Arnold, CA…Throughout her career, Nurse Practitioner Ann Radford says she has always recognized that lifestyle choices and personal challenges greatly influence the health of her patients. “I’ve always tried to mentor patients beyond their symptoms,” she explains. That attitude led her to recently earn certification as a Life Coach, something she believes complements her training as a nurse and brings broader perspective to her role at the Arnold Medical Clinic.

Ann joined the staff at Mark Twain Medical Center’s Arnold facility nearly three years ago and sees a wide range of patients on a daily basis – from infants to retirees. “To me the most satisfying thing is helping patients learn how to solve things for themselves,” she says. “If I recognize a patient is suffering from stress or anxiety, I talk with them about it. And then, together we try to figure out how to address the situation and how it may be affecting their health.”

She has always focused a lot of attention on her teenage patients. “This is a very vulnerable age group,” she notes. “I see teens for routine ailments like the flu and often recognize deeper problems like eating disorders or other chronic issues. These young people come from varied backgrounds – some with solid families; some are homeless. Whatever their situation, I try to teach them how to cope with issues ranging from getting through high school to finding their next meal.”

Her interest in helping teens achieve their potential is likely inspired by personal experience. Ann set aside her childhood dream of studying to be nurse out of necessity when her oldest daughter was born. “I was just 17 and needed a job,” she says. “A friend who was a 911 dispatcher mentored me and helped me get hired in that role with Alameda County.”

That was the beginning of a long career as a law enforcement dispatcher. She moved from Alameda County to the City of Pleasanton’s Police and Fire 911 Dispatch and there she met her husband David Radford, a career police officer. They have been married for 34 years and have a blended family of six adult children and six grandchildren.

“My husband was always supportive of my nursing dream,” Ann explains, “so I left law enforcement in 1991 to study nursing.” She received her BSN in 1998 and her MS/FNP degree in 2010.

When they decided to look for a retirement destination, they looked no further than Angels Camp where a daughter and her family had moved several years earlier. “We followed the grandchildren,” Ann says with a smile. She enjoys spending time with her family and is an avid San Francisco Giants fan. Camping, fishing, traveling and taking care of the family’s farm are her favorite pastimes.

She is currently elected to the Mark Twain Healthcare District Board and will run for re-election next year. “I love politics,” Ann emphasizes, “and will always be active in the community – and, hopefully beyond.”

For more information about the Arnold Family Medical Clinic or to make an appointment, call 209-795-4193.