Her retirement will close a career that began in 1984 when she joined the agency as a staff nurse and evolved into a leadership role that helped guide one of the region’s most respected independent health care organizations through decades of growth and change.

“Lisa has been an integral part of Panhandle Home Health since she started with us as a nurse in 1984,” said Board President Jim Rogers. “Since she took over the reins as leader of the organization in 2006, she has been a strong and inspiring leader, guiding Panhandle Home Health with a steady hand.”

Bivens, a lifelong Martinsburg resident, earned her nursing degree from Shepherd College in 1983. After working in an intensive care setting, she joined Panhandle Home Health the following year. She advanced through the organization, becoming assistant director of clinical services in 1991 before being named executive director in January 2006.

“I was hired for Morgan County and I didn’t know anything about that area,” Bivens said. “But when I went for the first time, I just couldn’t believe they were paying me to do what I loved. It has been so rewarding for me,” she continued.

Under Bivens’ leadership, Panhandle Home Health has expanded its reach and services while maintaining its status as an independent home health agency serving Berkeley, Jefferson and Morgan counties. During her tenure, the agency celebrated its 50th anniversary and earned recognition from the Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce as Small Business of the Year in 2012 and Non-Profit of the Year in 2020.

Rogers credited Bivens with helping transform the organization into what he called “the premier, independent home health care agency in the eastern panhandle tri-county area.”

For Bivens, the work has always centered on the agency’s mission of providing compassionate, patient-centered care.

“I always wanted to do home care,” she said, adding that she did cardiac nursing and intensive care nursing for a time to get some experience.

Throughout her career, she has overseen fiscal operations, regulatory compliance, strategic planning and organizational development while ensuring the agency-maintained Medicare certification and met state and federal requirements. Colleagues describe her leadership style as one that emphasizes integrity, encouragement and a commitment to excellence.

“Lisa’s commitment to the organization is exemplary, and she lives the Rotary mission of ‘Service Above Self’ in her everyday life,” said Panhandle Home Health Board Vice President Vicki Jenkins. “She is a woman of deep conviction, and her compassion is exemplified in all she does.”

Bivens’ influence extends well beyond the walls of Panhandle Home Health.

At the state level, she serves as treasurer of the West Virginia Council of Home Care and Hospice Board of Directors and has been recognized nationally for her work in hospice and palliative care. She has spoken before national audiences on innovative approaches to patient care, including the development of a bridge program linking palliative care and hospice services.

Locally, she has devoted countless hours to civic and charitable organizations. Her community involvement includes service with the Martinsburg Sunrise Rotary Club, the Martinsburg-Berkeley County Chamber of Commerce, Shepherd University’s Nursing Advisory Council, Berkeley Medical Center’s Cancer Committee and Ethics Committee and Women Investing in Shepherd, where she was a founding member.

Her dedication to service has earned numerous honors, including the Girl Scouts Nation’s Capital Woman of Distinction Award, Beta Sigma Phi First Lady recognition, United Way Campaign Volunteer of the Year, Rotarian of the Year and Rotary’s prestigious Service Above Self Award.

While her accomplishments are extensive, Bivens says retirement will provide an opportunity to focus on family while continuing to support the causes she values.

“My plans after retirement are certainly to spend more time with my family and travel,” Bivens said, “but I will always continue to advocate for Panhandle Home Health and serve my community in whatever capacity that might be.”

Bivens and her husband, Scott, have been married for 43 years. They have two children and three grandchildren.

As Panhandle Home Health begins planning for a leadership transition, board members say Bivens’ legacy will be measured not only by the organization’s growth and success, but by the thousands of patients, families and employees whose lives have been touched by her leadership over the past four decades.