FARMINGTON — Dr. Michael Rowland will offer comprehensive travel medicine services at Franklin Memorial Hospital through its occupational health department.
Appointments are available Tuesday and Thursday mornings.

The pre-travel consultation will include a review of the itinerary and medical risks and a set of printed recommendations customized to the destination, plans, duration of stay and any personal health problems.

Rowland holds a diploma in tropical medicine and hygiene from the Gorgas Institute in Lima, Peru, and a masters degree in public health from Harvard School of Public Health. He has traveled and worked widely in Central America and South America over the past 30 years and has worked with immigrant farm workers since 1987.

Rowland was medical director of the Maine Migrant Health Program from 2003 to 2009, and is a current member of the International Society of Travel Medicine.

Vaccines and preventive medications will be offered at the clinic.

“Some vaccines, such as yellow fever and meningitis are required for certain destinations. Other vaccines may be recommended – rabies vaccine for long stays in rural areas, typhoid or cholera vaccines for countries where outbreaks of those diseases have been reported or Japanese Encephalitis vaccine for certain parts of Southeast Asia,” said Rowland. “Most travelers are well-advised to bring medication with them for traveler’s diarrhea and malaria prophylaxis is needed for countries where that disease is common.”

Post-travel medical evaluation will also be available for those who return ill from their travels, or for those returning from prolonged stays abroad who may require screening for parasitic disease.

It is recommended that the pre-travel consultation be scheduled at least four weeks before intended departure to allow time for needed vaccines and boosters. As part of the intake process each traveler will receive a detailed questionnaire regarding specific travel plans.

For further information, call the Franklin Memorial Occupational Health Department at 779-2367.