HARLINGEN — Full circle.
That best describes Candi Constantine-Castillo’s journey to her current position as the new CEO of Harlingen Medical Center.
“I was on the original team when the hospital opened in 2002, so it’s really like coming home,” said Constantine-Castillo, 49, who started out as the hospital’s education coordinator 20 years ago.
Since that time, she’s served in a range of leadership capacities that have prepared her for her current position. Those positions include hospital administrator for Dolly Vinsant Memorial Hospital and system chief nursing officer for South Texas Health System. She’s also served as facility and program lead for the post-graduate executive healthcare leadership certificate program for Cornell University.
And now back to HMC.
“Harlingen Medical Center is actually in the city that I live in,” she said. “The opportunity was presented and it’s just a wonderful culture at the hospital. It’s based on quality, and it’s just a wonderful, wonderful opportunity.”
One of her top priorities as the new CEO is to help the hospital return to a sense of normalcy after the pandemic.
“I want to focus on moving beyond the pandemic and getting us closer to as normal operations as we can depending on where the pandemic goes,” said the married mother of two daughters.
More specifically, she addressed the importance of supporting staff who’ve faced major and unprecedented crises during the worst of COVID.
“They have endured a very challenging, challenging two years,” Constantine-Castillo.
Those challenging two years have pushed nurses and other medical professionals to their limits, and in some cases beyond their limits. Some have left the profession, leaving hospitals across the country short staffed.
“While we still have nurses traveling to fill those empty spots, it creates a voice in any community hospital facility,” she said. “We’re going to be working very hard to recruit nurses and other healthcare professionals.”
She referenced respiratory therapist as an example of needs beyond new nurses.
“We’re just going to work very hard to promote our culture,” she said. “It’s a great work environment, and we’re really focusing on getting our workforce stable and ready for our future.”
Constantine-Castillo hails from Tennessee where she earned her undergraduate nursing degrees at East Tennessee State University. She earned her master of business administration from Andrew Jackson University. She earned a post-graduate certificate in nursing administration from the University of Texas-Arlington and a doctor of health administration with a specialization in health care leadership from Capella University.
She came to the Valley in 1998 to become the director of critical care and she’s been here ever since. She is married to Lt. Carlos Castillo of the Harlingen Fire Department.
