Debra Desmarais knows better than almost anyone that when it comes to careers at Southcoast Health, the sky’s the limit.  

Today, you may know Debra for her leadership of Southcoast Health Radiology and Imaging Services… but you may not know that she first discovered radiology when she was still a teenager. After her mother showed her an article about the X-ray training program at Union Hospital in Fall River, which eventually became part of Charlton Memorial, Debra pursued and secured a job there as a staff technologist.  

It was a match made in heaven. In the 50 years since, Debra has propelled her career forward – furthering her education and taking on new responsibilities – all while staying at Southcoast Health. 

Soon after starting at Union Hospital, a change in policy led to an exciting new career direction. At that time, Union was affiliated with Northeastern University in Boston, and when Northeastern changed its program requirements, their affiliate hospitals needed to hire full-time clinical instructors. Debra took on this role in 1975, training students on-site while still working as a technologist. Eventually, she became the Educational Coordinator for radiology, handling in-services and nurse training for the department. 

The following decade saw incredible growth in both Debra’s career and in the evolution of Southcoast Health. She committed herself to furthering her education to position herself for more senior roles, earning her Associate degree, her Bachelor’s in Health Services Administration, and her MBA. 

By this time, Union Hospital had become Charlton Memorial, and Debra’s MBA gave her the expertise needed to assume the role of Assistant Director of Radiology and Imaging – and then Director when that role became available.  

In 1996, when Charlton Memorial, St. Luke’s and Tobey Hospitals merged into Southcoast Health, Debra was one of three Directors of Radiology and Imaging. Over time, her hard work and dedication led to her overseeing radiology for both Charlton Memorial and Tobey, and then for the entire system. Today, Debra’s role encompasses not only the three hospitals, but she also oversees imaging at many of our Specialty and Urgent Care sites.  

Debra has truly blossomed in her leadership era and has no plans to slow down. 

Eras Tour Q&A: 

Q: What’s kept you at Southcoast Health for 50 years?  

A: There are many reasons, but mostly, I am confident that the opportunities I’ve had here for advancement simply don’t exist at other healthcare organizations. Over the years, many of my peers at other hospitals had to leave to get promoted – I never did. Also, the leadership at Southcoast Health is top-notch, and I really appreciate the “pull together as a team” culture. 

Q: What’s a great piece of advice you received from a mentor? 

A: The mentor I am thinking of reminded me that we should never stop learning. When I was getting my bachelor’s degree at night, I remember telling her how excited I was that I was almost done with school. She replied, oh no you’re not – you’re getting your MBA! She knew I wasn’t done learning.

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