63 year old US born, trained, and board certified family physician. After an initial 7 years of family medicine with the government, I worked in emergency medicine for 25 years until my initial retirement from paid employment August 1, 2019. My plans to spend the rest of my career doing international volunteer work in refugee medicine were put on hold by COVID-19 after my first refugee assignment at the Moria Camp. I then worked with the Indian Health Service while waiting for international travel and volunteering to open up again and was able to go back to Greece a second time. Still young and healthy enough to hopefully have at least 10 -15 years of work and service left. My medical school experience at the Cambodian refugee camps in Thailand, and my recent experiences at the two refugee camps in Greece, have reconfirmed my desire to continue this type of work.
Senior staff physician providing medical care to refugees, primarily from Afghanistan, Syria, Algeria and Morrocco, at two different refugee camps in Greece. The first, near the city of Thessaloniki and the second, near the city of Mytilini on the island of Lesvos - the "Moria 2" refugee camp. Involved seeing men and women of all ages taking care of both acute and chronic medical conditions, in a refugee camp situation. Three month tour. Time divided equally between the two camps.
Initially 3-4 days per week, then full time starting February 2021. Employed as a contract physician through AB Staffing Company. Although I did some pediatrics, the practice was mostly internal medicine, managing complex patients through a combination of telemedicine and in person visits.
One or two days each week, seeing only pediatric patients, age 3 days to 17 years old, for both well child and acute medical visits. Involved all aspects of well child visits from immunizations to coordination of referrals for complex patients.
Served refugees / asylum seekers from multiple countries, primarily Afghanistan and Syria, with Kitrinos Healthcare, who ran the main clinic at the Moria Refugee Camp, on the island of Lesvos, in Greece. Dec 3rd, 2019 thru March 2, 2020. In addition to direct patient care of all ages and groups, helped coordinate multiple psychiatric, medical, social, and logistical problems with multiple staff and other NGO organizations.
Served primarily Central American and Mexican refugees / asylum seekers at the southern US / Mexican border. All ages. Involved teaching medical students and resident physicians at multiple sites around Tijuana. Two weeks.
Owner / partner of Southwest Emergency Physicians. We provided Emergency Medicine services for Yuma Regional Medical Center. Full time emergency physician. Part time manager. Yuma is a border city with Mexico. Work involved daily exposure to the immigrant, undocumented, and refugee population, and all associated issues.
Full time emergency room physician at Yuma Regional Medical Center. Hillside was a temporary transitional group until Southwest Emergency Physicians could take over.
Full time employment as a physician at six different emergency rooms and two urgent cares, in Yuma and surrounding cities.
Managed physicians and nonphysician staff. Full time outpatient clinical duties. Inpatient coverage of IHS patients at Yuma Regional Medical Center
Managed Medical Staff. Full scope of family medicine, including outpatient, emergency room, obstetrics, and inpatient coverage of IHS patients at Poplar Community Hospital
Full scope of family medicine, including outpatient, inpatient, emergency room, and obstetrics. Modern but limited services hospital, a little less than a remote small town in the US. Last 5 months as a direct hire by local hospital.
Staff physician. Very primitive developing world clinic and hospital. Very limited lab, xray, and support facilities. Full scope of family medicine, including outpatient, inpatient, emergency room, and obstetrics.
Family Practice, OB, Emergency Room Experience
Lifelong exposure to developing world conditions
Financial freedom to work without compensation
Excellent physical health and stamina
Experience in medical staff leadership
Modest medical Spanish competency
State Medical Licenses, currently active in Arizona and California
Federal DEA registration, currently active
Board certification, American Board of Family Physicians, currently active
Emergency Medicine Certifications currently active:
- Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support
- Advanced Trauma Life Support taken x3, but currently expired
ADDITIONAL CROSS CULTURAL EXPERIENCES:
1) Rural Health care in Guatemala. One month at a rural health clinic. Third year of residency. Jan 1987.
2) Alaska Native American health care in Point Barrow, the northern tip of Alaska. Fourth year of medical school. Two months. Jan/Feb 1984.
3) Refugee relief medicine. Cambodian refugee camps in Panat Nikom and Surin, Thailand. Two months with Catholic Relief Services. Fourth year of medical school. June/July 1983.
4) Boriken Neighborhood Health Center. East Harlem. New York. One month. Second year of medical school. July 1981
5) Cross Cultural Studies in Health Care in India. Four months at Christian Medical Medical College and Hospital, in Vellore, South India. Main project was a health care survey on popular beliefs regarding diseases in a small village near there. Fourth year of college. August thru Dec, 1979
6) I have been married to a woman from the Philippines for the past 31 years. I have a son who lives there with his wife and my grandchild. I have been there one to three times/year every year for 32 years, and have a second home there. I am very familiar with developing world conditions and problems, including intermittent power and water, bucket showers, different foods, tropical weather, etc.
State Medical Licenses, currently active in Arizona and California
Federal DEA registration, currently active
Board certification, American Board of Family Physicians, currently active
Emergency Medicine Certifications currently active:
- Basic Life Support, Advanced Cardiac Life Support, Pediatric Advanced Life Support
- Advanced Trauma Life Support taken x3, but currently expired