2007 Woman & Girls Fund Award Winner

Dr. Maria Boria, who lives in Chestertown, came to the Eastern Shore over two decades ago and has been quietly and tirelessly working on behalf of low-income women ever since. A gynecologist by training, she founded the first hospital for women in India and has played a key role in providing health care services to low-income women in clinics throughout the United States.

Currently Dr. Boria provides medical care for migrant workers at the Marydel Clinic and for low-income women at the Rock Hall Free Clinic. She charges no fees for her services at these Kent County clinics, which are run entirely with private contributions. Dr. Boria helps to defray the cost of medications for her patients, most of whom have no insurance coverage, by convincing other physicians to contribute samples from pharmaceutical companies to the clinics. Many have noted that it is difficult to say “no” to Maria Boria. Her quiet dedication is compelling and her results are persuasive.

Chestertown’s Carla Massoni, who nominated Dr. Boria for the award, puts it this way: “She demonstrates the kind of compassion that produces results. If there is a need, she fills it. If she possesses the skills and abilities that make it possible to relieve the suffering of another, then she takes action. She inspires others by the simplicity of her approach. Her humanity astounds me.”