Published on Jun. 12, 2025
“I never thought I’d stay more than one summer,” said Jorge Bello, reflecting on the 36-year journey that began as a seasonal job in the MemorialCare Orange Coast Medical Center kitchen in 1989.
Jorge continued in his role as a cook at Orange Coast Medical Center for 34 years, a labor of love fueled by deeper meaning.
Every day, I felt like I was building something for my family. It wasn’t just a job; it was my purpose – a purpose fulfilled by following a personal credo: every act of care matters.
- Jorge Bello
While caring daily for his local community, Jorge also invested in his family, proudly sending his three daughters, all born at Orange Coast Medical Center, to college. Jorge enjoyed a rich sense of satisfaction in his family life and work as the decades passed.
Jorge’s perspective on care and community reached new depths through the personal challenges he faced during the COVID-19 pandemic. When Jorge became an intubated patient himself, he came to trust his coworkers – whom he refers to as “family” – in a new and profound way.
“Lying in that bed, I knew I was in good hands,” Jorge said. "I’m incredibly thankful to the physicians and medical staff who helped me through the most difficult time of my life. Their care and compassion inspired me to return and give back in the best way I could.”
Today, Jorge can be seen beaming with pride as he walks the halls of Orange Coast Medical Center, often side-by-side with his daughter, Denise, who began her own career with MemorialCare six years ago. “My dad’s commitment and compassion inspired me to follow in his footsteps,” said Denise, who now works as the hospital’s human resources manager. Faithful to her father’s teaching that “every act of care matters,” Denise sees MemorialCare as an organization filled with purpose, growth and belonging – where she can “pay it forward and mentor the next generation of healthcare heroes.”
For the Bello family, MemorialCare is more than a workplace. It is where a heart-led calling inspires generations.