By Christi Mays
At Mercy Clinic in Fort Worth, Peggy Leitch '78 says she has the “best of both worlds.” She sees unsaved people experience God’s transforming love while their physical well-being is improved.
“I’ve seen the hand of God throughout my experience here,” she said.
When Peggy was a nursing student in the late ‘70s at UMHB, she said she never thought her future included volunteering as a full-time CEO for 10 years at a community clinic: “But I have been blessed by the ability to pursue this passion,” said the 1978 graduate, who has volunteered as the executive director at Mercy Clinic since it opened its doors in 2011. Mercy Clinic’s mission is to share the love of Christ with the community while providing primary medical and basic dental care to uninsured adults.
“God led me to this position and allowed me to focus my passion for others in this setting,” said Peggy, who has always been deeply committed to helping people. “I see the provision and sovereignty of the Lord through this ministry, which gives me an overwhelming sense of being a small part of a plan that God is directing.”
The path that led her to her position as volunteer CEO began years ago when she started helping at Travis Avenue Baptist Church in Fort Worth. As a member there, she has assisted in countless community ministries—helping in the food pantry, distributing clothing, coordinating Bible studies, and providing child care. She was also often asked to share her nursing knowledge as a consultant. That’s when she discovered a lack of access to routine medical care for the people she encountered, typically because of a lack of finances or insurance.
When the opportunity came along to facilitate medical and dental care to the uninsured, she felt uniquely qualified because of her love for the Lord, her desire to share the Gospel with others, and her training as a nurse.
In 2011, she attended a meeting to help form the Mercy Clinic of Fort Worth and was asked to lead the organization. To get the clinic up and running, she supervised every aspect of the establishment— from renovating the building to obtaining the 501(c)(3) status to ordering supplies and equipment to recruiting volunteers. She also assisted the clinic’s volunteer medical director in writing the clinical plan and helped with fundraising to get—and keep—the doors open.
It’s been more than 10 years now, and she has worked full-time (some weeks, double full-time) to make the clinic a success. In her duties now, she is responsible for the day-to-day operations for every aspect of the clinic, which sees about 2,000 patients each year, as well as hosting health fairs and other initiatives that reach hundreds of people with the love of Christ.
“Each time I give a tour of the clinic and recount all that has happened over the last 10 years, I am encouraged by the evidence of the faithfulness of God,” she said.
Today, the ministry is completely funded by donations. A few administrative positions are salaried; however, Peggy, who says she is blessed to be married to her supportive husband, Bruce, has always chosen to defer her salary.
The clinic has 150 volunteers on its roster, including clerical workers, pharmacists, physicians, and dentists, who share their time and knowledge with others.
“Working alongside a community of other caring individuals brings great joy,” Peggy said. “I see this joy in the lives of our patients and our volunteers.”
In the summer of 2020, her clinic began collaborating with a national pharmaceutical company to provide COVID-19 testing. At the small facility, in the first six months, workers facilitated the administration of more than 15,000 tests.
“The reduction of the burden on local hospitals and the management of the spread of the disease has been mitigated through our partnership,” she said.
Peggy cherishes the time she was at UMHB, which undeniably helped prepare her for the work she’s doing. While working toward her bachelor’s degree in nursing at UMHB, she received several awards, including the Laura Cole Award, which is presented to a senior nursing student based upon scholarship, leadership, and service.
“At the time I received the award, I recall that it was given to the nursing student who most exemplified a life devoted to Christ,” she said. “It is my honor to try to fulfill that ideal every day.”
