Jane Dean, RN, marks 50 years at the Greenwood Genetic Center
This December marks an extraordinary milestone for GGC’s Jane Dean, RN, who celebrates 50 years of devoted service to the Center.
Jane’s journey with GGC began in 1975, when, as a young nurse working in Labor and Delivery at Self Memorial Hospital, she took a chance and walked down to Dr. Roger Stevenson’s pediatric clinic to ask if he was hiring. Although the answer was initially no, just three months later she received a call that would change the course of her career. After a warm interview—and a successful negotiation that earned her a raise before she even started—Jane, 21, began working evenings at the clinic, balancing her new role with full-time shifts at the hospital.
In those early years, Jane served as the pediatric nurse for GGC’s evening clinics, working side-by-side with Dr. Stevenson. She remembers the personal connections most—the artwork pinned to her bulletin board, the school photos shared proudly, and the little boy who never arrived without bringing her flowers from his yard. As GGC grew and added physicians including Dr. Dick Schroer, Dr. Bob Saul, and Dr. Curtis Rogers, Jane transitioned to full-time, supporting both pediatric and genetic clinics across the state.
Her career took a defining turn when Dr. Stevenson shifted his focus fully to genetics. After the birth of her third child, Jane briefly considered stepping away from work—until she received a call inviting her to assist with a Fragile X project. Soon after, she found herself helping Dr. Stevenson prepare a CDC grant application to study neural tube defects, and before she knew it, she had been named the statewide coordinator for South Carolina’s Neural Tube Defects (NTD) Prevention Program. It was a role she hadn’t sought, but one that became her life’s work.
Jane’s greatest pride comes from the families she has supported through the NTD program—helping them navigate loss, begin folic acid supplementation, and then celebrating with them as they welcomed healthy children in subsequent pregnancies. Many of these relationships have lasted decades, stretching across states and even continents. Some of the babies born healthy because of this program are now beginning families of their own—and Jane is still there, providing folic acid for the next generation.
Reflecting on her 50 years, Jane shares that the time has flown. She has never wanted to work anywhere else. What began as an evening nursing job became her “dream job,” filled with extraordinary mentors, brilliant physicians from around the world, and beloved colleagues who have become lifelong friends. “I have enjoyed and still enjoy coming to work every day,” she says.
GGC celebrates Jane with deep gratitude—for her compassion, her dedication, her trailblazing work in NTD prevention, and the countless families whose lives she has touched.