The Chaplain & the Doctor

At The Wilma Chan Highland Hospital Campus, a level-one trauma center in Oakland, California, an unexpected partnership forms between Betty Clark, an 80-year-old African American chaplain, and Jessica Zitter, a white Jewish physician on the Palliative Care service. Despite their differing backgrounds and the typical divide between chaplains and doctors within the hospital's rigid structure, their decade-long collaboration reveals shared values and personal histories. Initially, Dr. Zitter, rooted in medical science, and Chaplain Clark had no anticipation of working closely together. Over time, their mutual understanding bridges the gap, leading to a unique approach to care that respects both spiritual and physical needs, as well as the diverse experiences of their patients.