Arlington Free Clinic Medical Director, Dr. Joan Bowes Ritter, was selected as a 2012 Toyota Tribute to Working Women Honoree. For 18 years, ABC7 WJLA-TV and The Washington Area Toyota Dealers have been honoring outstanding individuals who make our community a better place in which to live. One of seven recipients of this award, Dr. Ritter was honored for her work in the area of health care.
Dr. Ritter was recognized for her remarkable 12 years of service as a volunteer physician and Medical Director at Arlington Free Clinic, which is the only clinic providing free health care to low-income uninsured adults in Arlington. As Medical Director, Dr. Ritter is responsible for the quality of the clinical services provided to the 1700 patients at Arlington Free Clinic. She is providing guidance to the Clinic as it transitions to a Patient Centered Medical Home, which is a model of delivering quality health care that is coordinated, comprehensive, patient-centered and safe. Dr. Ritter also provides direct medical care at AFC and focuses on their most complicated patients.
In addition to her volunteer work at AFC, Dr. Ritter is also employed four days a week at the National Military Medical Center. She, her husband Scott, and their 13-year-old triplets live in Arlington.