Dr. Ira Bailie knows life only one way. Known for his compassion and dedication, Bailie describes his life as "kind of one long adventure in serving others and, in turn, serving the Lord."

Bailie’s adventure in service began early. As a young boy, he read a book about a country doctor. He was determined to follow suit, serving those in need. After a 19-month tour of duty in the Air Force, he enrolled at La Sierra in 1946. A neighbor had introduced Bailie to the Seventh-day Adventist Church at age 12, and he was baptized in 1946.

His quest to serve others intensified as he entered Loma Linda University’s School of Medicine. Upon graduation, his dream to become a country doctor shifted as he and his first wife, Clara, responded to a call by the General Conference to open a hospital in Paraguay.

Bailie envisioned a three-month term of service, yet his family remained until 1972—more than 15 years. The hospital was built without funds to equip it. "How could I let it sink? I got a job started, and I needed to finish it," he says.

Bailie returned to the U.S. in 1972 and joined a surgical practice in Turlock, Calif. In 1992, Clara died. Bailie focused on teaching people how to make better lifestyle and diet choices, recognizing that most people die from a single, preventable illness. His book, An Ounce of Prevention, is a guide to help others prevent heart attacks, strokes and cancer.

But his heart was never far from the mission field. He and his new wife, Rita Farrar Norton, accepted a call to Scheer Memorial Hospital in Nepal, which served a population of 1.5 million. "They desperately needed a surgeon. I knew the needs and felt I could fulfill those needs," Bailie says. The "short-term" stay stretched into three years. Bailie served as medical director and chief of surgery.

Today, his commitment to serving the people of Nepal continues. In October 2003, he participated in the dedication of the Ira E. Bailie Medical Education Center, which houses the private Kathmandu University School of Medicine. He also presented the medical center with a new ambulance, funded by the Turlock Rotary Club.

At age 80, Bailie continues to assist in vascular surgery alongside his son. He is the assistant clinical professor at the University of California, Davis, in Modesto. He writes a weekly health column for the Turlock Journal and has given numerous health lectures around the world and for the 3ABN satellite network.

He was most recently honored as the La Sierra University Alumnus of the Year for his tireless efforts on behalf of others around the world.

"There is a satisfaction that comes from helping others," he said. "Join those who have gone before you. Go forth and do likewise." Those are words well spoken, from a man who has lived them.