Quiet Gifts Extend Capabilities and Reach
 It is no surprise that many of the donations from Dr. Bobbie Bailey over the years have gone to support the purchase of new technology for DeKalb Medical. Her passion for machines and technology began early in her life.
At age 12, Bailey was tuning racecars, a skill she learned from her older brother and, at age 15, she found summer work in a machine shop that repaired refrigeration compressors.
In 1948, Bailey began a joint venture with her former employers to start the Our-Way Machine Shop. Later she organized a new company, Our-Way Inc., which specialized in the remanufacturing of commercial refrigeration and air conditioning compressors. Over the years, her company grew to become the world’s largest independent remanufacturer of commercial refrigeration and air conditioning compressors. Bailey had served as chief executive officer and sole owner of Our-Way for over 50 years when she sold the company in 2001 to the Carrier Corporation.
Bailey’s commitment to the DeKalb community did not stop at providing employment for over hundreds of people throughout the years. She has generously given to the DeKalb Medical Foundation to purchase or upgrade equipment and resources needed to continue improving healthcare in the county for years to come.
Her two Signature Gifts for the purchase of a PET/CT scanner for advanced diagnostic services to a variety of projects including the purchases of a da Vinci Robotic Surgical System and a Breast Magnetic Resonance Imaging Unit, her gifts have been used to enhance health services and reach more residents of DeKalb County and surrounding areas. “I’ve been blessed in my life, and I wish to extend that blessing to others,” said Bailey.
Although the donation for the PET/CT scanner was not her first gift to the DeKalb Medical Foundation, it was the project that captured Bailey’s interest and prompted her to continue giving. “That machine is incredible. I’m impressed with the technology,” she said. “There’s a real need for this scanner, and it will make a tremendous difference in the early diagnosis of cancer patients.” The diagnostic imaging center that houses the PET/CT scanner is named for Bailey and her sister, Audrey B. Morgan.
Her generous donations to DeKalb Medical are recognized by the naming of the surgery and women’s center building the “Dr. Bobbie Bailey Tower.” Although the recipients of her gifts want to publicly recognize her, she does not seek attention. She said, “I like to give my support and get out of the way.”
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