Congo Kinshasa RPCV Rima Carlson is a a family practice physician with the Portage Health Medical Group



According to Carlson, family medicine is challenging because of the scope of the practice. “In family medicine you take care of the whole family. There’s so much you need to know and so much to do to stay current on the many topics you need to provide the best care for your patients,” Carlson said. Carlson’s travel has included time spent in the Republic of the Congo while in the Peace Corps and in Gabon at the Albert Schweitzer hospital. She has also been on mission trips to the Dominican Republic and to Haiti.

Congo Kinshasa RPCV Rima Carlson is a a family practice physician with the Portage Health Medical Group

Living the Dr.eam

Portage Health Medical Group’s Family Practice Clinic welcomes new physician

CAPTION: Photo courtesy of Brockit Photography

Rima Carlson, MD, a family practice physician with the Portage Health Medical Group in Hancock, stands in front of Portage Health in Hancock. Dr. Carlson provides a wide range of services, including healthcare for the entire family, sports medicine, travel medicine, occupational medicine and more.

HANCOCK — For as long as she can remember, Rima Carlson, MD, knew that she wanted to be a doctor. Though her interests in medicine have changed over time, Carlson is now living her dream of practicing medicine. She is the newest member of the Portage Health Medical Group’s Family Practice Clinic in Hancock.

“When I was a young girl, I thought it would be great to take care of and help other children. When I went to middle school and high school, I liked the sciences such as biology and anatomy. In college, I was a volunteer for a hospice program, and the interactions between patients and doctors were very interesting to me,” Carlson explained. “Later, through my AmeriCorps experience, I worked in health centers and provided health education. The science and human interaction all came together, and that’s when I applied to medical school.”

In her practice at the Portage Health Medical Group, Carlson provides a wide range of services, including healthcare for the entire family, sports medicine, travel medicine, occupational medicine and more.

“A good family doctor is someone who can assess the overall physical, emotional, and spiritual needs of a patient in order to provide or advocate for the most appropriate and compassionate medical care,” Carlson said.

According to Carlson, family medicine is challenging because of the scope of the practice. “In family medicine you take care of the whole family. There’s so much you need to know and so much to do to stay current on the many topics you need to provide the best care for your patients,” Carlson said.

“Also, because you take care of a patient’s whole family, you can gain insights into that patient’s medical problems.”

Carlson earned her medical degree from the University of Vermont College of Medicine in Burlington, Vt., where she earned the Edward E. Friedman Award for promise of excellence in family medicine and was a 2002 Lambarene Albert Schweitzer Fellow. She earned her undergraduate degree from Colby College in Waterville, Maine. Carlson served her residency with the Marquette Family Practice Residency Program in Marquette, a Family Practice Acting Internship at the Maine Medical Center and a summer preceptorship at Champlain Valley Sports Medicine in Essex, Vt.

Though the majority of her practice will focus on providing medical care to the entire family, one area of medicine that catches her interest is travel medicine.

“I have traveled quite a bit, and through those experiences I became interested in providing advice about vaccinations, infectious diseases, and ways to help people to avoid getting sick when they go to different parts of the world,” she said.

Carlson’s travel has included time spent in the Republic of the Congo while in the Peace Corps and in Gabon at the Albert Schweitzer hospital. She has also been on mission trips to the Dominican Republic and to Haiti.

Carlson’s interests outside medicine include outdoor sports. “I like to be outdoors, whether I’m running, cross-country skiing or snowshoeing, because it recharges my energy and spirit,” she said. “When I was in college I used to run competitively. That has helped me in my medical career because it requires discipline and focus, which I have learned to apply to medicine.” She also loves to sing, watercolor paint, travel and read.

When asked why she chose to practice medicine in Hancock, Carlson explained that during her family practice residency they lived in Marquette and grew to love the Upper Peninsula.

“My husband, Brian, was a ski coach for a ski club in Marquette, and many of the club’s competitions took place at the Michigan Tech trails,” she said.

“During that time we got to know people and the community and we really liked it here.”

Later, during the interview process at Portage Health, they learned about all the outdoor opportunities and the strong medical community, which made their decision to relocate to the Copper Country an easy one. Now that their move to Hancock is complete, Carlson and her husband are currently in the process of adopting a child from Haiti. “I worked in an orphanage in Haiti, and it was a most wonderful experience.

The children loved any bit of attention you could give them, and I always hoped for the opportunity to adopt a Haitian child.”

To make an appointment with Carlson at the Portage Health Medical Group Family Practice Clinic in Hancock, please call 483-1060.

When this story was posted in August 2006, this was on the front page of PCOL:




Peace Corps Online The Independent News Forum serving Returned Peace Corps Volunteers

---

Peace Corps' Screening and Medical Clearance The purpose of Peace Corps' screening and medical clearance process is to ensure safe accommodation for applicants and minimize undue risk exposure for volunteers to allow PCVS to complete their service without compromising their entry health status. To further these goals, PCOL has obtained a copy of the Peace Corps Screening Guidelines Manual through the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) and has posted it in the "Peace Corps Library." Applicants and Medical Professionals (especially those who have already served as volunteers) are urged to review the guidelines and leave their comments and suggestions. Then read the story of one RPCV's journey through medical screening and his suggestions for changes to the process.

---

---

The Peace Corps Library The Peace Corps Library is now available online with over 40,000 index entries in 500 categories. Looking for a Returned Volunteer? Check our RPCV Directory or leave a message on our Bulletin Board. New: Sign up to receive our free Monthly Magazine by email, research the History of the Peace Corps, or sign up for a daily news summary of Peace Corps stories. FAQ: Visit our FAQ for more information about PCOL.

---

Gates charity races to spend billions Warren E. Buffett’s gift of $31 billion to the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation means that for tax reasons, starting in 2009, the foundation must distribute $3 billion annually, or a little more than twice what it distributed last year. PCOL Comment: The Foundation says that "preventing the spread of HIV is the most durable long-term solution to the AIDS epidemic, and a top priority for the foundation." Peace Corps Volunteers and Returned Volunteers have been doing just that in AIDS Education for the past 15 years. Why not consider a $100M annual contribution to the Peace Corps to put 2,500 additional volunteers in the field to expand AIDS education worldwide?

---

RPCV Ron Tschetter to head Peace Corps President Bush has nominated Ron Tschetter to serve as Director of the Peace Corps. Tschetter, 64, is the president of an investment firm based in Montana. He volunteered with his wife to work as family planning advisers in India and is a former Chairman of the National Peace Corps Association. PCOL Comment: Congratulations to the Bush administration for an inspired choice for Peace Corps Director. Ron Tschetter is not only an RPCV but was Chairman of the NPCA. Best wishes to Mr. Tschetter on his future tenure as Director of the Peace Corps. Latest: How Ron Tschetter was selected as Peace Corps Director.

---

The Peace Corps is "fashionable" again The LA Times says that "the Peace Corps is booming again and "It's hard to know exactly what's behind the resurgence." PCOL Comment: Since the founding of the Peace Corps 45 years ago, Americans have answered Kennedy's call: "Ask not what your country can do for you--ask what you can do for your country. My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man." Over 182,000 have served. Another 200,000 have applied and been unable to serve because of lack of Congressional funding. The Peace Corps has never gone out of fashion. It's Congress that hasn't been keeping pace.

---

Support the US-Peruvian Trade Pact Peruvian President Alejandro Toledo, the Peace Corps President, has been lobbying both Democratic and Republican legislators to support the US-Peruvian trade pact before July 28, when his term ends and a US congressional recess begins. If President Bush fails to get approval before Congress goes on recess, it will be a case study proving that the United States does not reward its friends. Please call your representatives.

---

July 20, 2006: This Week's Top Stories Friedman win could create new coalition 14 July Bellamy writes: G8 summit lacks results 19 July Peace Corps Fund Raiser in NYC on July 25 19 July Hodding Carter writes "Flushed" on plumbing 18 July Doyle places Peace Corps ad 18 July Matt Taylor releases CD "Subject to the Wind" 16 July Matthew Orosz builds reflective parabolic troughs 14 July RPCVs run organic HERB FARMacy 13 July Jerome Miliszkiewicz discusses Chavez in Venezuela 12 July Ric Haas founded the Fistula Foundation 11 July Susan Deller Ross helps women's equal rights 11 July Mark Maxam installs solar lighting in Kenya 11 July Eunice Kennedy Shriver at White House for 85th 11 July Hastings gives $1 million for charter schools 11 July Alejandro Toledo meets Bush in final days 11 July Hill is hopes to reconvene Korea talks 10 July "My World" takes Tanzanian children to Kilimanjaro 9 July Bob Watada supports his son in court-martial 8 July James Brunton Jr. builds boat for Embera Indians 8 July Tim Wilson sews the Seeds of Peace 8 July Petri says Guantanamo prisoners should 'face accusers' 7 Jul Tom Murphy cuts deal with feds 3 July

---

Changing the Face of Hunger In his new book, Former Congressman Tony Hall (RPCV Thailand) says humanitarian aid is the most potent weapon the United States can deploy against terrorism. An evangelical Christian, he is a big believer in faith-based organizations in the fight against hunger. Members of Congress have recently recommended that Hall be appointed special envoy to Sudan to focus on ending the genocide in Darfur.

---

PC will not return to East Timor in 2006 Volunteers serving in East Timor have safely left the country as a result of the recent civil unrest and government instability. Latest: The Peace Corps has informed us that at this time, the Peace Corps has no plans to re-enter the country in 2006. The Peace Corps recently sent a letter offering eligible volunteers the opportunity to reinstate their service in another country.

---

Chris Dodd considers run for the White House Senator Chris Dodd plans to spend the next six to eight months raising money and reaching out to Democrats around the country to gauge his viability as a candidate. Just how far Dodd can go depends largely on his ability to reach Democrats looking for an alternative to Hillary Clinton. PCOL Comment: Dodd served as a Volunteer in the Dominican Republic and has been one of the strongest supporters of the Peace Corps in Congress.

---

The RPCV who wrote about Ben Hogan Probably no RPCV has done more to further the Third Goal of the Peace Corps than John Coyne with the Peace Corps Writers web site and newsletter that he and Marian Haley Beil have produced since 1989. Now John returns to writing about his first love - golf in "The Caddie who knew Ben Hogan." Read an excerpt from his novel, an interview with the author and a schedule of his book readings in Maryland and DC this week.

---

Vasquez testifies before Senate Committee Director Vasquez testifies before the Senate Foreign Relations Committee on his nomination as the new Representative to the United Nations Agencies for Food and Agriculture replacing Tony Hall. He has been the third longest serving Peace Corps Director after Loret Ruppe Miller and Sargent Shriver. PCOL Comment: Read our thanks to Director Vasquez for his service to the Peace Corps.

---

First Amendment Watch Maine Web Report hit with Federal Lawsuit Website wins trademark suit against Jerry Falwell

---

Peace Corps stonewalls on FOIA request The Ashland Daily Tidings reports that Peace Corps has blocked their request for information on the Volkart case. "After the Tidings requested information pertaining to why Volkart was denied the position — on March 2 — the newspaper received a letter from the Peace Corps FOIA officer stating the requested information was protected under an exemption of the act." The Dayton Daily News had similar problems with FOIA requests for their award winning series on Volunteer Safety and Security.

---

PCOL readership increases 100% Monthly readership on "Peace Corps Online" has increased in the past twelve months to 350,000 visitors - over eleven thousand every day - a 100% increase since this time last year. Thanks again, RPCVs and Friends of the Peace Corps, for making PCOL your source of information for the Peace Corps community. And thanks for supporting the Peace Corps Library and History of the Peace Corps. Stay tuned, the best is yet to come.

---

History of the Peace Corps PCOL is proud to announce that Phase One of the "History of the Peace Corps" is now available online. This installment includes over 5,000 pages of primary source documents from the archives of the Peace Corps including every issue of "Peace Corps News," "Peace Corps Times," "Peace Corps Volunteer," "Action Update," and every annual report of the Peace Corps to Congress since 1961. "Ask Not" is an ongoing project. Read how you can help.

---

RPCV admits to abuse while in Peace Corps Timothy Ronald Obert has pleaded guilty to sexually abusing a minor in Costa Rica while serving there as a Peace Corps volunteer. "The Peace Corps has a zero tolerance policy for misconduct that violates the law or standards of conduct established by the Peace Corps," said Peace Corps Director Gaddi H. Vasquez. Could inadequate screening have been partly to blame? Mr. Obert's resume, which he had submitted to the Peace Corps in support of his application to become a Peace Corps Volunteer, showed that he had repeatedly sought and obtained positions working with underprivileged children. Read what RPCVs have to say about this case.

---

Military Option sparks concerns The U.S. military, struggling to fill its voluntary ranks, is allowing recruits to meet part of their reserve military obligations after active duty by serving in the Peace Corps. Read why there is opposition to the program among RPCVs. Director Vasquez says the agency has a long history of accepting qualified applicants who are in inactive military status. John Coyne says "Not only no, but hell no!" and RPCV Chris Matthews leads the debate on "Hardball." Avi Spiegel says Peace Corps is not the place for soldiers while Coleman McCarthy says to Welcome Soldiers to the Peace Corps. Read our poll results. Latest: Congress passed a bill on December 22 including language to remove Peace Corps from the National Call to Service (NCS) military recruitment program

---

Why blurring the lines puts PCVs in danger When the National Call to Service legislation was amended to include Peace Corps in December of 2002, this country had not yet invaded Iraq and was not in prolonged military engagement in the Middle East, as it is now. Read the story of how one volunteer spent three years in captivity from 1976 to 1980 as the hostage of a insurrection group in Colombia in Joanne Marie Roll's op-ed on why this legislation may put soldier/PCVs in the same kind of danger. Latest: Read the ongoing dialog on the subject.

Read the stories and leave your comments.