A YEAR UNLIKE ANY OTHER

A MESSAGE FROM OUR PRESIDENT

In preparation for this annual letter, I looked back at my words from a year ago. Writing from my home office in April 2020 I said, “As I write this letter to our wonderful and generous Clinic community, we are still reeling from the greatest health care crisis of our lifetimes.” At the time, I didn’t realize that I was the master of understatement, and that 13 months later we would “still be reeling” not only from COVID-19 but from civil strife, inequities and social justice issues.

Fast forward to May 2021, and I am now in my out-of-home office, fully vaccinated, and even more grateful and proud of our Clinic than I was a year ago. Over the last year, the “Miracle on 21st Street” lived up to its billing and then some, as our dedicated team of Board members and volunteer physicians, nurses and staff swung into action to make sure those who rely on us for care were still able to receive it – the worst pandemic in a century notwithstanding.

Once the March 17, 2020 Shelter-in-Place order came down, the Miracle that is our Clinic took on an even deeper meaning, as ourdedicated Board members and incredible staff of volunteers stepped up and out. Our Clinic medical team, under the direction of Dr. Vona Lorenzana, carefully maneuvered and honored the fine lines associated with caring for patients while protecting staff, continuously engaging with our community health care partners to make sure care was arranged and received without delay. Throughout the spring and summer months, our Board moved from once-a-month Board meetings to a weekly schedule over ZOOM, with committee and staff discussions in between. No job was too large, small or daunting for our team.

Most urgently, we needed to fast-track our transition to Electronic Medical Records (EMRs), so we could move to a telehealth model. While we had begun the EMR process several years ago, thanks to a grant from Kareo, implementation hadn’t moved as quickly as planned. All that changed when Dr. Tom Wallace, our senior volunteer physician at 90-years-young, assumed the role of EMR champion, encouraging and teaching his colleagues how to get with the program! Board member Louis Meunier put his years of retail management and logistics expertise into play, running a one-person purchasing department to ensure staff had the requisite tablets, scanning devices and security infrastructure to support virtual visits.

Board member Sara Cumbelich dove in as she always does to help fundraise, cheerlead, and nurture new relationships, including spearheading a partnership with Sutter Health for mobile mammography services. Along the way, she orchestrated a virtual 90th birthday fundraising celebration for Dr. Tom, ensuring our community stayed connected and positive during difficult times. Our Vice President for External Affairs, Mike Lambert, provided encouragement and contacts at every turn.

Tim McInerny, Betsy Bernard, Chuck Wirth and Bill Cumbelich provided Board leadership on Operations and Governance, making sure we were identifying efficiencies and best practices as we moved to a virtual delivery model. Prescriptions still had to be filled, lab tests administered, and in extraordinary cases, an in-person visit at the Clinic arranged. Service to our Clinic community tends to be a family affair, and Betsy also was able to enlist the expertise and guidance of her husband, noted epidemiologist Dr. Ken Bernard, to help inform our medical decisions.

Former Treasurer and Emeritus Board member John Rengel stepped back in to work with John Hallett, who was new to his role; between them they kept our records and finances on track and in the black. Our Nominating Chair, Charlotte Kiesel, recruited four new outstanding Board members, KMs and DMs all, who add to our medical, operations and financial expertise. For the first time, we have Board members from outside our immediate service area, testament to my mantra that “once introduced, people fall in love with the Clinic,” and want to find a way to kindle that relationship.

There isn’t space in this report to acknowledge each one of our 60-plus volunteer Clinic staff members who worked tirelessly under virtual and in-person circumstances, always putting others above themselves. However, I want each of you to know that you occupy a special space and place in my heart for the extraordinary gifts you give to our patients and to each other.

At some point, the scourge of COVID will fade from our day-to-day conversations and focus, but not the expanding needs for our Clinic’s services and expertise. We are actively working with the Bishop of Oakland, Michael C. Barber, SJ, on finding creative ways to improve and expand our facilities, including new patient exam rooms and waiting areas so we can safely and appropriately provide more excellent, dignified and comfortable care. Our mobile clinic, which we bought and refurbished in 2018, is still in need of furnishings, fixtures and medical equipment. We are committed to getting it on the road as soon as possible so our physicians, nurses and technicians can serve more uninsured patients throughout the Bay Area.

Thirteen years ago, the Order of Malta Clinic of Northern California, with the help of the Western Association, was founded on a simple mission: uphold human dignity and care for people in need. The last year has given that premise new urgency and resonance, while reminding us that access to quality health care is an underpinning of a just, civil and inclusive society.

Thank you for being part of a community of caring individuals who regardless of life’s difficulties— including a global health crisis—find ways to bring hope, health care and kindness to those who need it most.

John Christian, Esq, KM

President

Oakland, California | May 2021

John Christian, Esq, KM