Uncommonly known, Dr. Richard Hansen worked as a juvenile prison guard and lived in a group home for juvenile delinquents while in college, building relationships with this younger, in-need group and ultimately leading to a row of fourteen friends at his wedding. This indiscriminate, non-judgmental approach to service has clearly held up in the 25 years he served Mercy Care as a volunteer, while he tended mostly to homeless patients across six clinics.

Following his retirement from general practice last year, he became an employed geriatrician for the Chamblee clinic; tending now to the patients living in Mercy Senior Housing. His marathon of service, in and outside of Mercy Care, has brought him to care for people in all walks of life.

“The mission at Mercy Care keeps you grounded, more realistic about life. It has always struck me how close people are to being homeless. It’s never an “us-and-them” when you interact. One divorce, one fall-off-the-wagon shows us how many people live close to that margin of homelessness.” – Dr. Richard Hansen, geriatrician