Dr. Patricia Ruze

Through her compassion, generosity, and unfailing optimism, Dr. Patricia Ruze has had a profound impact on the lives of countless individuals, both locally and afar. When a devastating earthquake struck Haiti in 2010, she didn’t hesitate to fly into the heart of it to provide life-saving treatment. That experience was the catalyst to create “At Home and Afar,” a non-profit organization that sends medical professionals and volunteers to Haiti to provide free medical care, medical education, and clean drinking water, as well as meaningful volunteer opportunities. Locally, the organization provides consistent support for other local charities. A former Peace Corps volunteer, Dr. Ruze also risked her life to provide medical care to victims of the Ebola epidemic in Sierra Leone. When she is not volunteering her time to help others, she is an internal medicine physician and an Assistant Professor at The University of Massachusetts Medical School.

To see Dr. Ruze’s acceptance speech, click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OW7b5U8N-Zk