Breanna J. Vandale, MSN, RN, serves as director of nursing for the Pediatric Heart Institute at Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital, providing clinical and administrative oversight for pediatric cardiac services across inpatient, procedural and ambulatory settings. Although she never envisioned a career in healthcare leadership, her passion for improving systems and empowering caregivers led her to leadership roles.

Vandale believes growth comes from remaining open-minded and continually challenging yourself and others to strive for excellence. Along the way, she has also learned that leading others begins with taking care of yourself. “You cannot consistently show up as your best for others if you’re not taking care of yourself first,” Vandale said.

One of Vandale’s proudest accomplishments was leading the development of the cardiac areas for the Joe DiMaggio Children’s Hospital vertical expansion project, bringing inpatient, procedural and ambulatory cardiac services together to create a seamless continuum of care that will benefit patients and families for years to come.