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2025 Recipient of the Outstanding Physician Award Presented by Lillibridge Healthcare Services

 For 12 years, Lillibridge Healthcare Services has honored a physician demonstrating outstanding leadership and dedicated service to Atrium Health Cabarrus and the Cabarrus Healthcare Foundation.

Dr. Joseph Stegman, a pediatric Developmental and Behavioral Health physician, is celebrated for his gentleness, kindness, and unwavering commitment to our youngest patients, as well as his deep affection for our hospital and community.

Joseph Conradt Stegman was born in Peru Indiana, the youngest of four children, born to Richard and Matilda Stegman.  Growing up in rural northern Indiana was idyllic in many ways, playing in the farm fields and woods.  He enjoyed riding his bike and playing baseball with his neighbors.  His first sport team was the Chicago Cubs, he was only six years old when he went to his first game.   He has remained a Cub fan ever since, celebrating his 50^th, 60^th and 70^th birthdays at Wrigley Field.  (You always know an optimist when you meet a Cub fan)

He graduated from Maconaquah High School after being the student body president and the drum major of the high school band.  He ran cross country in high school and running became a lifelong activity.  After school and on weekends, he worked at his aunt’s florist, delivering flowers and working in the greenhouse.  The summer between high school graduation and college, he and three friends drove to Alaska, traveling the 1100 miles of gravel road through Canada, this being his first travel experience, and the beginning of his lifelong lust for travel.

He attended Indiana University and graduated with a BS in Biological Sciences in 1974.  He received a scholarship to medical school from the United States Navy and graduated from Indiana University School of Medicine in 1978.  He completed an internship at Saint Michael’s Hospital in Milwaukee, Wisconsin before entering the medical corp in the US Navy.

His first duty station was Kaneohe Marine Corp Air Station, in Hawaii, serving as a battalion surgeon.  He served on the USS Tarawa during the Iranian hostage crisis, witnessing the failed mission to free the hostages and then their successful release.  After three years with the marines in Hawaii and on-board ship, he went to the National Naval Medical Center in Bethesda, Maryland where he completed his pediatric training.   He served as the only pediatrician at the Naval Hospital in Key West, Florida for two years.  After receiving an honorable discharge, he moved to Concord.

In  August of 1987, Dr. Stegman and his family moved to Concord, North Carolina.  He worked one year at Piedmont Pediatric Clinic and then started his own practice, which today is Suburban Pediatric Clinic.  He worked as a primary care pediatrician from August of 1987 until the early 2000s.  The American Academy of Pediatrics planned a new specialty, Developmental and Behavior Pediatrics, and Dr Stegman decided to explore a new career path.  In January of 2001 he became one of the first board certified Developmental and Behavior Pediatricians in the country.  It was his vision to have a developmental clinic in Concord and with the leadership of Northeast Physician Network, he opened The Developmental and Behavioral Pediatrics of the Carolinas.  Today there are two offices, Concord and Charlotte, and it has grown from just Dr Stegman to five physicians, six advanced practitioners, two psychologists and four therapists!  The clinic serves children with mild to severe developmental disorders, learning disorders, ADHD, and Autism.   Dr. Stegman plants to retire in June 2025.  He also held several administrative positions, serving as the Chairman of the Northeast Physician Network, Medical Director of Jeff Gordon’s Children Hospital and an administrative role with the Pediatric Service Line at Levine’s Children Hospital.

Outside of medicine, his passion is his family.  Dr. Stegman and his wife Deborah Sue Johnson met while in school and were engaged six weeks later, then married in October of 1977 in Indianapolis Indiana.   Dr. Stegman and Debbie have raised three children, Emily, Julia and Theodore. Dr. Stegman’s favorite memories as a father are camping trips across the western United States.  Dr. Stegman loves running, hiking, biking and traveling.  Together, Dr. Stegman and his wife have visited all 50 states and over 50 countries on 6 continents.  Dr. Stegman loves time with his 5 grandchildren, Madison, Patrick, Elsie, Charles and Parker.

Dr. Stegman and his wife also enjoys taking time for his medical mission work.  They made several trips to Panama, serving the needs of people with limited access to medical care.  Then in 2013, they started doing the same work with Friends of Barnabas Foundation in Honduras.  This has become a passion for them both, just recently returning last month, from the latest mountain medical mission.

As retirement draws closer, plans are spending quality time with his family.  They will continue to travel the United States and abroad as long as they are able.  In place of running, he loves to walk his beloved beagle, Gladys.  A fulfilled and happy time awaits.  He wishes to thank everyone who has shared this wonderful journey with him.