Participating in a Mission Greater than Myself

Tina Alvarado began her Navy Reserve career as a direct commissioned officer. She was called to active duty in support of Operations Desert Shield, Desert Storm, Operations Noble Eagle and Enduring Freedom. Alvarado also served in the Neurosurgical Intensive Care Unit at the National Naval Medical Center, Bethesda, Md. She has held a variety of leadership positions in the Navy including officer in charge, executive officer, administrative officer and training officer. Alvarado has extensive experience in strategic health care planning.  She spent a decade working on Capitol Hill, in both the House and Senate, serving as Staff Director of the U.S. House Subcommittee on Hospitals and Health Care and Professional Staff Member of the U.S. House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs. She served as Director of Public Policy & Regulatory Affairs for Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina and held a number of senior health policy and strategic positions there. Alvarado is a graduate of the Alexandria Hospital School of Nursing. She received a BS from Columbia Nursing and holds a Master of Health Care Administration from the University of North Carolina, School Of Public Health.

1. Tell us about your current role in the U.S. Navy.

Navy Medicine has an important mission to provide essential, life-saving care to our Navy Sailors, Marines, and all military personnel regardless of their service branch.  I oversee four expeditionary medical facilities which can provide trauma and lifesaving care anywhere in the world in settings like temporary tent hospitals, underdeveloped or remote areas, or while afloat on Navy vessels. These mobile units can be configured to match the need.  The smallest configuration is a 10-bed platform which contains two operating rooms and can fit inside an airplane and be deployed anywhere in the world in 72 hours. We also treat active military personnel, retirees, and families in military treatment facilities across the country and on bases around the world. In some cases, we treat civilians.

During peacetime, we train extensively and participate in humanitarian missions to care for underserved populations or those affected by natural disasters. The Department of Defense receives requests from communities across the country and prioritizes where to send military medical teams for assistance.  For example, we provided care to Native Americans in remote parts of Alaska, and underserved communities in the Louisiana Bayou and Kentucky.  It’s been an incredible way for the Navy to serve those in need here at home.  We also sent teams to care for people in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake and to New Orleans after Hurricane Katrina.

2. What mentors have inspired you and why?

I credit my success to having strong mentors. My parents were my first mentors. My father was an Air Force pilot, and eventually went to law school to become an Air Force lawyer. My mother worked as a nurse at all of the military hospitals where we were stationed. My mother remained in the workforce despite having seven children, even though few women worked outside of the home then. She taught me that achieving a work-life balance was possible.  

I always feel honored when people I admire take an interest in mentoring me. Several of my Columbia Nursing professors were also strong mentors. Throughout my Navy career, I proactively sought out leaders whose styles I wanted to emulate, including three nurse leaders who served as my commanding officers. They taught me that nursing encompasses so much more than patient care. I learned from them that accepting the challenge of leadership was the best way to impact healthcare delivery quality and community health outcomes across a much greater span.

3. Tell us about your experiences working as an officer in the U.S. Navy, on active duty supporting Operations Desert Storm and Desert Shield. What skills that you honed as a nurse and a nursing student prepared you most for this role?

I had only been in the Navy for almost a year when I was called up for Desert Storm. I felt fear of the unknown when leaving my family and uncertain when I would return. The strong educational foundation I gained at Columbia Nursing made me confident about my clinical skills.  Living in New York City as a nursing student provided me with a sense of self-reliance and boldness. I learned about the power of teamwork in healthcare which made me realize that I could rely on my shipmates who were experiencing the same feelings. Columbia Nursing instilled a strong desire in me to serve a greater good which eventually led me to join the Navy. I took comfort in the notion that I was participating in a mission bigger than myself.

Eventually that desire grew into a passion and a lifelong career.

4. How did your nursing education at Columbia Nursing influence your career path?

My degree from Columbia Nursing opened a lot of doors for me because of the strong academics, confidence, and leadership skills I gained here. Many of my professors simply assumed excellence in the students – instead of expecting or demanding it. My professors made it clear that nurses are healthcare team leaders. From day one I knew I was studying among the best nurses and exceeding expectations was par for the course. I also learned that building a strong, collaborative team results in better patient care. The power of the team allows people to be productive and ensures you are never alone. My experience at the school broadened my view of what was possible – including becoming an admiral and working in multiple healthcare leadership positions.

5.  You've held a variety of leadership positions in your career. What advice would you give to newly minted nurses who aspire to leadership roles?

The most important thing to know about leadership is that it is not about you. If you make it only about you, the power, or even the huge responsibility, you probably won’t achieve success.  I accepted leadership opportunities to serve a greater good, which is also why I became a nurse. To me, leadership means inspiring others to perform a mission, achieve new heights, or pioneer a new way of doing things.

Never take it for granted that people have to give you the honor of leading them. I have received tremendous satisfaction in leading high-performing teams of dedicated professionals. I measure my success by the success of those I led.  With that criteria in mind, my Navy shipmates have given me all the success I will ever need.  I am enormously grateful for being a Columbia Nursing grad and a Navy leader.