During the past half-decade or so, the Western Tidewater Free Clinic has grown into a major provider of health care services for those who lack health insurance in the area.

Executive Director Miriam Beiler has been a big part of the clinic’s growth. As she prepares to move to Pennsylvania to spend more time with her 96-year-old mother, Beiler leaves the free clinic in an even more excellent position than she found it.

During her six years of leadership, Beiler has been involved in the transition to electronic medical records, adding eye care and expanding behavioral health and pharmacy services at the free clinic, which serves people who live at or below twice the federal poverty level and lack insurance.

She has been involved in hiring most of the current management at the clinic, whose budget has increased by 50 percent in her time there. During that time, the clinic’s budget has grown to $1.5 million, and members of her board of directors credit her strong sense of stewardship for helping to give donors confidence their contributions will be well spent.

Beiler has a gentle spirit and has been the perfect sort of person to lead this important community organization. Her leadership and her ready smile will be missed when she leaves at the end of May.

We wish her all the best in Pennsylvania.