07/16/2018

When it Comes to Health Care and Charity, It's Personal for Reed and Dube

On the surface, a car dealership and a community hospital don’t seem to have much in common. Debbie Reed, president of Bill Dube Ford Toyota in Dover, however, sees a lot of parallels between her line of work and that of Wentworth-Douglass Hospital.

“Wentworth-Douglass is trying to achieve what every great business does: It wants to be the best it can be for its customers. The hospital is always trying to improve and do things better,” she says. And like her car dealership, which nearly doubled in size when it opened its new facility on Dover Point Road in 2017, “the growth at Wentworth-Douglass has been incredible.”

A longtime resident of Dover, Reed has had a front row seat on the changes at the hospital. “I was on the Foundation board for a number of years and was always amazed when we would take people on tours,” she says “All of the employees are so proud of the hospital. And not just doctors—everyone: nurses, radiology technicians, the maintenance staff. It almost feels like a family business in that way. I like to be around people like that. I like to support organizations like that.”

Giving Thanks, Giving Back

That’s why Reed and her father, the eponymous Bill Dube, have made it a point to sponsor hospital events like the Women & Children’s Center Charity Golf Classic and the Seacoast Cancer 5K. “You can get specialty care at Wentworth-Douglass—care you typically can’t get from a community hospital. A hospital like this draws people to the area,” she says. “The ability to get really great health care, close to home, helps me attract employees.”

This is more than strictly business to Reed, however; it’s also very much personal. Her father, who is now 81, has been a “frequent flyer” at Wentworth-Douglass for the past several years. “He’s been having regular infusion treatments at the Seacoast Cancer Center. But it’s not cancer—it’s a blood condition,” she explains. “They’re not sure exactly why, but he’s anemic and losing blood internally. He’s also not regenerating blood.” Dube goes in twice a week for blood tests; when his hemoglobin is low, he has a blood transfusion.

Reed is grateful that her father is under the watchful eye of Dr. Barbara Civiello. “Dr. Civiello is right on top of his care,” she notes. “My dad is also a cardiac patient. In the past, he’s had a heart attack and bypass surgery. She communicates regularly with his cardiologist. And last year, he had back surgery at Wentworth-Douglass. Dr. Civiello was all over it, coordinating things with his doctor. She really goes above and beyond—and not just for him. I know she does this for all of her patients.”

Patient Care, Inside and Out

As a thank you for her father’s excellent care at the center—and in recognition of so many people affected by cancer—Reed decided to form a team for this year’s Seacoast Cancer 5K. “My general sales manager lost her sister to breast cancer earlier this year. My office manager lost her mother to cancer a few years ago. We lost another employee to cancer two years ago. It made me realize that so many of my employees have suffered losses to this horrible illness, but we also have had some wins,” Reed says. “We’ve formed a team to honor those we have lost and to celebrate our survivors who are still able to work with us to make our organization the best it can be.”

The team includes Reed; her mom, Sheila Dube; her teenage daughters, Abigail and Brayden Reed; along with employees and friends. Reed plans to match a certain amount the team raises, as well as go to Toyota for a corporate match, which provides dealerships matching gift funds of up to $10,000 annually. “With the match we can really focus our fundraising support and double what we can give back to the community,” says Reed.

“I’m doing this partially because I’m grateful for the care my dad has received at the cancer center. But, I’m also doing this because I know Wentworth-Douglass Hospital is a great organization,” she notes. “As a former member of the Foundation board, I know first-hand how hard they work to treat donations responsibly. I used to be at that table, helping make those decisions. I know when we give that they will put our donation to good use to take care of patients.”

“My dad has had an excellent experience all the way around,” Reed concludes. “People at Wentworth-Douglas don’t treat you like a number. They treat you like they care—like they’re truly interested in you—because they are.”