WHO WE ARE AND WHAT WE DO

The Travel Doctor is a full time travel clinic located in Grandville, Michigan.  By “full time”, we mean that taking care of international travelers is all that we do here, and we do it all day, six days a week.  In fact, as our clients are scattered through many time zones, we are accessible by telephone and e-mail twenty four hours a day, every day.

Most people, when they think of travel health, immediately think of shots.  And we do give shots.  We keep in stock all the vaccines you might need and we give them when you need them, not just on certain days or at certain times.

But although over ninety percent of the health and safety risks travelers actually suffer are preventable, only four percent of them are preventable with shots.  When we consult with you regarding your travel plans, we address the other ninety six percent as well.

Many infectious diseases, for instance, are preventable but not by shots.  These include malaria, dengue fever and other diseases spread by mosquitoes, ticks and other insects.  Other illnesses such as altitude sickness and the bends, traveler’s diarrhea, sunburn and sunstroke, frostbite and blood clots are all preventable if you know what to do.  Most accidents can be avoided with proper preparation and even heart attacks can often be prevented with some simple travel precautions.

Often we are consulted because travelers have special health needs.  People traveling with small children, pregnant travelers, those with chronic illness and travelers with disabilities often choose to travel these days.  In former times they would have had to stay home, but now we can do a lot to make their trips safe, comfortable and enjoyable.

Business travelers, students studying abroad, expatriates, missionaries and even everyday vacationers—all have particular needs and we address them all.

We are especially trained and equipped to handle these issues.  Dr. Carroll is the first physician in Michigan to be certified in the new specialty of Travel Medicine and Joyce, our nurse, the first Certified Travel Nurse Practitioner in the state.  They bring with them many years of overseas medical experience as well as over five years of travel medicine practice.

In addition, our clinic is equipped with numerous computer programs that provide us with the most up to date information in prevention and treatment of travel related illnesses as well as crime and security information, environmental data and cultural tips.  We are on a first name basis with numerous departments at the Centers for Disease Control and are active members of several organizations including the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM), the American Society of Topical Medicine & Hygiene (ASTMH) and the Network of Associates for the Health of Expatriates (NOAHE.)

So if you are traveling and have health and safety concerns, or if you returned unwell from a trip abroad, come and see us.

Of course, not everyone can travel to a suburb in Western Michigan for such issues.  In that case, we are often able to make our services available to you by mail or e-mail, or we can direct you to a qualified travel clinic close to your home.  Just let us know.

OUR SERVICES

OUR MEDICAL STAFF

I. Dale Carroll, MD; Medical Director

Dr. Carroll is an obstetrician and gynecologist who is also certified in Travel Medicine. He attended Vennard College in Iowa and Asbury College in Kentucky. He is a graduate of the University of Tennessee Medical College and did his residency in Philadelphia at Methodist Hospital and the Medical College of Pennsylvania. He obtained his Tropical Medicine certification at the Gorgas Institute in Lima, Peru. He is certified in Travel Medicine by the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene.

He grew up in India as the son of missionaries and has done medical work in Honduras and Kenya. He currently practices both of his specialties in Grandville and Holland, Michigan. He is much in demand as an international lecturer on the subject of pregnancy and travel and writes extensively on the subject. In his spare time he is an inspirational speaker and writes poetry and short stories.

Joyce E. Carroll, RN, MRE--Office Manager, Research Co-ordinator
Registered Nurse with tropical medicine & teaching experience

Mrs. Carroll is from Burlington and Manahawkin, New Jersey. She received her RN from the Methodist Hospital, Philadelphia and obtained her BA from Asbury College. After raising four children, she earned her Masters in Religious Education from Western Theological Seminary.

She has taught nursing in Kenya, and has been the Director of Religious Education in several churches.  She now is responsible for running the day to day activities of The Travel Doctor and The Pregnant Traveler.  She also performs most of the day-to-day research necessary for our consultation and personally counsels many of our clients.

Dr. & Mrs. Carroll have traveled, studied and taught in over 100 countries. To relax, they entertain their four children and three grandchildren.

Trema Hall

Trema, our receptionist, joined us in 2005.  Hers is the first friendly voice you usually hear on the telephone. She makes appointments, sends out mailings, does innumerable office chores and is responsible for keeping up our supplies of vaccines, retail goods and office materials.

Trema's husband Dan is a second shift, General Foreman at Country Fresh Dairy. Their children are all grown up and they have one grandchild.