Walnut Creek Doctor Honored for Volunteer Work

From Harden Communications Partners LLC:

On October 11th, The Order of Malta Clinic of Northern California honored Dr. Robert James Stein, KM at its 8th Annual Silver Chalice Awards Dinner at the St. Francis Yacht Club of San Francisco. The prestigious Silver Chalice award was presented by Archbishop of San Francisco Salvatore Cordileone and Bishop of Oakland Michael Barber SJ. It is given annually to the individual who has most contributed to the ongoing success of the Order of Malta Clinic, a free clinic that provides medical services for the uninsured and poor in the Bay Area.

The awards dinner helped raise funds to expand the clinic’s operations from three days to four days weekly. Over the last eight years, the Order of Malta Clinic of Northern California in Oakland has provided over 23,000 basic medical care treatments to new and returning patients with only the support of private donations. The clinic accepts no fees or public funding for its services.

As a selfless volunteer, Dr. Stein was asked to help determine the feasibility of opening the free Order of Malta Clinic of Northern California Clinic at the Cathedral of Christ the Light in Oakland. Stein became part of an ongoing committee that designed the service parameters for the clinic, most of which still exists today and has allowed the clinic to exceed the two-and-a-half year average life span of faith-based clinics.

“Bob is fused into the fabric of the Order of Malta and is one of the most generous volunteers I know. From serving on the medical committee for the Order of Malta Clinic board of directors to contributing the flu shot clinic at Summit Hospital, serving the elderly at St. Anne’s Home and Mercy Retirement Center, to Lourdes medical director and vice chair of the Growing the Faith committee, Bob’s contributions are incomparable,” said John Christian, president of the clinic’s Board of Directors. “When the Order of Malta Clinic of Northern California counts their blessings—Bob is one of its greatest.”

Dr. Stein was the department chairman of Anesthesiology at Mt. Diablo Hospital Medical Center in Concord, California. There he developed significant expertise in cardiac, neurologic, obstetric, pediatric and trauma anesthesiology. After earning his doctorate in medicine from St. Louis University School of Medicine, he did a residency in medicine and anesthesiology at St. Louis City Hospital and University of California San Francisco, respectively. Stein and his spouse, Helen Mary D’Arcy have been long-time residents of Walnut Creek, California.

Images via Harden Communications Partners LLC: (image 1) Dr. Stein (center), (image 2) auction, (image 3) Bishop of Oakland Michael Barber SJ