Larry Jobe, an employee in the Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital, celebrates his 2026 Patient and Family Choice Award alongside
Laura Williams-Marcum, MSN, RN, Patient Experience Coordinator for VWCH. (Submitted photo)
Larry Jobe had a brush with death 19 years ago when a devastating car accident nearly took his mobility. After a hard road to regain his health and return to work, Jobe earned a job in the cafeteria at Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital (VWCH).
Jobe’s life-changing experience inspired him to approach each day and everyone he meets on the job with kindness and gratitude.
“We have so much to be grateful for,” Jobe said. “Under those conditions, all I can bring to the table is gratitude because God has shown me a different avenue. I just try to stay upbeat and have everybody smiling.”
For his compassion and friendliness, Jobe earned the 2026 Patient and Family Choice Award for Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital.
Nominations are submitted by patients and families. The award honors employees from across Vanderbilt Health who act with compassion and excellence to provide an exceptional experience for patients and their families.
This year, Vanderbilt Health’s patient and family advisory councils bestowed awards on six individuals from Vanderbilt University Hospital, Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt, Vanderbilt Psychiatric Hospital, Vanderbilt Adult Ambulatory Clinics, Vanderbilt Wilson County Hospital and Vanderbilt Tullahoma-Harton Hospital.
At VWCH, Jobe’s shining light is a welcome addition to the hospital culture. He has a knack for recognizing what a person might need to hear during a brief encounter in the cafeteria. He might thank doctors after working a long shift. He could offer a worried family member a word of assurance. Regardless, people who cross paths with Jobe often leave smiling.
His goal is always to brighten a person’s day. He may even break out his Donald Duck impression to make a child laugh.
“They hired me as a retail server, so my job is to serve,” Jobe said. “A lot of people give and expect something back, but when I give, it makes me happy to see others happy.”
Working is a reminder for Jobe that good health is a blessing, a lesson he learned after his accident. He uses his gifts and talents to uplift those who aren’t in good health themselves. The accident also inspired Jobe to return to school. He graduated from Vol State Community College in 2022, and now encourages young people to pursue an education or learn a trade.
He enjoys playing a part in healing patients. As he puts it, “we are the patients, and we’re healing patients.” Everyone’s contribution, from the cafeteria to the operating room, benefits the patients.
“Without the patients, nobody has a job; without the doctors, nobody has a job; without housekeeping, nobody has a job,” Jobe said. “It all goes hand in hand. I’m just grateful to be in this community.”
One nominator for Jobe’s recognition shared that while sitting alone in the cafeteria worried about their sick mother, Jobe took time to offer what they described as “the most thoughtful, perfect prayer of healing and knowledge for medical staff.”
“I was feeling overwhelmed by my mother’s health issues and other family matters,” the nominator wrote. “I was blessed and comforted by this employee who went above and beyond his job description.”
Asked for some of his most important takeaways about serving those patients, Jobe emphasized that it’s not just about him.
“They bring joy to me just as I bring joy to them,” he said. “If something is good for me, I’m going to try to pass that on to the next person … If you do good for people, people will do good for you.”
