Published on Sep. 17, 2025
Before he ever donned scrubs, J.J. Frey, RN, BSN, wore the uniform of a United States Marine—a role that shaped his approach to leadership and service in profound ways.
“[The experience of serving as a Marine] was foundational to who I’ve become,” J.J. says. “We were taught to improvise, adapt, and overcome. Those lessons have helped me stay resilient through tough times.”
That quiet strength now guides J.J. in his work as the director of the medical and surgical units at MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center, and as an embedded lean fellow coaching his peers in operational efficiency and process improvement. Whether he is supporting his teams or comforting families in crisis, J.J. draws a direct line from his military service to his purpose in health care.
When I’m with patients and families facing tragedy, I remember I’m there to serve and guide them—no matter how difficult.
- J.J. Frey
Service runs deep in J.J.’s story. The son of two nurses, he grew up watching compassion in action. After completing his active duty, he joined MemorialCare in 2002 as a patient care assistant at MemorialCare Miller Children’s & Women’s Hospital. He worked his way through nursing school and became a Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU) nurse, later stepping into a system-wide leadership role.
But when the pandemic hit, everything shifted. “COVID called me back to the clinical setting,” J.J. says. “It reminded me why I became a nurse in the first place.”
Today, J.J. leads with the same principles he learned in the Corps—mission first, people always. Honor, Courage, and Commitment are more than words to him; they are values he lives by. “It was a great honor to serve in uniform,” he says. “And though I traded it for scrubs long ago, I still serve with the same values that were ingrained in me as a young Marine. Semper Fidelis!”