Russian doctors visit Rotary Club

Howard Mettee, professor of Chemistry at Youngstown State University, arranged for a delegation of 11 Russian doctors from five regions in Russia: Moscow, Tyumen, Krasnodar, Perm and Ekaterinburg to tour northeast Ohio.

The group is spending two weeks in the United States to learn more about the practice of medicine in the United States.

They hope to discover ways to improve patient care and practice management back home. They are interested in the systems of quality control in medicine, the effective organization of doctors and medical personnel.

This was a true “citizen-to-citizen” contact with no government interferences. Since 1995, a concerned citizens group supported Russians to come here during the transition from Communism to Capitalism. These delegates paid for the trip themselves.

They were specific in announcing that they were from Russia and not the Soviet Union.

The Rotary Clubs of Austintown, Boardman and Canfield are the hosts. They presented the club with flags and a granite name plate and ended with saying, “God Bless America.”