Deb Bailey, ’80, has worked in healthcare for four decades and doesn’t plan on slowing down anytime soon
A 1980 graduate, Deb Bailey’s list of professional accomplishments in her 41-year medical career reads like an index of life goals.
A Distinguished Alumni recipient, Bailey credits her hometown of Grand Junction for many of her opportunities and successes. The impressive list includes redesigning Mesa County Valley School District 51’s health assistants’ program, being a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE), serving as the program director for CMU’s Doctor of Nursing Practice and earning her doctorate as a registered nurse.
She currently is the medical director of Women's Primary Care at the Veterans Administration in Grand Junction.
“It feeds my soul when a job is done well,” said Bailey.
Bailey embodies her motto that life is a learning experience that has no coincidences. She has gladly welcomed every career transition and has cared for patients at both the first breath of life and the last.
Bailey is also a rock hunter and seashell collector, who first learned about nursing as a profession from Mesa State Professor Marie Eichner. Eichner instilled in Bailey a deep love of primary care work, teaching and a belief that healthcare takes a team mentality.
Although Bailey cites her favorite place that she has visited as Denmark, she doesn’t seem to be ready for retirement and pursuing global travel anytime soon. She plans to continue her work in healthcare.
FACTOID
Graduation year: 1980
Hometown: Grand Junction, Colorado
Profession: Doctorate, Registered Nurse
Favorite professor: Marie Eichner, Nursing
Most memorable book: Celestine Prophecy by James Redfield
Favorite place visited: Denmark
Life motto: Life is a learning experience that has no coincidences
Hobbies: Rock and mineral hunting and seashell collecting
Accomplishments:
- Redesigned Mesa County Valley School District 51’s health assistants program
- Providing services as a sexual assault nurse examiner (SANE)
- Earning her doctorate as a registered nurse
- Being the medical director of Women's Primary Care at the Veterans Administration in Grand Junction