You may or may not have heard of Sister Bernadette Kenny known to many in our region as Sister Bernie. If not, you should read up on her.

Sister Bernie moved here (via Boston, thru Africa, and then Ireland) as a part of the Medical Missionaries of Mary. Their primary focus was St. Mary’s Hospital located in Norton, VA. In 1980 Sister Bernie, also a nurse practitioner, loaded up her Volkswagen van to head out to serve many remote areas that did not have primary care in their local community. It was a strange and profound idea.

Today, the Health Wagon, the outgrowth of that first van ride, is internationally recognized for helping folks of very modest means. According to the article in the Cardinal News I read about her, “To Sister Bernie, Health Care was not a building for her. It was going to help them where they were”.

So, what could a bank or business learn from Sister Bernie?

In the banking industry for almost 100 years we were order takers, handling transactions, trying to get folks in and out as fast as we could. We also didn’t go to customers; they came to us because we were “bankers”.

Fortunately for PVB, we have shifted our focus from being order takers to caregivers. We help identify products and services for our customers that will make their banking lives better, safer, and more convenient (like the rollout of our HELP Center).

I can envision the looks folks in small areas would have had to see this strange lady (Sister Bernie) in a strange van driving up to their house. Over time, Sister Bernie became a member of the family and was welcomed with open arms. Why was she accepted by so many?

Because she saw herself as a “Caregiver”.

It’s PVB’s hope to be seen by others as a banking caregiver.