Dr. Miriam Urizar Rittmeyer, the Executive Director of Savannah’s Community Health Mission will travel to her home country of Guatemala and speak at a national congress about health disparities in the country. Using her experience in public health, Rittmeyer hopes to help the growing country build up their own healthcare system.
During the July 20-25 trip to Central America Dr. Rittmeyer will present two topics to a group of goverment officials. The first, “Healthcare for all – the Volunteer in Medicine Clinic Model,” will educate the audience on how to use voluteers physicians at health care centers. The second presentation will focus on the Amigos en Salud/Friends in Health-diabetes Self-Management program. This program uses community healthcare workers
“Guatemala is undergoing a demographic and economic transition, and parallel to this are changes in health patterns from acute diseases and malnutrition to chronic diseases. Health promoters have a long history of providing public health services in many cultures and countries. While the health promoter model is often associated with primary health care campaigns in the developing world, in the United States, this model is starting to be used for the control of chronic diseases. ” Dr. Rittmeyer said
The free health care facility, located at 310 Eisenhower Drive, offers free primary healthcare to 6,000 uninsured residents of Savannah. The majority of the their patients are working women, who have to choose between feeding their kids or paying insurance premiums. People living in Savannah who are between the ages of 18 and 64, have no health insurance and are not eligible for Medicare or Medicaid might be eligible for free clinic services and should call the Mission’s office to see if they meet all necessary guidelines.
Community Health Mission, formerly know as Community HealthCare Center/Savannah Health Mission, is a private, non-profit 501(3) tax-exempt organization.
To learn more about Savannah’s Community Health Mission, log on to www.chmsavannah.org or call 912-692-1451.