Retired Couples Share

More than 80 volunteers donate their time through assisting others at Bryan Health facilities every day. For some, volunteering is a calling they can fulfill with their spouse.

Two retired couples – Doug and Deb Navratil, and Julie and Jerry Druery – spend their Friday mornings contributing to the thousands of volunteer hours accumulated at Bryan every year. While they have different tasks, the couples share the joy they feel while helping others.

“We look forward to Friday mornings every week,” Deb said.

The Navratils

Doug and Deb have known each other since childhood, growing up as neighbors and classmates in Crete. They got married right out of high school, moving to Lincoln in the late ‘70s, where they have remained ever since. They have been married for 52 years.

Doug worked for a phone company for over 40 years, retiring in 2021. Deb retired nine months later after years working at Crete Carrier as an administrative assistant and then at a support center for Applebee’s.

Doug and Deb first thought about volunteering at Bryan West Campus after hearing the positive experience of a close friend. Additionally, Deb had surgery at Bryan a few years ago, and she and her husband were both impressed by the care she received.

“The people were so amazing during my week in the hospital,” Deb said.

Doug has volunteered as a wayfinder for about a year. As a wayfinder, Doug takes patients from admissions to different parts of the hospital. In his year of volunteering, he said he has met countless great people, even reuniting with a few he hadn’t seen in 50 years.

Recently, Doug began driving the van that is used to transport Bryan Acute Inpatient Rehab patients around town for community re-entry training.

“I love to take people on little excursions, whether they need to go to the bank or the mall or just head back home to get acclimated,” he said.

Deb joined him at Bryan six months later as a volunteer in the emergency department. She works in the triage area, helping to welcome patients and bring them to their rooms.

Deb said that working in the ED is “eye-opening.” She is constantly learning from staff and said that every day is different. She loves her busy shift, greeting many patients and helping staff where she can.

“Growing up, I always wanted to be a nurse,” Deb said. “That didn’t quite happen, so volunteering here is a little touch of my wish list, I guess you could say.”

While Doug and Deb don’t work together, they sometimes see each other when Doug brings guests back to the ED.

Since they started volunteering at Bryan, they said they have greatly enjoyed their work. They have recommended volunteering at Bryan to multiple friends.

The Druerys

Julie and Jerry spend a lot of time together in retirement – including at Bryan Medical Center every Friday. The two work side-by-side delivering mail on Bryan East Campus.

During their careers, Julie worked in a medical laboratory and Jerry worked at Goodyear Tire. The couple met on a blind date and have been married 54 years. They have three grandchildren.

Julie wanted to continue doing something in the medical field even after she retired. The couple have now volunteered at Bryan for over a decade.

They have filled various volunteer roles over the years, such as working at the welcome desk and in the surgery waiting room. For the last few years, they have done the mail cart on Bryan East Campus on Fridays.

“We decided to work the cart together because if one of us can’t come that week, the other one can cover,” Jerry said. “But most of the time, we do it together every week.”

The Druerys deliver mail all over Bryan East Campus – to offices and clinical floors alike. They sort incoming and outgoing packages and enjoy seeing familiar faces at their regular stops.

Usually, their tasks take only an hour or two. They feel it’s time well spent.

“It keeps your mind going, so you don’t just sit at home and do nothing,” Julie said.

The Druerys appreciate the flexibility to find the right role as a Bryan volunteer. They like having a job that isn’t directly patient focused but still lets them interact with people.

“A few of the other jobs weren’t for us, but we eventually found the mail cart and we love it,” Jerry said.

The couple has made many friends over the years of volunteering. They are excited for many more.

“Everybody’s always so happy to see you,” Julie said. “It’s a chance for us to get out of our house every week and do something we feel is important.”

Take Your Next Step

To learn more about volunteering opportunities at Bryan, visit BryanHealth.org/VolunteerBMC.

If you enjoyed this story, you can read more patient stories, or you can subscribe to our Journeys magazine.

To learn how you can support the work of Bryan Health, please contact the Bryan Foundation staff by calling 402-481-8605.