Meet Haley Pacholec, one of our teammates shaping mission-based healthcare at Adventist Health

Haley Pacholec, Interventional Cardiology Nurse Practitioner for Adventist Health Portland, 8 years with Adventist Health

Haley Pacholec knows firsthand about heart problems. During college she had a pacemaker placed after experiencing complete heart block. Now, Haley’s pacemaker helps her heart’s electrical system work properly.

“When I was in the hospital, I saw how much time nurses spend with patients, and I changed my major to nursing,” she says. While working in the ICU after nursing school, Haley realized she was seeing patients after many things had already gone wrong with their health. “I wanted to focus more on preventing those situations and on improving health to keep people out of the hospital,” she says. Now, as an interventional cardiology nurse practitioner, Haley is giving hope to heart patients she can relate to.

Who has had the biggest influence on your life?
PACHOLEC: My mother. She showed me what being a working mother looks like. She was a great role model as far as finding something you’re passionate about, pursuing it and then balancing that with having a family.

What advice would you give your younger self?
Be patient. When you’re young there’s this big push to figure out what you want to do and what direction to go. We have more time than we realize at the moment.

I didn’t figure out what I wanted to do until I was almost through college. To figure out what you’re passionate about, just be patient and let things unfold. When you’re in your early 20s, you have a lot more time than you think.

What brought you to Adventist Health?
I went to nursing school at Walla Walla University and we did a lot of clinical rotations in Portland. Doing clinicals here and seeing the hospital and the staff — especially staff members who have been at Adventist Health Portland for many years and still enjoy working here — pointed me in this direction. Once I came here, I never wanted to leave.

What’s your favorite part of your job?
There are a lot of aspects I really enjoy, but I would say getting to see the same patients, establishing professional relationships with them and then helping them manage their conditions over time is my favorite part. I enjoy doing a deep dive into whatever they have going on, providing education and being able to help in as many different aspects as I can.

How do you unplug after a hard day?
I have a wonderful husband and a German shepherd at home, so I spend time with them and the rest of my family. I do outdoor activities as well.

What gives you hope?
A lot of things. Seeing patients do better over time always gives me hope, especially when they are someone I’ve seen for a long time and worked with a lot. Maybe they came back to see me after having a stent placed and their symptoms are so much better and they have a new outlook on life. Having a perspective of hope is very helpful. Especially when you are dealing with people who aren’t doing well, it’s very helpful to have that glimmer of hope.

Explore opportunities to join the Adventist Health team at AdventistHealth.org/careers.

Read more inspiring stories about the Adventist Health team:
Meet Adam Lee
Meet Chris Hagen
Meet Jasmin Huila Flores