Saluting Dr. Debra Harmady, 2025 Junior League of Monmouth County's 2025 Award Winner

Samantha White (far left) and Natalie Carpenter (far right) present Dr. Debra Harmady (second from right) with the 2025 Junior League of Monmouth County’s 2025 Women Making a Difference Award. With them is Suzy Dyer, Parker Family Health Center Executive Director.

When the Junior League of Monmouth County announced its 2025 Women Making a Difference Award, the Parker Family Health Center community was thrilled!. The honoree, Dr. Debra Harmady, has been a quiet force of compassion, consistency, and care for more than two decades.

Dr. Harmady began volunteering with Parker long before its current facility opened — back when appointments were held in our donated trailer. Since then, she’s remained a steady presence at Parker, delivering expert, compassionate care to children from underserved families across Monmouth County. She volunteers at the clinic several times each month and is always ready to respond in emergencies — even when she's just returned from traveling halfway around the world!

Whether ensuring a child is ready for school with a physical and vaccinations, treating a case of asthma, or responding to an urgent request from a local school nurse — Dr. Harmady shows up. One such request came early one morning when a high school student without insurance was in crisis. Despite just returning from a medical mission trip to Guatemala, she immediately came to Parker, coordinated care with the clinic’s therapist, and helped start a healing process that transformed the teen’s life. He is now stable, confident — and even considering volunteering at the clinic.

Dr. Harmady’s impact stretches far beyond the exam room. A lead pediatrician on numerous international surgical missions, she has cared for children in Guatemala and Africa. At Parker, she models what it means to lead with heart. Fellow volunteers describe her as generous, compassionate, and a beacon of perseverance.

“She not only sees our pediatric patients when she is scheduled to be at the clinic, she comes in whenever we need her. We are so fortunate to have her as part of the Parker family.”
Suzy Dyer, Parker Family Health Center Executive Director

From trailer to clinic, from Monmouth County to mission trips across the globe, Dr. Harmady’s impact on children’s health — and their futures — is immeasurable. We salute her and congratulate her on this most-deserved recognition.

We extend our heartfelt thanks to the Junior League of Monmouth County for honoring Dr. Harmady with this well-deserved recognition and for highlighting the stories of women who serve our communities so selflessly. Parker Family Health Center proudly celebrates Dr. Harmady as the 2025 recipient of the Women Making a Difference Award.