As director of the Governor's Wellmobile Program at the University of Maryland School of Nursing in Baltimore, Ms. Wiseman, of Lewistown, provides heath care for the uninsured and underinsured.

Ms. Wiseman received the University of Maryland Baltimore's Public Servant of the Year Award on Thursday for her work with the Wellmobile. She began working for the program four years ago.

The Wellmobile, a 33-foot-long mobile health unit, has four locations, in Western Maryland, Eastern Maryland, the upper/Mideastern Shore and the lower Eastern Shore.

"Eighty percent of the people we see have jobs," Ms. Wiseman said. "That's part of the problem."

The Wellmobile's clientele often work two or three jobs, and have catastrophic health insurance, which only covers major medical emergencies, she said. Their policies have high deductibles, sometimes as much as $2,500.

The Wellmobile offers free services and does a basic screening before treating patients to determine eligibility.

"The majority of people wouldn't come if they didn't need help," Ms. Wiseman said. "If people take advantage, that's between them and their conscience."

The Wellmobile does not focus strictly on medical issues. Ms. Wiseman believes in "holistic" nursing -- she looks at the big picture. When someone comes in for treatment, she works with the community to find resources the patient might not know about, such as help with housing, school services or food stamps.

"We look at the whole person," she said.

Before that, Ms. Wiseman was a nurse at Frederick Memorial Hospital and was the director of the Wellness Center at Francis Scott Key Mall from 1998 to 2001. She is a registered nurse and also holds a doctoral degree.

"When the position came up at the University of Maryland, I was only one of four or five people in the state who knew what a wellmobile was," she said.

Last year, Governor Robert Ehrlich deployed Ms. Wiseman and two Wellmobile units to Brookhaven, Miss., to treat Hurricane Katrina evacuees. She said the experience was life changing.

"We worked with the Red Cross and went shelter to shelter for 10 days," she said.

They treated about 2,000 patients.

The evacuees in Brookhaven did not need major medical attention, she said. The Wellmobile workers performed the basic services they offer in Maryland.

"We weren't sure what we were getting into," she said. "We prepared to be self-sufficient."

They ended up camping out and showering with a garden hose.

"It was so hot, the (cold showers) felt good," Ms. Wiseman said.

The Wellmobile treats about 8,000 people per year, and an estimated 770,000 people in the state need help, Ms. Wiseman said. Although she is proud of the program and of the work she does, she hopes the day will come when her services won't be needed anymore.

"I'd honestly like to be out of business ... and that the need for me will be gone," she said.

Post your comments » Round 2: Snow expected to fall today, Wednesday Fast on the heels of the largest 24-hour snowfall to hit the Frederick County since 1983, meteorologists are predicting another round of heavy snow and wind to hit today. The National Weather Service issued a winter storm warning Monday afternoon for the area, including Frederick County, and said 10 to 20 inches of snow is possible by Wednesday night. Weather-related closings, delays A list follows of weather-related closings and cancellations for this week. Fire and police blotter Police search for robber School closures cause makeup schedule revision Even though Frederick County Public Schools are closed today -- using the sixth snow day this school year -- the school system will not hold school on the Monday Presidents Day holiday as the first scheduled snow makeup day. Crowds pay respect to fallen marine Even U.S. Marines couldn't hold back tears Monday at the viewing of their colleague, Sgt. David Smith. The procession to the Frederick Christian Fellowship Church was led by Frederick County Sheriff's deputies. Dressed in full military regalia, Marines carried Smith's casket into the church followed by family members as more Marines stood at attention.