3 minute read
VOLUNTEER SPOTLIGHT
Mary Rudolph, NP, DM
Mary Rudolph, NP, DM, literally goes the “extra mile” for her patients. On Wednesdays she commutes to the Clinic in downtown Oakland from her home on the Peninsula, driving the 90 miles roundtrip to care for and counsel women in the Clinic’s OB/GYN practice. Mary, who previously worked at Stanford Medicine and the Palo Alto Medical Foundation (now Sutter Health) before retiring, now finds her purpose and passion in helping women at the Clinic, many of whom have neglected checkups or treatment because of fear, lack of resources or their uninsured status.
Mary’s introduction to the Clinic came on a pilgrimage to Lourdes in 2017, sponsored annually by the Order of Malta. On that trip, she connected deeply with the Marian devotion, service and fellowship that came from assisting the “malades” who were there seeking miraculous healing—physical, spiritual or both. When Mary returned home, she wanted to continue to administer to those in need and found the Clinic the ideal environment to channel her years of experience and training as a Nurse Practitioner, including her advanced certification in OB/GYN medicine from UCLA. (Nurse Practitioners have masters or doctorate degrees in nursing, enabling them to work closely alongside physicians in the diagnoses and treatment of medical issues.) Early on, becoming a nurse was a way to honor and reflect her deep faith and devotion. Mary continues to draw inspiration from the Beatitudes, viewing her calling as a nurse, and her work at the Clinic, as a way to exemplify and honor God’s blessings. She is grateful for the many gifts in her life, and for the opportunity to give to others who can benefit from her work.
“Our patients at the Clinic are often surprised at the simplicity of our unconditional service to all,” Mary says. “They are overcome with gratitude time and time again. Most of my patients work in minimum wage jobs in the service industry and are infrequent users of medical care services due to an inability to pay, sometimes mixed with fear. Our Clinic team works very hard to turn that fear into trust.”
Many of Mary’s patients are immigrants, some with limited knowledge of English. The Clinic’s multilingual staff have been a godsend to Mary’s ability to help patients. “One of my patients from South America was experiencing a lot of pain, and although she was in her 60s, she had never had a mammogram. With the help of our team, I was able to convince her that she needed a screening test, which thankfully was normal. I had a patient from Ethiopia, who did not speak English and had never had any GYN care. When we administered her first PAP test, and it was normal, her smile didn’t require a translation.”
As a member of the Order of Malta Clinic’s Board of Directors, as well as a volunteer, Mary sees the Clinic through a 360-degree lens. “I know first-hand how important our expansion campaign is to our patients and practicing doctors and nurses. Not only do we need more patient rooms and space for equipment, but my patients will be so well served when we can activate our mobile clinic and reach even more women throughout the region.”
Mary is grateful that she was able to connect with patients via telemedicine during the pandemic, but now that the Clinic has reopened, she’s finding a special reward being able to meet directly with those who need her help. “We are not an end-stop,” she says. “We are the beginning of our patients feeling cared for, empowered and respected in a loving environment. Health is a holistic journey, and I am privileged to be on that journey with my patients, their families and my fellow Clinic professionals. Service to those in need is a universal call for all of us. For me personally, the Order’s mission to serve ‘our lords the poor and the sick,’ and preserve human dignity is what makes my weekly commute easy.”
