By Leslie Merchant
When travelers plan an exotic trip, they usually anticipate bringing home unusual stories and a treasured souvenir. What they don’t want tagging along on the return trip is a foreign illness or injury, nor do they anticipate the expense that might go along with such misfortune. Providence Medical Group – St. Peter Travel Medicine Clinic educates (and vaccinates) future travelers on multiple topics including illnesses, personal security, and food/drink safety measures.
Voyagers from Thurston County go abroad for many reasons including vacations, mission trips, business ventures, and adoptions. Imagine the excitement and expectation that go along with planning an overseas trip. Researching destinations and experiences can be overwhelming in and of themselves. Few people have additional hours to spend researching exactly what vaccinations and precautions they need to take to ensure a generally safe trip.
Sandy Bethune, Travel Clinic R.N. explains, “We are a family practice residency program. Our residents know how to look up what’s needed for foreign travel. A lot of our residents go into rural care so they are the first line (of information) for patients going into some of these smaller communities.” People from Thurston County who use the clinic are usually going to the developing world. Patients who come to the Travel Clinic will see a resident as well as a physician who has a lot of experience with travel medicine.
Beware of “Foreign Travelers”
Sandy is passionate about her work. She is constantly researching all the latest news and attends conferences so she can keep her staff updated in the event of an outbreak. She has first-hand experience in how a journey abroad can turn into a giant headache for some ill-prepared travelers. “We’ve had patients return with unwanted ‘friends’ from a trip. We treat them in the clinic and help them get rid of those ‘friends,’” explains Sandra good-naturedly.
Safety is Priority Number One
Vaccinations and information on food and beverage consumption are not the only specialties of the clinic.
“Discussing ways to stay safe is the most important part of the visit. The major risk for a lot of travelers is not being knowledgeable about things like how to cross the street safely or how to get out of a car if the taxi driver is drunk. The major risk is car accidents,” points out Dr. Samantha Ritchie.
Sandy adds that, “Drunk driving laws are much different in other countries; some countries don’t have them!” They both advise wearing a seatbelt even if nobody else is wearing one.
Travel Tips All Year Long
Sandy and Dr. Ritchie have a tip for folks who are in the process of planning a foreign trip – schedule an appointment early!
They explain that many vaccines need to be administered well in advance of a trip, so timing is significant. Visitors should make an appointment four to six weeks in advance of departure.
The clinic will educate prospective travelers on food and beverage consumption in a specific locale, and they can even give advice on tricks that have caught many a traveler unaware. For example, Sandy explains that it is not uncommon for some fruits to be injected with water to add weight. If unpeeled produce seems particularly juicy, buyers beware!
The Travel Clinic is also a super resource for tips on avoiding mosquito-borne illnesses and traveler’s diarrhea.
Common Misconceptions
A common travel misconception involves immigrants returning to their native countries for a visit. Dr. Ritchie explains that individuals who have lived in the United States for several years assume that they have retained their natural immunities from deadly diseases, such as malaria. “They are at the highest risk for getting malaria because their immunity has worn off, and they are used to not worrying about malaria prophylaxis. They are the ones who would most benefit from coming to Travel Clinic,” says Ritchie.
Required versus Recommended
Travel medicine is not covered by most insurance; therefore, many people choose to receive only those medicines required by the Centers for Disease Control.
Vaccinations can be an overwhelming extra expense for people headed to an exotic destination. Providence Travel Clinic can help educate travelers on vaccinations that are strongly advised even though they are not required. “Immunizations are one of the best things that modern medicine has come up with,” exclaims Dr. Ritchie. Sandy adds, “I’ve seen people come back with things they chose not to get immunized for. It’s great when I see someone that’s come back and tells me they‘ve had such a great time, and they didn’t get sick!”
The Travel Clinic wants to help visitors enjoy every moment without losing time and money on the unexpected illness.
It Takes a Village….
“Having the Travel Medicine Clinic here makes people more aware of global health; the faculty and residents here are thinking more in terms of the health of the whole world and not just Thurston County,” says Dr. Ritchie.
The Providence Medical Group – St. Peter Travel Medicine Clinic can get pretty busy especially during peak travel times. There are five regular staff members as well as several residents available to help patients plan their trips abroad. Hours are limited to every second and fourth Tuesday from 9:00 a.m. – 11:30 a.m.
Providence Medical Group – St. Peter Travel Medicine Clinic
525 Lilly Road NE
Olympia, WA 98506
360.493.7230
