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Celebrate Excellent Care

Door-to-door service, always with a smile!

September 19, 2018

Judith ‘Judy’ Rea is no stranger to Beebe Healthcare. Lewes has been her home since the 1960s, when her late husband, Dr. Abraham Rea, relocated the family here for his new position at what was then known as Beebe Hospital.

Dr. Rea was originally from Peru. In 1961, he came to work at Beebe on a J-1 Visa. This was the perfect opportunity for the young couple to live closer to Judy’s family in Rockville, Md. The Delaware Conrad State 30 J-1 Visa Waiver Program offers a J-1 Visa waiver to foreign physicians who commit to serving for three years in underserved areas of Delaware, waiving the foreign medical residency requirement and allowing them to remain in the United States. To this day, Beebe continues to attract foreign physicians through this J-1 Visa Waiver Program, bringing the skills of new doctors to Beebe Healthcare and a rich diversity to the community at large. 

Judy is originally from New York City but had relocated to Maryland as a child due to her father's work. Her father was Col. George McNally, director of White House communications. He served in that position for 19 years under four different presidents.

The Reas lived directly across from the hospital in Lewes and raised their three daughters there. Dr. Rea was a general practitioner and was also trained in surgery. Judy said he did just about everything at the hospital in those early days. As someone who originally trained in Peru, he could even read a patient’s pulse without the use of a watch. When Dr. Rea passed at the early age of 56, Judy was able to find work as a clerk in Beebe’s emergency department. Later she took a position as Beebe's first quality assurance coordinator.

Judy eventually retired, but when she found herself in need of treatment for cancer four years ago, she turned to Beebe Healthcare’s Tunnell Cancer Center. For the first year she depended on friends, family, and neighbors to drive her back and forth for treatments, but she didn’t feel comfortable always asking. And then she learned about the cancer center’s complimentary van service. That changed everything! Over the past three years, she’s counted on this service to help her continue the necessary treatments at the cancer center.

Judy said, “All the drivers are so wonderful! They even pull into the alley behind my house so I can sit at my kitchen table and see when they arrive. Later they drop me off at the same spot." When Judy decided she wanted to make a gift to Beebe, it was an easy choice. Knowing that Beebe supports this transport system and its patients so well, she wants to see it continue and grow.

Tunnell Cancer Center’s complimentary van service currently transports an average of 400 patients each month. Interested patients complete a transport assessment to be qualified for the van services. The service area reaches as far south as Fenwick Island, north to Milford and west to Laurel.  

The Jean & Joan Fund, supported by the Jean & Joan Charity Golf Classic, donates the money to purchase the transport vans. Its mission is to raise funds for equipment and patient services at Beebe Healthcare’s Tunnell Cancer Center in Rehoboth Beach. The Jean & Joan Cancer Fund was founded in 1999 and named after two Kings Creek Country Club members who received spiritual and emotional assistance from extended family and friends during their cancer treatment. This emotional experience inspired the founding members to create a fund to help patients who do not have this kind of care and support. Since the first fundraising golf tournament, the Jean & Joan Fund has contributed over $500,000 for patient services at Beebe Healthcare’s Tunnell Cancer Center. 

The 19th Annual Jean & Joan Charity Golf Classic will take place Monday, Sept. 24, at Kings Creek Country Club. Registration and lunch begin at 11 a.m., and the tournament begins at 12:30 p.m. Cocktail hour followed by dinner begins at 5 p.m., and extra tickets are available for non-players to attend this part of the event. 

For more information about the Jean & Joan Golf Classic or to make a gift to Beebe Healthcare, contact the Beebe Medical Foundation at 302-644-2900 or foundation@beebehealthcare.org.

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