PHC dedicates memorial park in memory of Jaegle, Jacobs

Family members of Amanda Jacobs comfort one another during the memorial ceremony held Tuesday on the Parkland Health Clinic campus in Farmington. Jeannie Northrup

Friends, family, and staff of Parkland Health Center (PHC) gathered Tuesday to dedicate a memorial park in tribute to Dr. Debra Jaegle and Amanda Jacobs, CRNA, who passed away earlier this year and late last year, respectfully.

The memorial park sits just outside the PHC Wound Center. The hope is that the memorial garden will be a place of peace for PHC visitors.

A bench sits at the heart of the memorial garden and bears Jaegle’s name. Trees planted on each side of the bench will grow and eventually provide shade for those who come to rest on the bench. During the memorial service, family members placed memorial plaques at the foot of each tree. Jacob’s family placed a stone made from Jacob’s ashes on top of her plaque. The stone will remain in the memorial garden, while other stones will travel with Jacob’s family and find other destinations to rest.

Jacobs served the Parkland Health Center community for 10 years before passing away in December 2022. Jacobs was known by many as a compassionate caregiver and a passionate patient advocate for quality and safe health services. Her love of safety extended beyond our doors. A certified diver, she often taught diving safety at Bonne Terre Mines. TeamHealth and Parkland Admin Ops donated the tree with money being paid through the Parkland Health Center Foundation.

Jaegle began her time with Parkland as a locum hospitalist. It is said that she so loved the community that she became a permanent hospitalist. Jaegle was passionate about patient care and considered all of us family. Many will remember her coordinated outfits, from laces to face masks, an outward sign of her eternally positive outlook on life. The tree in her honor was donated by PHC.

Jacobs served the Parkland Health Center community for 10 years before passing away in December 2022. She was known by many as a compassionate caregiver and a passionate patient advocate for quality and safe health services. Her love of safety extended beyond our doors. A certified diver, she often taught diving safety at Bonne Terre Mines. TeamHealth and Parkland Admin Ops donated the tree with money being paid through the Parkland Health Center Foundation.

Jaegle and Jacobs family members and Parkland Health Center leadership and staff were in attendance at the emotional ceremony where warm memories were shared of the two women who lived lives that were too brief and yet still touched the lives of so many.

Caption 2: Jaegle

Caption 3: Jacobs