John Strasswimmer, M.D. on Volunteer Dermatology Treatments

Weekly Meeting July 31st, 2019

Pictured above are Club member John Strasswimmer, M.D., Ph.D. and Club President Vanessa Havener.

Dr. Strasswimmer, who practices in Delray Bach with his Associate Dr Smirnov (www.Strasswimmer.com) shared that Dermatology is the only medical practice that does not have a foundation to support volunteer efforts. Most other medical and dental practices have created foundations that provide infrastructure support to assist volunteer doctors serve the needy at home in the USA or abroad. Thus, Dermatologists who want to do such volunteer programs have to raise the money and create the formal structural agreements themselves on order to care for the needy. He founded Dermatology Medical Missions (www.DermatologyMissions.org) in order to do this.  Through DMM, he and his colleagues have treated patients in Africa, South America, and in the USA.

John shared a number of photos of the different volunteer programs in which he has created as a multi-year collaboration with the island nation of Grenada through agreements with the Ministry of Health and the Rotary Club of Grenada-East.  He shared the success of the new “Grenada National Limb Salvage Program” for which the Rotary Club of Boca Raton and Rotary District 6930 provided support to train nurses to provide care for patients with diabetic foot disease.

Shown above is Dr. John Strasswimmer, Member of the Rotary Club of Boca Raton, visiting his patient post-operative in St George’s Hospital, Grenada.

He also has promoted the Healthy Skin Program which he created in collaboration with the Caridad Center to train community health workers to educate people about skin cancer.

Dr. Strasswimmer also mentors pre-med students from FAU through a “gap year” program to enrich their exposure to the career of medicine.

Finally, he shared the ongoing support the Caridad Girl Scout Troop #2650 with the heartwarming statistic that all of those in the Troop have enrolled in college.

Pictured above are two members of Girl Scout Troop #2650, Scarlett Fave, Dr. Strasswimmer, Karin Strasswimmer and Club President Vanessa Havener with her daughter.