Leaving a legacy at grady
At 50 years old, most people begin thinking about retirement, but for Larry Moyer, it was time to go back to school. Decades after graduating with an undergraduate degree in Business and years of work in leadership roles in concrete and transportation businesses, Moyer decided it was time for a change. Inspired by his experience assisting radiologic technologists helping aid his ill son in his youth, Moyer made the decision to attend Grady’s Radiologic Technology Program in order to obtain his certification to practice radiology. It was then that he realized he found his passion.
“Grady’s mission aligned with Larry’s mission and his values,” said his wife, Nealy Moyer. “He always wanted to help people, especially people who may have been from an underserved community. He found his work in the stroke center to be extremely rewarding. Patients would come in to the center unable to speak and unable to move their extremities, and when they would leave having full conversations and shaking hands on their way out of the door.”
“This field was a second career for him,” said Betsy Kerr, Program Manager, School Radiologic Technology. “Larry was a great student who wanted to learn all he could in order to be an excellent Radiographer. He had a thirst for knowledge and wanted to make a difference in other people’s lives.”
Larry’s mother had suffered a stroke and lost sensation on one side of her body, making his mission at Grady personal. His time at Grady was met with challenges, as it would be for any 50 year old learning a new career after decades in another, but Larry never lost sight of his mission. For him, every day was “another day in paradise.”
“No matter how stressful it was at Grady, no matter how many patients they had in the middle of the night, on call or anything, he would always say it was just another day in paradise,” said his daughter, Nia Moyer.
After years of giving his all for Grady, the Moyer family made the decision to honor Larry with the unforgettable gift of giving new students of the Radiologic Technology Program the opportunity to find their own mission with a scholarship in his name.
“When I was considering what we could do as memoriam, it just occurred to me that because he was always so passionate about being a radiography student at Grady, the perfect thing would be to pass it forward to someone else who hopefully has the same passion for radiology as he did because he loved his job,” said Nealy. “I hope that it will allow new students to continue their education, reduce financial stress during their experience, and hopefully one day be able to pass it on to the next generation of students in the program.”
Established in the late 1930’s, the Radiologic Technology Program sponsored by Grady is the oldest Radiography program in the state. Today, it is a full time 23 month program of study in radiologic science.
The first student recipient of the Larry L. Moyer Memorial Scholarship was selected in early January 2022. Keturah Scarborough’s passion for radiology began during her undergraduate education at West Georgia University where she studied biology.
“I grew a major interest in radiology. I learned how much radiology contributes to proper patient care, which heavily swayed me towards this career path,” said Scarborough.
She already has her eyes set on a future goal of pursuing a MRI certification through Grady after completing the Radiologic Technology program.
“The Schools of Radiation and Imaging Technologies are very excited about this gift that honors Larry’s memory,” said Jessi Clark, Director Schools of Radiation and Imaging Technologies. “The Radiologic Technology student is engaged in program 40 hours per week, so most of the students can only work part time. This scholarship will financially assist students who are struggling to make ends meet.”
Now, students will be able to apply for the Larry Moyer Memorial Scholarship at the Grady Radiologic Technology Program. His name, now set to be immortalized in the history of Grady, will be one of the first things new applicants to the program see when they apply for financial aid to begin their educational journey in radiology.
“He would have been very proud and humbled,” said Nealy. “If anyone has any thoughts of giving a gift like this to Grady, if it is on your heart to do it, just go ahead and do it.”
If you’d like to learn more, please visit https://www.gradyhealth.org/education-training/schools-of-imaging-technologies/the-school-of-radiologic-technology/ or contact Miriam Smith, Manager of Donor Relations, at msmith13@gmh.edu or 404-489-1558.