to a Catholic school from elementary to high school, and then went to Cebu, the second-largest city in the Philippines to get my bachelor's degree in nursing.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh, fantastic.

Imee Dahl:

And shortly thereafter from graduation, I came to the United States to work as a nurse.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay. Now, when you were a child, what did you imagine you wouldn't grow up to be? COO, CNO?

Imee Dahl:

Interesting question. No, so it's very interesting because I am the sixth of 10 children and my dad had the propensity of assigning every child to do what. So, you're the attorney, you're the doctor, you're the dentist, you're the nurse. So, it was a very interesting family dynamic. But honestly, I wanted to be a nurse for the sole purpose of being able to come to the states and follow my grandmother because she and I were very, very, very close. And when I was seven years old, she left for the states and I would see her every two years, every three years. So, my entire goal was to be able to finish my nursing degree so I can follow my grandmother so we can live happily ever after.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's a beautiful story. Oh, I love that. Do you get to see her often?

Imee Dahl:

Unfortunately, when it was time for me to come to the state, there was not much demand for LA, but a very high demand for New York City. So, I ended up working at Bellevue Hospital in Manhattan, but every chance I could get, I visited my grandmother.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Wow. Well, I'm so glad to hear that. So, I've got to know, what is it about your grandmother that you love so much?

Imee Dahl:

Wow, what an awesome question. She was just such a kind human being, so giving, just so generous and just so loving. And for the longest time, my mother and my grandmother had this little thing going on because it was so clear that I preferred to hang out with my grandmother than my mother.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Ouch.

Imee Dahl:

It was a point of contention and I honestly don't know how it happened. I mean, she had so many grandkids and yet I happened to be her favorite. I just felt like [inaudible 00:07:25]-

Japhet De Oliveira:

I like your air quotes of the favorite.

Imee Dahl:

It appeared for some reason we just really just connected.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Just connected and clicked. Hey, that's beautiful. And I love it when different generations connect. It's fantastic. It's really honoring to them as well. So, good for you on that. All right, now, personality, would people describe you as an introvert or an extrovert and would you agree?

Imee Dahl:

I had the privilege to be tested for the personality rating and my personality says introvert. So, our CEO, I was a new leader then, looked at it and he said, "Hmm, Imee, there's a very big mistake because you're a very noisy person. I don't think you're an introvert at all." But I understand the demands of my job. I have to really connect to people and that's very important to me, not only to our patients, but to my team and to our important key stakeholders to make the work that we do successful and easier for everyone. But honestly, I'm really more of an introvert.

Japhet De Oliveira:

All right, now that's great. Are you an early riser or late night owl?

Imee Dahl:

Definitely early riser.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh, what's early?

Imee Dahl:

Yeah, 4:30 in the morning.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay. All right. That is early. That is early.

Imee Dahl:

And that's where I do a lot of the thinking.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. All right, so this morning when you got up at 4:30, first thought that went through your mind was?

Imee Dahl:

The very important decisions that need to be made in the hospital, knowing our resources, knowing our priorities, what can we afford, what can we postpone for a little bit? And how I can make sure that our patients are cared well. Because the first thing I always check in is with a house supervisor and look at staffing and patients that came in while everybody was asleep while the whole world was asleep. I have a group of people taking care of our patients and so I want to make sure that everybody's okay and staffing is okay. And not only for the night, but also for the incoming shift at seven o'clock.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. Hey, that's fantastic. Well, glad for that. Now in the morning when you get up, do you have a liquid green smoothie, coffee, tea, water? What's your first drink of the day?

Imee Dahl:

Coffee.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Coffee? Okay.

Imee Dahl:

Definitely.

Japhet De Oliveira:

And how do you have your coffee?

Imee Dahl:

Cream and sugar for sure. Brown sugar.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Yeah. That's fantastic. That's good. That's good. All right, look, last question here in this section, it's a leadership question. Are you a backseat driver?

Imee Dahl:

I'm both. There are times where I need to be in the front seat to make sure that the vision is very clear, but when I have identified the leaders who will be executing the project, I prefer to be in the back so I can guide them. I prefer to be at their side if they need elbow-to-elbow support. And I also can be in the front to make sure that if there are challenges, I'm the first one to meet it head-on. So, it's situational, honestly.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Hey, that's good. That's good. Makes sense. Floor is open. Imee, where would you like to go? Anywhere between 11 and 100.

Imee Dahl:

Let's go 20.

Japhet De Oliveira:

20. All right. Tell us about something that you would say you give this 10 out of 10.

Imee Dahl:

I would say my being a mother is 10 out of 10.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh yeah.

Imee Dahl:

All the time. Even if my kids are grown, one is already a mother herself and one is a senior in college, it's still 100%. It's always 10 over 10.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's fantastic.

Imee Dahl:

And so we have a really wonderful relationship.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh, that's great. So, you didn't have 10 kids?

Imee Dahl:

No, no. I could not afford that, nor could my body take it.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Hey, having kids is amazing, isn't it?

Imee Dahl:

Oh, I call them my gifts from heaven. Actually, my second daughter, her middle name is Manna because I view her as the bread from heaven.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Wow.

Imee Dahl:

And the middle name of my older daughter is Noel, because she's my first Noel.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's beautiful.

Imee Dahl:

I'm really, truly very blessed to have two girls.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I'm so happy for you. And they're very lucky as well to have you as a mother. So, that's great. All right, that was 20. Where next?

Imee Dahl:

25.

Japhet De Oliveira:

25. All right. Oh, share with us the most beautiful thing you've ever seen.

Imee Dahl:

I would say the sunsets of Tucson, Arizona. It is magical. It truly is magical. Where you have explosions of colors of orange and red and gray and blue with wisps of white. The sky is magical, truly magical. So, that for me, it never gets old. I stand in the backyard of my home and look out and just really is in awe how it happened that this place could have that full display of God's gift to us. I mean, nature. It is truly amazing. Truly amazing.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's beautiful. Wow. I love that. Thank you for painting that picture. All right, that was 25. So, where next?

Imee Dahl:

Let's do 31.

Japhet De Oliveira:

31. All right. You're going to have somebody up for dinner. And who would you love to have dinner with? The sky's the limit. Anybody in the past or present.

Imee Dahl:

A part of me would say, I would love to have dinner with my grandmother because it's one of those just phenomenal things that can truly happen where just would be so happy to share with her what I am today and fast-forward, fast-backward to what I was when I was constantly just holding her hand. But the other part of me, just from the learnings that could be had today, I would really honestly would like to have dinner with Warren Buffett because he's very, very astute on the financial side, has depth of understanding not only how finance is today, but in the future, but understanding the ecosystem, the government, the policies, and how that translates to finances. I mean, just to pick his brain would be an awesome thing to do.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I like that. Good suggestion. All right, where next?

Imee Dahl:

Let's go 50.

Japhet De Oliveira:

50. Okay. Here we are. Share about who's influenced you professionally.

Imee Dahl:

I would say my dad. My dad was very militant with making sure you go to school, you finish college, your college diploma is your only inheritance and all that thing. But he really truly gave us the roadmap not only to succeed in life, because he always said education is really a neutralizer. If you're educated, you can find a job and you will likely be able to be comfortable in social settings and professional settings. And he was an attorney, also a politician. So, the emphasis of marrying education and social skills and making sure that you're always paying forward and using your professional talents to always help people, always help people. That was such a big part of him and that's how we were raised.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's beautiful. I love that. Hey, I've got to ask, you mentioned that your dad did assign all the kids a role. Did he assign nursing to you?

Imee Dahl:

No, no.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay. So, what did he assign to you?

Imee Dahl:

I was the doctor.

Japhet De Oliveira:

You were the doctor.

Imee Dahl:

I was the doctor. I was the doctor. So, I actually came to the States and my plan here was to only stay for five years, make sure my grandmother's okay. I did go back to the Philippines for four years and I went to med school. So, I finished med school, but then I got married. And so my husband, who's from the states actually decided I cannot stay in the Philippines. So, I came back to the Philippines. And because I was married, the priority was to be a mother. So, I did not do anything with my medical degree. I did finish med school in the Philippines.

Japhet De Oliveira:

So, you've completed nursing, you've completed medical school, you are CNO and COO. Is there anything else missing in the world?

Imee Dahl:

I think I'll stop there.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay. All right. All right. Hey, that's good. All right, that's fantastic. All right, where next?

Imee Dahl:

75.

Japhet De Oliveira:

75. All right. Do you remember the very first thing that you purchased with your own money? And if so, what was it and why did you buy it?

Imee Dahl:

So, I was living in Manhattan and I love watching people. I love what they wear and at that time, the half ankle boots was in style. So, that was my first most expensive purchase. I paid $125 for that. I can never forget that. And I was so happy I bought it. My own money, a pair of leather boots.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's awesome. That's fantastic. I love it. Good. All right. Where next? That was 75.

Imee Dahl:

82.

Japhet De Oliveira:

82. All right. If you could only keep three possessions, what would they be and why?

Imee Dahl:

So, I have this necklace that my grandmother gave to me and the only time this goes out when I take it off is when I go for a chest x-ray or things like that. But this stays with me, so I will never let this go. I also have a holy rosary that my aunt, my most favorite aunt, she went to Rome and when she came back, that was the gift that she has for me.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh, that's great.

Imee Dahl:

So, that stays at by bedside table and anything that my daughters give me, because it's amazing now that they're grown, they actually give me gifts now. It used to be one-sided and now they're giving me gifts. So, a lot of them I have kept. So, anything from my two girls I have kept. So, there's a collection, a bucket that's going so that when it's time for me to pass, it goes back to them.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh, hey, look at you. Forward-thinking on everything. That's beautiful. A lot of sentimental stuff inside that. I like it. I like it. It's good. All right, we're next?

Imee Dahl:

62.

Japhet De Oliveira:

62. Okay. What does a sense of community mean to you?

Imee Dahl:

This is a very interesting question because growing up I lived in a very homogeneous society. I was raised in a very strict household. It's always going home to school, going home to school. And then of course the interface of my very small friends around me and mostly my interaction really in social events were through school. Then 22 years old, I'm in Manhattan and I'm thrown into this very diverse group of people. It's truly the melting pot. That's when I understood our community is actually very, very diverse. And it opened my eyes to different cultures, different languages, different opinions. And to me the sense of community is not really inward, but outward. Embracing the different talents and the different peoples. That is really the fabric of society. So, that to me is how a community should be.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh, I like that a lot. That's good. That's beautiful. Thank you. All right, where next?

Imee Dahl:

18.

Japhet De Oliveira:

18. If you had to eat, you're going to love this. If you had to eat just one meal for a month, what would you choose? Every meal. Same food. What would be that food item?

Imee Dahl:

Ice cream. Chocolate ice cream. Hands down.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Three meals a day. Chocolate ice cream for a month. Okay.

Imee Dahl:

Yes, yes.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I love it. All right, that was 18. Where next?

Imee Dahl:

29.

Japhet De Oliveira:

29. All right. Oh, share three things that make you instantly happy. As soon as you have it, see it, experience it, you're happy straight away.

Imee Dahl:

Listening to jazz music makes me so happy. I mean, it just changes my mood just right off the bat.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's good.

Imee Dahl:

That is my happy place. Also, going to a few favorite places. I have two happy places. Santa Fe, New Mexico. So, my daughter always takes me there when I visit her. And when I go to Illinois to visit my sisters, Geneva Lake, lake Geneva, that's my other happy place. I walk in there and I am just very, very happy. And the third for me really is just having a good book. Sitting in one, in a cafe. Just have a book and automatically I'm in a very good mood.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's good. A good book is magical. Yeah, I agree. I agree. All right, where next?

Imee Dahl:

55.

Japhet De Oliveira:

55. All right. Oh, share, if you wouldn't mind, something that frightens you.

Imee Dahl:

Scary movies. I am scared of scary movies as I should.

Japhet De Oliveira:

As you should be.

Imee Dahl:

I am also scared of ghosts. I am scared of ghosts, real or not, but I do not like walking in the cemetery at night or even during the day. Those things are not good for my heart.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay. Well, let's take care of your heart. So, that's good. That's good. All right. All right. Where next?

Imee Dahl:

70.

Japhet De Oliveira:

70. All right. Tell us about one thing that you are determined to accomplish.

Imee Dahl:

I am determined to accomplish what my father accomplished. So, all 10 kids went to college and most of us grad school with zero loans. He made sure that he provided for that. And in addition, he sent maybe 30 more people to college.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Wow.

Imee Dahl:

He really believed in education, so he did that. That's one of his legacies. And we didn't even know that until his funeral. Now my older sister is sending about 20 people now at this point, and then she committed that every year she has 20 people she's supporting. So, in my side I can't match that. But I am now sending five people to school and supporting five people to school. So, as my situation changes, one of my older, my younger daughter finishes college. My commitment is to-

Japhet De Oliveira:

Increase that.

Imee Dahl:

... have more. Yeah.

Japhet De Oliveira:

What a blessing. What a blessing. Hey, I love that. Investing in the next generation. That's superb. Well, thank you for that. We have time for two more. Final two numbers. Where would you like to go?

Imee Dahl:

100.

Japhet De Oliveira:

100. All right. Imee, if you don't mind.

Imee Dahl:

Yes.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Could you tell us about one question you don't want to answer?

Imee Dahl:

Why did you get divorced with your first husband? I would not want to answer that question.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Okay. So, how would you unpack that for us? Because that is the question 100. Could you unpack any of that for us?

Imee Dahl:

Yes. It is a stage in my life that I view two ways. It was amazing in the fact that I have two girls that are just fantastic human beings that after today I view as the greatest gift. The two gifts that God gave me. There was also the dark side of that, which I am glad that I was able to have the strength and God's guidance to be able to get out of that. But those are things that I balance and learned a lot from that experience. Very happy that I remarried a wonderful human being, but that is not a stage in my life that I would like to revisit.

Japhet De Oliveira:

That's good. That's good. Well, well done for having the courage to do the right thing. And you have found something good. Yeah, that's good. Well, Imee, we're down to our final number. Where would you like to go with your final number?

Imee Dahl:

Let's go with two.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Well, we did the first 10, so it would be above. So, anything above 11.

Imee Dahl:

I see. Okay.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Sorry.

Imee Dahl:

13.

Japhet De Oliveira:

13. All right. Oh, this is actually a perfect way to end this podcast. How would you walk us through the ideal end of a day for you?

Imee Dahl:

Ideal end of the day for me is putting my feet up in my pajamas and watching HGTV so I can watch much ugly houses turn into this fantastic place where people can enjoy.

Japhet De Oliveira:

I love it. I love it.

Imee Dahl:

That truly makes me happy.

Japhet De Oliveira:

And would you have some chocolate ice cream?

Imee Dahl:

That would even be the punctuation of the day, but I'm managing that because I can't have that.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Hey, Imee, it has been a privilege and a pleasure to be able to talk to you. Thank you for sharing your stories and the courage for sharing the difficult ones as well as the good ones. But what an amazing career and life and legacy and what a challenge to all of us as well to pay it forward in a big way. I really appreciate that. That's really good. So, blessings to you.

Imee Dahl:

Thank you for this opportunity.

Japhet De Oliveira:

Oh yeah, no, totally. And blessings to you. And we will connect to all our listeners. I want to encourage people to do the same thing, meet with someone, ask them good questions. We discover good things about ourselves and we become better beings for it. So, good challenge for us. Thank you. God bless.

Narrator:

Thank you for joining us for the Story & Experience Podcast. We invite you to read, watch, and submit your story and experience at adventishealth.org/story. The Story & Experience Podcast was brought to you by Adventist Health through the Office of Culture.