0:00 - 0:11
Kimberly: Hello everyone. I am thrilled to have James Jackson, who is the Chief Executive Officer for Alameda Health System located in Oakland, California. James, welcome.

0:12 - 0:15
James: Thank you very much. Dr. Long, I am so pleased to be here. It's great to see you.

0:16 - 0:39
Kimberly: It's good to see you too. I've got a few questions and I'd like to ask you because I want to make sure that some of the other executives, emerging leaders and so forth can benefit from the experience that you've had. So one of the things I was curious about is where you are now as CEO for Alameda Health System. Is that aligned with where you thought you would be?

0:39 - 1:17
James: Well, I've been in this field for about 35 years, so you're taking me way back. But I would say that in all candor, not exactly. Because when I went to college, I was going to be a clinician. I was going to be a dentist specifically. And I have to say that my chemistry professor helped me understand that a career in the sciences was probably not in the offing for me. And so I had to recalibrate. And my best friend suggested that I take an economics course. And I realized that's where my aptitude was. And so health care administration for me is really the perfect combination of what I love, which is health care, combined with what my skills are most aligned with, which is business.

1:18 - 1:42
Kimberly: So you were able to put all of those skillsets, your passion and your positive aptitude together by being an administrator over a health care system. I love that. So let me ask you this. You know, the name of this podcast is Pulse Check. So when in your career has there been a time when you have had to pause and do a pulse check?

1:42 - 2:13
James: Yes. It was about 15 years ago. And I was out of the business for about 10 months. And that was so kind of mid-career for me. And I had to frankly reassess my personal life as well as my professional life. And I realized this was indeed the work that I wanted to do. But I also committed to never putting my work ahead of my family life again, because I think until that point, I really had had my priorities somewhat misaligned. And that hiatus really made me refocus. So that was my pulse check.

2:13 - 2:31
Kimberly: That's wonderful. I think we have to do that periodically, depending on what's going on in our lives and so forth. So you know, the other thing is, when you're in an executive leadership position, sometimes it's a challenge to find that purpose, that passion. How do you find that passion in the work that you're doing?

2:32 - 3:18
James: Yeah. One, I often tell people I love my job. I really love knowing that I grew up in Oakland. And so working here really is beyond my wildest dreams because I'm serving the community that I grew up in and that I love. But I would say some core principles for me. I do what I love and I never compromise my ethics. I believe that this work demands too much not to have a passion for it. And if I allowed my ethics to be co-opted, then it's almost impossible to stand behind difficult decisions that were not made on a principled basis. And so I really lean in hard to make sure that ethically, I'm comfortable that I'm doing the right things. So people can question, was it the exact way to go about it? They can never question that ethically, I and my team are doing our best.

3:18 - 3:25
Kimberly: And I would think that it probably gives you great pride to be overseeing the hospital where your father practiced.

3:26 - 3:40
James: It does. You knew my dad, you know how much this work meant to him. And I can think of no greater honor than serving my community and serving the organization that he devoted so much of his efforts and his life and his love to.

3:40 - 4:05
Kimberly: And I know in my heart that he is probably so very proud of you.

James: Well, I was just going to say, he said that this was the place because of the work that you did when you were here. He said that place was a place where healthcare administrators careers went to die. But he said, with the changes that have happened because of the team that you were part of with Wright Lasseter and Bill Manns, he said, if they want you, you should go there. And I took that advice to heart. And that's where I am today.

4:05 - 4:15
Kimberly: I'm so glad that you came there and that you brought your skills and your talent there. What advice would you give your younger self based on what you know and what you've learned?

4:15 - 5:02
James: Oh, my goodness. Invest in Apple stock. And that's that I was going to say seriously, but yeah, seriously, invest in Apple. But I would say to my younger self, make your best decision based on the information available. Then be prepared to pivot if better information becomes available. Never become so rigid a dug in that you cannot evolve and be better and put your family first. Work will pass and others will take your place in that workplace. But if you manage your personal life well, you will always have your family.

5:02 - 5:15
Kimberly: That's right. Oh, wonderful. James, thank you so much. This is a mini podcast. And you gave us some very, very thought provoking and fruitful information. So I appreciate you taking the time to share your expertise and wisdom with us today. Thank you.