day in and day out? You have to stand for
quality all the time, and not vary from that.
I also believe you have to determine
how you spend your time. My parents
taught me that you must devote time to
your family, give enough hours a day to a
job that will provide your livelihood, and
give time to your community. I was with
Blue Bell for more than 50 years, and there
wasn’t a day I didn’t love to go to work,
because I made it fun. After a full day, I
enjoyed evenings with family or
community activities. My wife, Verlin, and
I have four grown children and seven
grandchildren now, all living nearby.
Community-minded
To have the greatest medical program,
school, city, or police department, you
have to be a part of it. People are what
makes a community, not the brick, mortar,
and steel. It’s people that do that. That’s
why you get involved! It makes life much
more wonderful, and it makes community
more wonderful, too. Doing important
things requires time, talent, and finances.
You have to be willing to contribute and
get it done.
Philanthropy is important in healthcare.
It takes huge funds to meet the total
requirements of quality care plus education
and research. You don’t get enough from
operations to do that. Physicians and staff
have to have buildings and equipment
to perform their work, and to provide
the latest and the best for them takes
funds. As citizens of the community, we
have to be a part of that. It’s what makes us
a community! ■
www.sw.org | Spring 11 THE CATALYST
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