Friends, family, volunteers, and community partners gathered recently to celebrate a remarkable milestone: the 100th birthday of Marie Blanchard, the visionary founder of The Marie Blanchard Friendship Clinic in Boise, Idaho. Among the attendees on December 19, 2025, was Mary Barinaga, Assistant Clinical Dean for Idaho WWAMI, underscoring the deep connection between the clinic and generations of Idaho WWAMI physicians.
Blanchard’s journey began long before the clinic opened. Born in Minidoka, Idaho, she was shaped by her experiences during the Great Depression and by watching her pharmacist father care for neighbors in need. Her career began as a flight attendant, followed by nursing training. When she returned home, she followed through with her commitment to provide health care to low-income residents, serving those who are underinsured or uninsured.
In 2004, the Friendship Clinic opened in a small space at All Saints Episcopal Church, staffed entirely by volunteers, including Idaho WWAMI medical students. For many students, the clinic has become one of the most formative parts of their training.
“Volunteering at the Marie Blanchard Friendship Clinic has been one of the most meaningful parts of medical school for me,” said Kaden Kunz, a third-year student and clinic co-lead.
“Clinically, it has given me real experience working with patients early on even before my clinical rotations started and has now helped me understand what patient care looks like outside of a hospital or formal clinic setting,” he said.
The relationships formed are just as impactful.
“The most rewarding part of volunteering at the clinic is seeing how grateful patients are to simply be seen and cared for,” he said.
For Kunz, one moment stands out in particular.
“A patient once asked me while scheduling their next visit, ‘Will you be here next time, please?’ It really stuck with me as a motivator, and moments like that remind me why this work matters and makes every hour at the clinic, and every patient, worth my time and attention,” he said.
For Zahraa Alomar, also a third-year student and clinic co-lead, the work is deeply personal.
“Volunteering at the Marie Blanchard Friendship Clinic has shaped how I understand what it means to be a physician,” she said. “As someone who came to this country as a refugee and experienced firsthand the barriers to accessing healthcare, working at the clinic has allowed me to give back to a community that mirrors my own journey.”
She said serving the underserved isn’t just about providing medical care.
“It’s about restoring dignity, building trust, and addressing the social determinants that create health disparities in the first place,” she added.
Idaho WWAMI student Megan Wong, who began volunteering last summer, said the clinic offers a rare opportunity to slow down and connect.
“Volunteering at Marie Blanchard’s clinic has been such a fantastic opportunity to practice skills in a low stress environment that is focused on the patients and what we can offer them,” she said.
Through those conversations, she has discovered what matters most.
“I’ve walked out of clinic a few times where I’d done nothing new, made no changes, but still felt like I had been able to practice ‘good medicine’ just by having good conversations that improved the healthcare literacy of at least a couple patients,” she added. “I value that ability to empower patients to make their own decisions through greater knowledge.”
At 100, Marie Blanchard remains an active and beloved member of the board of directors. Her legacy continues to shape not only the lives of patients, but also the physicians-in-training who carry her spirit of service forward.