As Religious Sisters of Mercy, our Sisters profess a fourth vow of service to the poor, sick and ignorant in addition to the three vows professed by all Religious: poverty, chastity and obedience. As an expression of this fourth vow of service, some of our Sister physicians have been asked to take medicine out to those most in need through mobile clinics. Sister Mary Lisa Renfer, RSM, DO is the new Medical Director of Saint Mary’s Legacy Clinic, an outreach of the Diocese of Knoxville, Tennessee. This clinic was founded by Sister Mariana Koonce, RSM, MD in 2014 through funds provided by the Saint Mary’s Legacy Foundation.
Saint Mary’s Legacy Clinic is a primary care office on wheels that currently serves six sites in rural East Tennessee. We provide care to the uninsured population at no cost to the patients. Sister Maliya Suen, RSM, MD provides medical care for patients at Saint Mary’s Legacy Clinic in addition to Sister Mary Lisa. Sister Joan Miriam Nelson, RSM serves as the volunteer Administrative Assistant. The clinic goes to each site once or twice a month, with telehealth visits scheduled as needed, both for closer follow up and for acute care needs in between visits. The mobile clinic was recently featured in The Washington Post in an article highlighting the charitable works of Religious groups in caring for the poor. Hover and click on the photos below to read the two different articles that were published about this important mission of mercy. If you would like to see more of the clinic, you can also go on a virtual tour inside by visiting the Saint Mary’s Legacy Clinic Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/stmaryslegacyclinic/.
The St. Mary’s Legacy Clinic is a mobile health clinic that serves six rural East Tennessee communities. Religion News Service photo by Bob Smietana; used with permission.
Read the WAGHINGTON POST article:
Faith groups are vital to the social safety net. But volunteers they rely on are aging and their denominations are shrinking.
Photo credits: Religion News Service; used with permission.
