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Home / Awards / Servitor Pacis Award / 1997 THE SERVITOR PACIS AWARD RECIPIENTS 1997 - James S. Withers, M.D. James S. Withers, M.D. is an internist who teaches medicine at The Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh. He resides, with his wife Gayathri and four children, in Wilkinsburg, Pennsylvania. In May 1992, in his desire to promote a healing vision of health care, he began to make nightly visits to men and women sleeping in the alleys, along the rivers and in the abandoned buildings of Pittsburgh. In time other nurses, physicians and formerly homeless volunteers joined the effort culminating in the establishment of Operation Safety Net (OSN). The efforts of Dr. Withers and his collaborators at Operation Safety Net have served as a reminder of the dignity of each and every human person and have brought about a renewed sense of hope and community. Dr. Withers and the Operation Safety Net program at Mercy Hospital have been recognized locally and nationally by religious and civic organizations and individuals, by health care leaders and by the media. Dr. Withers' first experience of compassionate medical care came from his parents -- a physician and nurse -- who willingly made medical house calls and volunteered their services in underdeveloped Central American countries. These childhood experiences formed his vision of health care based on Christian values. The Mercy Hospital of Pittsburgh provided an environment for him to teach medical students and residents new methods of delivering health care to such persons as abused women, the poor and the homeless. As a result, medical careers have been promoted in the tradition of faith-based health care that serves the human person. In addition to his role as a faculty member at Mercy Hospital, Dr. Withers is an Associate Clinical Professor of Medicine at the University of Pittsburgh and an Adjunct Faculty Member at Duquesne University. He volunteers his services as medical director for the Light of Life Rescue Mission, the Wellspring Drop-In Center, and the Mercy Domestic Violence Initiative. These positions offer Dr. Withers excellent entry to the medical and civic community for the purpose of advancing health care access for Pittsburgh's underserved populations.
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