Staying Forever "Young"

The path to the "Fountain of Young" is an endless road that both challenges and changes.

St. Luke’s has surely changed a lot since Mary Young began working at the hospital in 1968, but that evolution, she says, is what has kept her around.

"I like change, and St. Luke’s is always changing," she says. "I’ve always been here, but my job has constantly evolved."

Young is certainly true to her name. Even after 33 years at St. Luke’s, she is always looking for new ways to do an old job. Currently assistant administrative director of pathology, Young has worked in nearly every section of the department at one time or another.

"I’ve been given so many opportunities here to learn new things," she says. "All I had to do was step in and take advantage of them."

One benefit that has helped Young flourish is St. Luke’s tuition reimbursement program. She earned a master’s in business administration from the University of Houston in 1991.

Even in her time off the clock, Young is keeping an eye toward a changing world. Science fiction is her "great escape." From Star Trek to Star Wars to countless books, she has never stopped being a fan of the future.

"You can never take your focus off of a changing world," she says. "One of the biggest changes we went through in pathology was the computer revolution. It was quite an education, but it has made a big difference in the way we work."

Young also admires the family atmosphere of the hospital, as was the case during last year’s flooding due to Tropical Storm Allison. But this wasn’t the first flood she worked through. During the 1976 Texas Medical Center flood, Young spent the night at St. Luke’s because the flooding prevented anyone from leaving – or arriving.

"The St. Luke’s family really pulled together," she says. "We always do."

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URL: http://www.tmc.edu/tmcnews/07_01_02/page_17.html