Kiyoshi Tomono, Community Partnership Executive for Adventist Health, Talks about Preparing for the Future of Healthcare

As healthcare faces a crossroads with workforce shortages, advancing technology, and an aging population, the need for visionary leaders has never been greater. That’s why we sat down with Kiyoshi Tomono, Community Partnership Executive for Adventist Health. With a career spanning molecular biology, journalism, and healthcare advocacy, Kiyoshi offers a unique perspective on bridging gaps between education, industry, and the community.

In this conversation, Kiyoshi shares how his diverse background has shaped his approach to tackling critical challenges in healthcare. From building partnerships with vocational schools like SJVC to investing in programs that grow local talent, he’s at the forefront of creating sustainable solutions for the future.

We interviewed Kiyoshi because he’s not just responding to today’s needs; he’s preparing for tomorrow’s. His insights on aligning education with real-world demands, navigating technological disruption, and prioritizing human connection in care highlight why he’s a driving force in reshaping healthcare in Central California and beyond. 

Q: Tell me a little bit about yourself…

A: I grew up in the San Fernando Valley, went to Van Nuys High School and then went to UCLA for my undergraduate degree. I’m married with two sons, 10 and 11.  I’ve been here in Bakersfield for 20 years, having moved here in early 2004.

Q: I did find out you have a news background too?

A: Yes, I was a TV news anchor for 12 years in Bakersfield with the local NBC station, KGET, before going into healthcare.

Q: Interesting!

A: I anchored the morning news and did more serious investigative and news reporting after I got off the desk and really enjoyed it for a long time. But if you go back a step before that – when I was in college I was contemplating going into medicine, like going to medical school. So, I majored in molecular biology.

Q: Having been an undergraduate in a liberal arts college, I’d like to ask you how you view the trend toward Gen Z and Gen Xers switching more to vocational schools, like the ones you are working with to employ more nurses. Do you have a comment?

A: Yes, I did go to an undergraduate college that gives you a liberal arts education, but my second degree was a masters in journalism, which in my mind is more on the vocational side.

Healthcare is more than just a vocation. Sure, the hands-on work our team performs requires vocational training, skill and technical expertise.  But our team deals with the body and spirit. We often call it “sacred work,” because at the heart of what we do is caring for people. A well-rounded education, whether it’s through vocational school or a liberal arts program, serves you well.

Q: And nurses are is the backbone of healthcare…

A: They are, and we all will need healthcare at some point in our lives.  So, we all depend on these folks to be there.  No matter how high-tech medicine becomes, we’ll always need people taking care of people, there’s just no way around that. And as the population continues to age, we’re going to be at a critical juncture, needing more and more nurses to do that work.

Q: What can we talk about that is important to you at this point in time in the field of nursing education?

A: I think it’s sharing advocacy efforts to address the workforce crisis.  In the Central California Network of Adventist Health, we have eight hospitals and 131 clinics.  The clinics alone are set to see more than 1 million visits this year, and our workforce is more than 7,200 people strong.  We’re constantly looking for passionate, mission-driven people.  That’s why we’ve invested in workforce development programs like the Cope Health Scholars (https://www.adventisthealth.org/bakersfield/about-us/cope-health-scholars-program)to help local high school and college students explore different careers in healthcare.  And our medical residency program is expanding to Bakersfield next year, to help address the physician shortage in the Valley.  We’re invested in ‘growing our own’ in the Central Valley.  And it’s a multiplier effect.  Great jobs in healthcare have a big impact on our local economy.

Q: So, you are talking about building the relationship with SJVC and other companies like them?

A: We are.  And we’re aligning the needs of training students who are getting into schools with the real-world skills they will need on the job.  We’re also looking at how we can expand the pipeline of training spots. In the past, nurse residency spots have been a limiting factor—these are the programs that transition nursing school graduates into hands-on roles in a clinical setting.

Q: What have you done so far?

A: My colleague, Heather Van Housen is the Patient Care Executive, our chief nurse, if you will. She has replicated a national model where working nurses can also function as nurse educators.  It’s a start.  But we also just completed a recruiting campaign for experienced nurses; because we have dozens and dozens of positions open, we need a good mix of experienced nurses to teach the next generation.

Q: Let’s talk a little bit about the relationship between SJVC and Adventist Healthcare going forward. What do you see you can do in the future to communicate your needs to SJVC so they can prepare their programs to satisfy that need?

A: Well, the partnerships are strong. It is very necessary that these two areas align right, between the educational world and the business sector, so that we’re training people for the jobs that will be there tomorrow!

Q: I’m sure advancing technology has a huge impact on that.

A: Well, I don’t think the need for a bedside nurse is ever going to go away. But the effect of technology on healthcare jobs is huge. The way in which we deliver healthcare is changing rapidly. Who would have known 20 years ago that there would be, you know, surgeries assisted by robotic systems or that you’d be seeing your primary care provider on the screen of a phone?

Q: It seems to me you’re the guys who would have to really be communicating what you’re going to need to SJVC and other colleges to develop and keep their curriculum up to date.

A: Yes. A good example is radiology. There are fewer and fewer radiologists going into programs, because there’s a fear among medical students that at some point down the road, AI is going to take that job over.

Q: So how do you answer that? I mean, how do you help students decide on that kind of area if you don’t know what’s it’s going to be like yet?

A: I don’t know if anyone has a perfect answer.  But, from personal experience, finding something you’re passionate about is a great start.  Then, having an open mind and willingness to adapt is key, because the future of healthcare is promising.