The Chaplain and The Doctor with Chaplain Betty Clark & Jessica Zitter, MD

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Today I’m joined by Chaplain Betty Clark, a hospital chaplain, community leader, and lifelong caregiver, and Dr. Jessica Zitter, a critical and palliative care physician, author of Extreme Measures, and filmmaker. Their friendship sits at the heart of the new documentary The Chaplain and the Doctor, born from years of working side by side at Oakland’s Highland Hospital. Together, they’ve built trust across lines of race, faith, and hierarchy, exploring what it really means to care for patients and for each other. In our conversation, Betty and Jessica reflect on the art of chaplaincy, the courage it takes to face bias and racism in medicine, the healing power of storytelling, and the idea of the “wounded healer.” What emerges is a moving portrait of friendship, honesty, and grace, an invitation to stay, as Betty put it, “blessed in the mess.”Warmly,Emily and The NocturnistsFavorite moments from this week’s episode“Look with your ears, listen with your eyes.”“I tell volunteer chaplains to look with your ears and listen with your eyes. You’re looking for things that may not mean what they seem. You might see a rosary hanging on the bed and think someone’s Catholic, but maybe it’s just decoration. Observation is sacred—it’s how we really hear people.” A Thunderbolt Realization“There are moments in life when you realize you’ve been thinking about something wrong. That’s what happened when I called Betty. I realized how much armor doctors wear—how scared we are, how defensive. Once you see that, it’s hard to unsee it. That’s when I opened up to her, and to friendship.” Language and Respect“There’s certain language you don’t use with African Americans. Don’t say ‘we’re going to wean you off this medicine’—that’s baby talk. Say, ‘we’ll lower your dose as your pain improves.’ Language matters. It’s about respect.”Bias at the Bedside“I’ve been that doctor at 3 a.m., thinking: oh, the patient in bed five with sickle cell, asking for more Dilaudid. Working with Betty made me realize—this is bias. It’s not about being a bad