Terre Haute loses a healer

Jan. 20—Dr. Randy Stevens, who died Saturday at age 69, is being remembered for his kindness and generosity to others, his compassion for the poor and his efforts to treat those suffering from addictions.

He had a major impact on the Terre Haute community through public service, education and leadership. He was instrumental in establishment of St. Ann's Clinic, now the Wabash Valley Health Center.

Stevens worked in the medical field for 52 years, beginning as a combat medic in Vietnam, then 35 years as a physician at Union Health System, Hamilton Center, and Indiana University School of Medicine.

"He loved being a physician and teacher to his patients, young resident physicians and medical students. He cherished working with nurse practitioners, physician assistants and physicians, and all staff in the clinics," according to his obituary.

Dr. James Turner, close friends with Stevens, described the three pillars of Stevens' life as public service, education and leadership.

Stevens' public service began when he served as a combat medic in Vietnam. While there, he also cared for soldiers who had become addicted to heroin, which started his interest in addiction medicine.

"He carried that knowledge for the remainder of his career and developed addictions programs that served so many in the Wabash Valley over the last 30 years. He served as director of detox centers" and also worked with the addiction services program at Hamilton Center, Turner said.

"That experience in Vietnam helped many in the Wabash Valley receive appropriate treatment for their addictions, to be treated as a disease and not as a flaw in their character," Turner said.

Stevens also was a natural educator who taught by example, Turner said. For many years, he served on the faculty at the IU School of Medicine in Terre Haute and taught hundreds of medical students and residents. He also was the director of the Union Hospital Family Medicine residency program for eight years.

In terms of leadership, "He served on so many committees and boards throughout his career ... If you had a project that was going to help those people in great need, and you went to Dr. Stevens to serve on your board or committee, he could not say no. If it would help someone, he would sign on," Turner said.

And once Stevens was on a committee, others wanted to join. "Your project would come to fruition because Randy would lead you through that," he said. Stevens had many contacts and was able to involve different people who could get a project done.

Stevens recently received the Chapman Root Award from Hospice of the Wabash Valley and was also awarded the governor's Sagamore of the Wabash.

Turner said he and Stevens trained together as residents and became friends quickly. "We bonded right from the very start."

Stevens' office was right next to his in the Landsbaum Center. Every day they would stop by each other's offices and say hi. "I jokingly called Randy the Oracle of Delphi. Anytime you needed to know what was going on in the community ... I'd go to the oracle and he always knew what the answer was."

Stevens served on so many boards, "He always had the inside scoop on everything," said Turner, who is medical director of the Lugar Center for Rural Health.

Sister Connie Kramer, a Sister of Providence, described Stevens as "the bright light and sort of godfather of the poor in terms of health needs in the Wabash Valley. He simply had a deep, compassionate heart for the poor."

She asked for his help in establishing St. Ann's Clinic, which later became the Wabash Valley Health Center.

"Without Randy, there would be no St. Ann's Clinic and therefore there would be no Wabash Valley Health Center," she said. "It's that simple."

He was instrumental in getting people involved to support the effort and served as the clinic's first and long-time medical director.

Stevens also "was gifted in his diagnosis and treatment of persons of addiction ... and so respectful," Kramer said.

He inspired other physicians to put a face on the poor and to care for them, she said.

"He had a heart that was extremely kind and he was very aware and very respectful of every person," Kramer said. "I will miss him. He was a man that could affirm you, encourage you and empower you and find the gifts you could share and help you make it happen."

Dr. Peter Duong, associate dean and director of the IU School of Medicine in Terre Haute, said Stevens was an associate professor of family medicine with the program. He taught an introduction to medicine class for first-year medical students.

Students respected and loved him, Duong said. Those who have had him in class "are just crushed that he passed away."

"He had a huge impact on students. He was always very kind, very mindful of them and very student-oriented," he said.

That impact extended to School of Medicine faculty, Duong said. One of those faculty members stated, "If you did not like Randy Stevens, there was something wrong with you."

Stevens had a major impact on the medical school in Terre Haute. He was one of the main architects for the rural track that began in 2008.

"Thanks to him and a lot of his negotiating with different partners — ISU, the IU School of Medicine and Union Hospital — that brought together the rural track we have now and turned our program into a four-year medical school program," Duong said.

According to brother Rick Stevens, Randy died in California surrounded by family after fighting a courageous battle with cancer.

"He will be missed by many and will never be forgotten for all the good he gave to others," Stevens stated on social media. "He was a man of his word and made a difference for thousands of people and organizations in our community."

In an interview, Rick Stevens said there's been an "unbelievable" outpouring of support from people across the country, and even some from out of the country, who knew Randy.

"He was a really giving person who cared about everyone, and especially the ones less fortunate. He really reached out and helped them in so many different ways, many we don't even know about," he said.

People who knew Randy "just thought the world of him. He had that special knack of being able to connect with people and making them feel like they were the only person he cared about in the world," Rick Steven said. "To me that's something special."

Even in death, his brother continued to help others by donating his body to the UCLA School of Medicine. "That exemplifies the type of person he was all his life," Rick Stevens said.

A celebration of Dr. Randy Stevens life and legacy will take place from noon to 4 p.m. June 12 at the VFW in Terre Haute

Sue Loughlin can be reached at 812-231-4235 or at sue.loughlin@tribstar.com Follow Sue on Twitter @TribStarSue.