Fund supports nursing staff at DCMH
May 31—GREENSBURG — Through the Hospital Foundation of Decatur County, The Marjorie B. and Robert H. Willer Professional Development Fund for Nursing Staff was established by their children in memory of Marj and Bob's long-term commitment to Decatur County Memorial Hospital. Their daughter, Barbara, provided this write up of her parents.
"Marj and Bob met as young adults in Cincinnati. Marj was working as a nurse after receiving her nurse's diploma from Christ Hospital, and Bob was completing a degree in engineering at the University of Cincinnati. After brief stints in Milwaukee, Bloomington and Columbus, they raised their four children in Batesville, where Bob worked for Hill-Rom designing hospital beds. Marj returned to nursing as their children approached college and joined the DCMH staff in 1980.
Bob fully supported Marj's decision to return to college in her 40s, as she completed a bachelor's degree and then a master's in nursing administration from St. Joseph's College in Maine, all while working full-time as director of nursing at DCMH. Unfortunately, early in his retirement, Bob developed health problems stemming from a form of Parkinson's disease, and he spent the last six months of his life in long-term care at DCMH. After Bob's death in 2000, Marj found solace not only in her children and grandchildren but also in her work and her DCMH "family." She retired at the age of 81 in 2011 after serving more than 30 years at DCMH as Director of Nursing, Vice President of Patient Care, and Vice President of Compliance and Quality.
Through this fund, the Willer family honor Marj and Bob's long-term support of DCMH, especially Marj's dedication to nursing and patient care. As an administrator, Marj believed her primary job was to support the nursing team in providing their patients with the highest quality of care. She deeply believed in the importance of continuing education and demonstrated that through her own commitment to pursuing professional development. This Fund will continue Marj's vision for supporting nursing staff in a variety of ways, such as allowing nursing staff to attend a professional development conference or bringing professional development activities for nursing staff to the hospital. It might also support nursing staff members taking coursework to enhance their professional skills and potentially further their nursing careers. In these ways, the Marjorie B. and Robert H. Willer Fund will support the high quality of nursing at DCMH for years to come. "
The Hospital Foundation of Decatur County was founded in 1992 as a 501(c)3 organization to provide additional financial support for the healthcare initiatives of Decatur County Memorial Hospital. The Marjorie and Robert Willer is accepting additional funds, to support this fund contact the Hospital Foundation at foundation@dcmh.net or through the Foundation office, 720 N. Lincoln Street, Greensburg, IN 47240. The Hospital Foundation of Decatur County may be reached at 812-663-1220. — Information provided
