Meet Chris Hagen, one of our teammates shaping mission-based healthcare at Adventist Health

Chris Hagen, Director for Mission and Spiritual Care for Adventist Health Lodi Memorial, 15 years with Adventist Health

As the Mission and Spiritual Care Leader at Adventist Health Lodi Memorial, Chris Hagen is responsible for building an atmosphere and culture that supports the mission of Adventist healthcare. His role includes leading the team of chaplains that provide emotional and spiritual care for patients, their family members and hospital staff.

What is your best habit?

HAGEN: My best habit is gratitude. When I wake up in the morning, I think through the day, about what I’m looking forward to and what I can be thankful for. At the end of the day, I reflect on where I saw God throughout the day.

Who has had the biggest influence on your life?

My parents showed me what it’s like to have a friendship with God and a living faith. They’ve always been there for me over the years with support, love and guidance.

What advice would you give your younger self?

Remember God will always be with you. Be yourself and just keep going for it. Also, very important, invest early in Apple!

What brought you to Adventist Health?

It was a miracle, actually, very much an answer to prayer. When our oldest daughter was six years old, we discovered she had brain cancer. The next six years were a blur of medical appointments and living at different hospitals — Stanford Children’s Hospital, Oakland Children’s Hospital, UCLA Medical Center. We weren’t sure what her future would be. But now we’re so blessed that she’s 25 years old and cancer free.

Through that experience we were loved and cared for by our church, family, friends and good health care providers. Our prayer was, “Lord, use this for good. Help us to learn from this, grow and someday help others.”

I had the opportunity to do chaplaincy training at Stanford where our daughter had treatment. To serve there and later be invited to chaplaincy at Adventist Health St. Helena was an answer to prayer. I feel blessed to serve others the way we were served.

What do you love about working at Adventist Health?

The people! But also, it is a blessing to be part of a rich tradition of Jesus-inspired healthcare. My grandmother was sponsored to medical school by John Harvey Kellogg, and my great grandmother was his surgical nurse at Battle Creek Sanitarium. My great grandparents met at Battle Creek, and my grandparents went to medical school at Loma Linda when it was known as College of Medical Evangelists. My great grandmother noted in her journal in 1898 that Dr. Kellogg spoke in Guadalajara, Mexico, where she and my great grandfather were medical missionaries. I get to be a part of that legacy years down the road.

How do you unplug after a difficult day?

As I leave the hospital I pause to be aware of what’s going on around me. I’ll catch the sunset for a few moments and relax as I’m driving home. I might say a prayer about whatever was happening at work and just leave it in God’s fully capable hands.

Why do you choose to work in healthcare?

I love working in this team environment. In the midst of healthcare, you’re not alone. To be in high stakes environments with high caliber people who are continually pushing each other toward excellence, that’s exciting.

What gives you hope?

Seeing how God works through so many different situations and different people’s lives. That brings me hope. I’ve seen how God has worked in the past through some pretty dark times, and I know there is always 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 Haley Pacholec
Meet Jasmin Huila Flores