Centra Culture: Celebrating the People of Centra
The year was 1974. The Rubik’s Cube was invented, President Nixon resigned following the Watergate scandal, Elton John topped the charts—and Debbie first met Steve Boyer. Their love story began at Liberty High School in Bedford, Virginia. The two started dating shortly after Debbie graduated, married a year later and celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary this past fall.
Two years after marrying Steve, Debbie began her career at Bedford Memorial Hospital as a secretary. She later moved into medical records and eventually found her home in patient experience, where she has worked for the past 12 years.
“I’ve worked at the same place for 48 years and I’ve been married to the same man for 50 years,” Debbie laughed. “So, when I find something good, I stick with it!”
Steve’s career followed a different path but with the same dedication to service. He spent his entire professional life with Bedford County Schools as a math teacher, coach, athletic director and eventually, principal. Today, Steve serves as an ambassador at Bedford Memorial Hospital, greeting patients, checking them in for procedures and helping them find their way. He joked that he knows almost everyone who walks through the doors, many of them former students.
Both Debbie and Steve share a deep love for their community and for serving others. When asked about their favorite parts of their roles, they each spoke about connecting with patients, getting to know them and helping put them at ease during what can often be a stressful time.
“Debbie and Steve are an incredibly important part of this team, they truly are the heartbeat of this facility,” said Stacey Vaught, president of Bedford Memorial Hospital. “Debbie brings an unmatched depth of historical knowledge about both the hospital and Bedford County, and that connection makes her an exceptional Caregiver for patient experience. Steve, on the other hand, is the face of this hospital, our VIP, greeting every person who walks through the doors.”
While Steve and Debbie occasionally collaborate on patient experience efforts, most days they work one floor apart, with Steve at the main entrance and Debbie on the second floor. That distance doesn’t stop Debbie from making a few surprise visits. She teases that she likes to sneak up behind Steve and gently bop him on the back of the head when delivering his daily newspaper. Steve adds that Debbie also likes to preview the cafeteria menu during his 11:30 a.m. lunch break so she knows what to order when she heads down an hour later. Debbie doesn’t work Fridays, and Steve admits he misses her when she’s not there. And when Steve is out, Debbie says everyone asks the same question: “Where’s Steve?”
It’s people like Debbie and Steve who make care at Centra and Bedford Memorial Hospital truly special. Their commitment to patients, their community and each other is a love story worth celebrating.
