Tribute Journal
Louis created a youth ambassador program, where top high school students applied to be mentored by executives at the hospital … It was so popular, there were 236 candidates on the waitlist.”
LOUIS NATIVIDAD
DIGNITY HEALTH COMMUNITY HOSPITAL OF SAN BERNARDINO Volunteer Services Manager of Volunteer Services
to be mentored by executive team leaders at the hospital. They got firsthand exposure to weekly rotations, public speaking, research projects and leadership skills. The program was so popular, there were 236 candidates on the waitlist.
The volunteer program at Community Hospital San Bernardino started to thrive once Louis Natividad was hired. Under his leadership, 600 volunteers have been onboarded in the short time since he joined the department in January 2024. Each volunteer has demonstrated the true spirit of community service and plays a vital role in enhancing patient experience.
The ambassadors are rising high school seniors who received a clinical experience from June 1 to August 1, 2025. The goals and objectives Louis plans to instill in the ambassadors when they graduate are research analysis skills, strong leadership, communication, time management and selfconfidence. The final projects of the ambassadors were presented to hospital leadership in August. His mentorship to the volunteers has been pivotal in the early stages of these students starting their medical education journey.
This year, Louis has created a pre-med session for volunteer students to prepare to take the Medical College Admission Test. In February 2025, volunteers participated in a research program to get hands-on experience in public health research while fostering a deeper understanding of community health dynamics. For this summer, Louis created a youth ambassador program, where top high school students applied 25