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Bob Develle is the hospital’s newest board member and for him and Wynn, his wife, Verdugo Hills Hospital embodies what it means to be part of a community.

          Originally from New Orleans, Bob and Wynn are very much at home in the Foothills. Bob is the Director of Facilities at JPL and Wynn owns two women’s clothing stores: deVelle, in San Marino, and Wynn’s, on Foothill in La Canada. Bob received his BS in engineering from Tulane University, followed later by an MBA from Pepperdine, and Wynn received her BA in textiles from LSU. After college and getting married, Bob’s career in the US Air Force carried them from New Orleans to California and then to Florida, where Bob eventually turned in his wings for civilian life and began working for the Disney theme parks. Disney brought Bob and Wynn out to California where they had the good fortune of meeting neighbors Drs. John and Terre Osterkamp, who introduced them to the hospital.

Wynn explained their first meeting as the beginning of a wonderful friendship: “I had heard that there was a family with two doctors living close by, so when I saw a young girl with a stroller, I asked her if she was the babysitter for the doctors and she said she was one of the doctors – it was Terre!”

The Develles have two children. Son Robert is a P.A. and lives in Pasadena with his wife Susie and their four children, aged 7 to 13, all who were born here at the hospital. Daughter Ruth Ann lives in San Francisco and is engaged to be married in January 2007.

While family, work, philanthropic ties, and weekend sails keep the Develles busy, the hospital is important to Bob and Wynn who note the positive energy of fellow board members, physicians and leadership as a huge asset to Verdugo Hills Hospital. “We’re into dispositions and being happy. The right attitude needs to be there and Verdugo Hills Hospital has very positive people such as the Attwoods, Masons and Annsley Strong. Our hospital’s board members are very much a part of the surrounding community, both in home and livelihood, and we are thrilled to be a part of this neighborhood hospital and caring group of people.”

Having just celebrated their 40th wedding anniversary surrounded by family and knowing the importance of a surrounding community in all aspects of life, the Develles are natural ambassadors for the quality care, personal touch and community support here at Verdugo Hills Hospital. Bob and Wynn, we are honored to have you as part of our hospital family. Thank you for your leadership and support.

Donald Butler…a Big Piece of Verdugo Hills Hospital’s History

          Donald Butler, co-founder of the Verdugo Hill’s Hospital Foundation Board, has been with Verdugo Hills Hospital from the very beginning – and even before it was VHH! As a board member at Behrens Hospital before it closed, Don was thrilled about the Greene family’s very generous donation of the land that was to become Verdugo Hills Hospital. And he became one of its top cheerleaders. With the good company of many, including Board co-founder John Argue, the Foundation Board was born and with Don at the helm as its first Chairman, it was charged with the jobs of raising money for the hospital and building community support. “Bringing people together and working with fellow board members as committed as the ones I worked with was very rewarding,” Don remembers.

A longtime resident of Glendale, Don now lives with his wife of almost 58 years, Laura, in Pasadena. Don and Laura have two grown sons, Donald and Jeffrey, and four grandchildren. Two granddaughters live in La Canada; the younger will be a freshman at La Canada High next year (and one to watch for in softball pitching) and the elder will be a freshman at Northern Arizona University in the fall.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Don joined the business world after a stint with the US Navy, training as an aviator. When the war ended, Don entered the insurance world and then, the industrial industry, relocating to Los Angeles in 1955. Starting out in marketing, he became President of SSP Industries where Don oversaw a total company growth from $2 to $200 million in 10 years. Later, in his role as President of Merchants and Manufacturing Association, he saved it from bankruptcy to build up the largest human resources agency of its kind.

These are the kinds of successes that went hand in hand with his involvement and contribution to the successes with the Foundation Board. “Don was the visionary of the Foundation and opened doors for us originally. He provided the leadership, was a constant support and continues to be to this day,” remarks Kay Stoever who had the pleasure of serving on the Foundation Board when Don was Chair. Retiring from the Foundation Board in 1982 and now semi-retired in business, Don enjoys board involvement with several corporate and investment companies, Woodbury University, and his Home Owners Association.

Looking back, Don reflects fondly of his time on the board, especially with the people he worked with. He is particularly proud of the creation, operation and success of the Foundation Board. “With Mary Jane Kidd bringing in the female population, Card Walker’s conscientiousness and John Argue’s commitment, it was a pretty easy sell. The hospital is something special. It’s small enough that people can get to know you but big enough that we have most of the facilities needed. I’m really happy the hospital is doing so well.”

Don, thank you for your big part in Verdugo Hills Hospital’s history and success.

The Hartfords Have Heart for Verdugo

          Dr. Steve and Sandy Hartford have been a part of the Verdugo family for over 23 years, and from the beginning, it’s been a family affair. In 1984, after finishing a residency in obstetrics and gynecology at the University of Southern California, Steve’s decision to join Verdugo and team up with Dr. John Fox and retiring Dr. John Madsen, was facilitated by the fact that Dr. Madsen had been Sandy’s obstetrician and Steve had experienced filling in for vacationing Dr. Fox. But the big epiphany came in having had all three of their children born at Verdugo and having experienced first-hand the more family, personal environment of Verdugo as parents. Sandy and Steve decided that was the kind of place Steve should have his practice, which is how the decision to practice at Verdugo was born! And 4,756* babies later, is still going strong!

Sandy also runs her own busy practice in the same office space as Steve. As a physical therapist working with developmentally disabled children, Sandy is a member of VHH Foundation’s Women’s Council and just completed a two-year stint as President of Pasadena Jewish Temple. Living in La Canada, she was also very involved with her children’s activities, primarily schools, as all three went to Flintridge Prep for a span of 13 years, collectively. And apparently being involved at Verdugo runs in the blood as all three children, a son and two daughters, in addition to being born at Verdugo, have either volunteered for the hospital or worked in the office at some point. And youngest Julia just completed an internship at Verdugo this past summer.

Through the years and babies, Steve also found time to be Chief of Medical Staff from 1992-1998, and again from 2001-2005. “As Chief, I enjoyed being in tune with the physicians and hospital, and having a good sense of what was going on,” he said. Currently, Steve continues to stay involved in many ways; one way as Chair of the Caduceus Club Steering Committee, the physicians’ support group which initiated a new Medical Staff Endowment Fund this year. “Endowments are a great community asset and a demonstration of commitment. Establishing a medical staff endowment has been a dream of mine for 20 years as it is a source of pride for the doctors and makes a statement of longevity and strength.”

We are honored and thrilled to have Sandy and Steve Hartford working for and with team Verdugo. We thank them for their many years of support to the hospital, both financial and leadership, and hope we have given them as much as they have given us. Thank you!

• 4,756 babies to date (9/14/07)

Still Going Strong – Like a Well-Tuned T-Bird

          Dr. William F. Schubert, who is 81 years young, has had a family practice in La Canada for more than 50 years. Born in Los Angeles, Dr. Schubert attended USC’s undergraduate and medical schools after serving as a medic in World War II. He graduated in 1954 and opened his own practice in 1956.

“Back when I first started, family doctors were the Emergency Rooms of today, with their black bags, and house calls at any time of the day – or night. We handled surgeries, births – whatever was needed. I still make the occasional house call and have known some families for years,” Dr Schubert said.

Dr. Schubert’s history with Verdugo Hills Hospital goes back to its very inception in 1972. He attributes the longevity of his career, and his ongoing loyalty and admiration for Verdugo Hills Hospital, to “its very qualified and collegial medical staff, helpful administration and the hospital’s consistently high quality of care.”

“Verdugo Hills Hospital has kept stride with advances over the last 35 years and has the latest in technology, surgical techniques, and instrumentation,” he said.

Dr. Schubert follows the same philosophy in his own practice – recertifying his general practitioner license every seven years to stay up to date on the latest technologies and practices. He is currently good to go until 2011! What is the secret to his long career?

It’s all about perspective. If you have energy and stay busy, you can do just about anything. Activities keep you young,” Dr Schubert said. In addition to running his practice, Dr. Schubert is a history and art buff, with a special love for his pair of 1955 and 1956 T-Birds. He also enjoys taking small-ship cruises around the world.

Chances are, as part of the community, you have had the pleasure of knowing Dr. Schubert or, better yet, have been one of his patients during the past 50 years. He is well-known for his ever-present bow tie and his devotion to the Caduceus Club.

“Dr. Schubert is an icon. We all venerate him and he is well-respected and loved in this community,” said his colleague, Dr. Sharon Nelson.