Russian doctors study practices here

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN

alcorn@vindy.com

BOARDMAN

A delegation of Russian physicians is making the rounds of area hospitals, medical clinics and private practices to pick up information about American medical practices and technology.

The Russians, 11 doctors and an interpreter, arrived last Saturday and are scheduled to leave July 18, said Howard Mettee, Boardman Rotarian who is coordinator for the visit.

Members of the delegation are from the cities of Perm, Moscow, Tyumen, Ekaterinburg, and Krasnodar and include dentists, an orthopedic surgeon, an obstetrician-gynecologist, a dermatologist and several general practice/internal- medicine physicians. They want exposure to doctors and medical practices and technologies used in the United States, said Mettee, a chemistry professor at Youngstown State University.

Among the places visited by the Russians this week were Dr. Michael K. Obeng, coordinator of plastic and reconstructive services at St. Elizabeth Health Center in Boardman; ONE Health Ohio’s Youngstown Community Health Center; Dr. Anthony Bisconti, orthodontist; and Dr. Mark Squicquero, dental clinic.

Next week, the Russians are scheduled to visit Diagnostic Cardiac Associates; the Cleveland Clinic; Dr. Tom Davison, dentist; Northeastern Ohio Universities College of Medicine and Pharmacy; Department of Orthopedics at University Hospitals Case Medical Center in Cleveland; and St. Elizabeth Health Center’s Level 1 trauma center in Youngstown.

“They were particularly interested in our clinical program and the business end of how we provide health care on a sliding fee scale,” said Dr. Ronald Dwinnells, chief executive officer of ONE Health Ohio, after hosting the group Friday.

The doctors and their interpreter are self-funded and are here under the auspices of the Boardman Rotary.

Boardman Rotary’s primary responsibilities were to find sponsor-homes for the Russians, develop a schedule of activities and arrange transportation, Mettee said.

Rotary has hosted several Russian delegations in the past, from physicians to farmers to business people to students, but mostly under the auspices of the Concerned Citizen Initiative, a government-sponsored program.

This group came here because a former CCI employee contacted Boardman Rotary and asked if it could host a group of doctors who are self- financed, said Mettee, former president of Boardman Rotary.

“Rotary has strong international thinking, believing that if we can increase mutual understanding at the citizen level, we can achieve a more peaceful world,” he said.