Long time colleague reflects on St. Mary’s 50th anniversary

As St. Mary Medical Center turns 50 this year, 40-year colleague Deb Volponi reflects on her time and experience at St. Mary throughout the years. Volponi first joined the St. Mary team during her clinical rotation in 1981 and has since held positions as a phlebotomist, technologist, and most recently as an operations manager.

“I love the family atmosphere of our growing community hospital,” said Volponi.

During her career, Volponi has watched St. Mary grow and advance tremendously. For example, when she first joined the team, patient lab results were tracked in a handwritten logbook—a task that is now performed with the simple scan of a patient armband. While technology, procedures, and patient care have continued to improve in the years since, colleague relationships have also gotten stronger.

At the 25-year mark in her career, Volponi fondly remembers attending a colleague awards dinner where a Human Resources representative presented the news that a close colleague received a long-awaited gift … his new heart! The room suddenly filled with tears of joy and cheering as everyone celebrated the momentous news. To Volponi, her St. Mary team truly felt like family.

“It’s a wonderful feeling when you like coming to work every day. Our patients are our priority and always have been, that makes me proud to be a long term St. Mary colleague.” – Deb Volponi

Enjoying the work she does is Volponi’s motivation for her long-time success at St. Mary Medical Center.

“It’s a wonderful feeling when you like coming to work every day,” she said. “Each day is different but the care we provide is not. Our patients are our priority and always have been, that makes me proud to be a long term St. Mary colleague.”