JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – Randy Crutcher remembers when he worked as a teenager at the old Johnson City Memorial Hospital as a transporter for the pharmacy there. His father, Owen, was the first pharmacist hired at the hospital and helped create the pharmacy department.
“I was 14 years old and I probably worked 13 hours on Saturdays and 11 on Sunday, and I don’t think I would clear $10,” Randy said with a laugh. “I could make more mowing lawns. I wanted to quit but my dad wouldn’t let me.”
Little did he realize, he would follow in his father’s footsteps, working more than four decades as a pharmacist at the hospital and eventually helping train pharmacists on the new Epic electronic health record system. Randy retired last week after 47 years with the health system.
“I had a good time during my career,” he said. “I thoroughly enjoyed the opportunity to work with great people and a great organization. I’ve been blessed. And I think Ballad is heading in the right direction as far as really putting the patient first.”
Even though Randy has retired, the family tradition continues. His daughter, Mary Frances Matherne, is a longtime clinical pharmacist at Sycamore Shoals Hospital. She is married to Dr. Craig Matherne, who practices with Johnson City Internal Medicine.
“I’m real, real proud of what my father did,” Randy said. “He was a groundbreaker in our pharmacy. And I’m really proud of what my daughter’s done.”
Randy saw dramatic changes over his 47 years, moving from Memorial Hospital in downtown Johnson City to the current facility, experiencing the transition from all-manual recordkeeping to all-digital and most recently from the Soarian system to Epic as Ballad Health’s new electronic health record system. Leading up to retirement, Randy worked in informatics and helped train pharmacists on Epic.
“Epic is a great system,” he said. “I like to say we’ve gone from using a hand saw to using a power saw with Epic. But you have to remember, it’s just a tool. You can cut your fingers off with either one of them. You have to know how to use it. You still need critical thinking from pharmacists, providers, anybody in healthcare.
“You have to think about what you’re doing and how important it is. There is no unimportant job, no matter what you’re doing.”
During high school he worked as a part-time pharmacy tech and he went to college at the University of Tennessee. His grandfather was an engineer and he says he inherited some of that engineer’s mindset. He particularly enjoys the science and the methodology that comes with pharmacy work.
Randy said he’ll miss that part of his daily life, as well as his co-workers – “a lot. I’ll miss the relationships.”
Gail Broyles, senior director of clinical informatics, has worked with Randy for several years and calls him “one of the most ethical, hardworking and dedicated people I have ever worked with. He’s a people person, but most importantly he cares and wants to make a difference.”
Randy was given a farewell event in Gray last week at the Epic training center, with family, friends and past and current co-workers attending to wish him well. His daughter, Mary Frances, and two sons, Andy and Ryan, were there, all of whom were born at Memorial Hospital or JCMC, where their father and grandfather worked.
As someone who underwent two open-heart surgeries and emergent surgery for a ruptured abdominal aortic aneurysm – all performed at JCMC – Randy said he considers every day he wakes up in the morning to be a good day. His retirement plans include focusing on his loves of photography, reading and hiking, as well as getting back to fly fishing. He’ll also spend more time with his family, including his wife, Ann Torbett Crutcher. They were sweethearts at Science Hill High School and have been married since 1971.
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