Ruth Gildea has been tasked to be the first person most patients meet as a nurse at our practice. What started as a part time job 31 years ago, has turned into the ultimate learning experience with the best co-workers.
Day to day, Ruth triages patients’ phone calls, discerning whether or not they need to make an appointment to see a doctor, or if their issue can be handled over the phone. Her favorite part of her time at Mt. Auburn has been learning each patient’s story.
Ruth shared, “One thing you learn as you get older is that every patient is different. Each one has their own story and personality.”
Those stories have helped Ruth become more empathetic to everyone she meets, especially women, and that empathy has made her a strong advocate for women. She encourages each woman, including herself to stand up and be strong.
Ruth says her strength comes from all her daily education. She said that the more she learns everyday, the more confident she is when assessing a patient’s needs, questions and concerns, or providing women with their test results or other preventive education.
As for Mt. Auburn, Ruth says it is a great practice with a good mix of doctors who are genuine and care about their patients, and, “they are great people to work for which is important, especially if you do it for over 30 years.”
The doctors are very understanding of family, too, an important topic for Ruth. She is a mother of five, and four of her children were delivered by Mt. Auburn doctors, including Dr. Wendel! Ruth will also be a grandma for the first time, with one of her kids expecting a daughter this fall.
In her free time, Ruth likes to play golf and visit her children, who live around the country. If she can do both, that’s even better. One of her favorite courses is in Denver, where her son lives. She loves the views. In addition to golf, she also likes college football, and on Saturdays, roots for Ohio State, her daughter’s alma mater.
When she’s not playing or watching sports, Ruth is in the kitchen cooking. She doesn’t like recipes and prefers to “wing it,” and she especially loves cooking up Italian food. She’s a fan of books, too. Her favorite genre is historical fiction.
Next time you visit Mt. Auburn or are visiting our Montgomery office, be sure to say “hi” to Ruth!