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GPCH CEO Dennis Jack, left, presents Debbie Chilcote with November’s Shining Star award for her dedication and commitment to quality healthcare. Chilcote was nominated for the award by her coworkers in the Diagnostic Imaging Department. She has been serving GPCH for over 30 years.
Courtesy photo By Brooke Huff
Reporter
People pursue careers for various reasons; some do it to improve their lot in life, others do it to make ends meet, and others still do it to fulfill their dreams.
For Debbie Chilcote, Registered Radiologic Technologist at Golden Plains Community Hospital and recipient of the November Shining Star award, it is a matter of wanting to help people.
Chilcote said that she chose a career in radiology because she always wanted to do something that would allow her to help others.
“I wanted to do something that would help my fellow man,” Chilcote said. “I find it very rewarding, and I get close to my patients.”
This philosophy, GPCH Radiology Technician Del Simmons said, is what led her and Chilcote’s other coworkers in the Diagnostic Imaging Department to nominate her for the Shining Star award for November.
“As one of our outstanding ultrasound technicians, Debbie consistently performs quality exams that enable our radiologists to deliver accurate results,” Simmons said.
Simmons said that Chilcote has gained the respect of referring physicians because she listens to their wants and concerns, which helps to provide the patients with high-end exams. Simmons also said that Chilcote always goes above and beyond, often working overtime. Not only does she work a full schedule, Simmons said that Chilcote also works work-ins and ER’s, aiding in the growth and productivity of the department.
Chilcote is also a people-person, Simmons said, putting her patients at ease with her expertise and professionalism.
“Her awesome en-utero baby pictures melt parents’ and grandparents’ heart,” Simmons said.
The over 30 years of service with GPCH, Simmons said, is a testament to Chilcote’s commitment to the community.
After graduating from Borger High School in 1972, Chilcote went on to attend Amarillo College, earning her degree in Radiologic Technology in 1974. While in college, Chilcote said that she worked part-time at GPCH before going to work full-time upon graduation. She has been at GPCH ever since.
“This has been my only job,” Chilcote said. “I find this field to be very rewarding. It gives me a great deal of satisfaction to know that I have helped someone. We are not here to harm anyone in anyway; we are here to help.”
Although she began her career working with X-Rays, when a position in ultrasound technology became available, Chilcote said that she has spent the past 15 years focusing more on that field. She explained that ultrasound is a way of making images by using sound waves rather than radiation. It’s mainly used in pregnancy, Chilcote said, because X-Rays can be dangerous for unborn fetuses. Ultrasound is also helpful in observing the body’s vital organs such as the gall bladder and liver because X-Rays are unable to bring out the detail of soft tissue, she said.
Even though ultrasound technology is Chilcote’s specialty, she stresses the importance of every radiologic component at GPCH, including CT, nuclear medicine, and more.
“All the modalities, to me, are equal,” she said. “They all have their purpose within the Diagnostic Imaging Department, and they all work together.”
She said that she has so much appreciation for the other aspects of the department because a hospital cannot function properly without them. They work hand-in-hand with the doctors.
Chilcote grew up in Borger. In fact, her parents, Bob and June Randolph, still live here, she said. Her father was the BHS counselor for a number of years before retiring. Darin Chilcote, her son, is a student at West Texas A&M University, where he is majoring in Pre-Dentistry. Chilcote said that she lost her husband Richard to leukemia seven years ago, and her son Bobby almost two years ago. He was a RN, she said. She proudly admits that both of her sons followed her into the medical field.
Among all of her accomplishments, Chilcote said that her six-year-old grandson, Cameron Counts, is one of the greatest. He is one of the most important people in her life, she said.
“He looks like his daddy, and is the joy of my life,” she said.
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