SUSAN DELEAN-BOTKIN

When Hurricane Katrina slammed into the Gulf Coast in 2005, Easton nurse practitioner Susan Delean-Botkin didn't hesitate — she packed up her sister-in-law's RV and headed into the disaster zone.

Partnering with Oxford's Holy Trinity Church and the University of Maryland nursing school, Susan and other volunteers gathered food, clothes and medicine and drove south. For 10 days, their team bandaged and sutured nearly 300 victims a day — all while navigating electrical outages, road closures and communication gaps.

Though Susan has made three other medical missions to South America, that Gulf trip has stayed with her most. “The chaos and human suffering were almost unimaginable,” she recalled.

Two decades later, Susan is still treating patients in Easton and living in Oxford. Now, she's turning that same front-line resolve toward Talbot County's challenges. As the only woman among 10 candidates running for Talbot County Council, she brings a health provider's practical approach to decisions facing the county.

To Susan, public policy and medicine require much the same approach: diagnose the root cause, listen to the patient and find a practical solution.

“We need better-paying jobs and more affordable housing for Talbot's workforce,” she said. “Let's bring in the right kind of development to diversify our local economy while protecting the natural resources that make Talbot special.”

That approach has long shaped her public service. Susan says she believes in serving everyone, regardless of political affiliation or zip code. She spent six years on the Talbot County Board of Education, including two as president, while running her Easton primary-care practice. She also spent 12 years on the Oxford Board of Appeals, gaining experience with local land-use issues.

As president and legislative chair of the Maryland Association of Nurse Practitioners, Susan spearheaded a multi-year campaign to update state law and remove barriers that limited what nurse practitioners could do for patients. “It took us 10 hard years of persistence to make those changes,” Susan said. “Patients all over Maryland are benefiting.”

Her instinct to heal and organize took root early. Growing up in Washington as the eldest of six — with five younger, rambunctious brothers — she was the designated household medic. “As a child, I became an expert early at putting on Band-Aids and pulling out splinters,” she said.

That early interest turned into an academic pursuit after she spent time volunteering through her church to help people in D.C. with AIDS. She soon earned undergraduate degrees from the University of Maryland and Salisbury University, followed by a master's in nursing from Georgetown University.

Along the way, she balanced raising a family with a love of the outdoors and athletics, from swimming to kayaking, sailboat racing, hiking and cycling Oxford Road. Having fun is part of her Rx for a good life, too. She sings in her church choir and is a familiar face at the Oxford Day Parade, where she's been an organizer and last year appeared as Mrs. Robert Morris.

Her compassion extends to animals. Returning from her Katrina mission, Susan brought home a three-legged rescue dog, Skippy, who became a local fixture. Today, Susan and her husband share their Oxford home with two rescued Australian Shepherds, Nip and Tucker. “They keep me healthy and sane,” she said.

After a lifetime on the front lines of community service, Susan isn't slowing down — she's simply getting ready for the next round of work.