As a chaplain, Oceguera witnessed how presence, simply showing up, listening and honoring a person’s story, often mattered more than answers. Those experiences deepened his understanding of whole-person care.
“My parents came here with very little,” he said. “What they dreamed of was giving their children a life they didn’t have.”
That dream was nurtured through faith. After responding to an Adventist magazine offer for a free Bible, Oceguera’s parents began Bible studies and eventually joined the Seventh-day Adventist Church. The church’s emphasis on education became transformational for the family.
Though Oceguera attended public school through high school due to financial limitations, he later pursued higher education at Adventist institutions. He earned his undergraduate degree at La Sierra University and completed seminary at Andrews University, followed by doctoral studies at Fuller Theological Seminary.
Those formative years planted seeds that would later flourish in ministry, shaping his theology, leadership and passion for dignity-centered care.
Oceguera spent nearly 20 years in pastoral ministry, serving vibrant congregations and walking closely with people through life’s joys and deepest sorrows. Over time, his calling expanded into health care chaplaincy, when he began serving at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth’s four hospitals in the Chicagoland suburbs in 2020.
“In our Adventist tradition, we say health care is the right hand of the gospel and the church is the left,” he said. “In a hospital, people may not come looking for a sermon, but they are absolutely searching for comfort, meaning, peace and hope.”
As a chaplain, Oceguera witnessed how presence, simply showing up, listening and honoring a person’s story, often mattered more than answers. Those experiences deepened his understanding of whole-person care.
“Physical healing matters deeply,” he said, “but so do the heart and the soul.”
Today, those early lessons are lived out in his newest calling. As vice president of mission and ministry for UChicago Medicine AdventHealth, Oceguera brings with him a deep conviction that health care is one of the most sacred spaces for extending the healing ministry of Christ.
“My vision is simple,” Oceguera said. “To embed mission into everything we do, so it’s not a statement on a wall or a line in a strategic plan, but a shared language and lived culture.”
Since joining the organization in his new role last December, Oceguera is focused on ensuring that mission is embedded throughout the organization and not confined to a single department.
Guided by Mission Integration Councils at each hospital, which help translate mission into action, Oceguera is building a culture rooted in collaboration. He also draws from his doctoral work on resilience and organizational change. He believes resilience grows when people feel connected to a meaningful mission and supported by those around them.
“When mission is embedded at every level, it becomes the way we care for patients, support one another and bring healing into our communities, together.”
Chris Zurales is manager of marketing and communications at UChicago Medicine AdventHealth
