Telemedicine Clinic at Cleveland Clinic
- Live, web-enabled video connection with an internal medicine specialist at Cleveland Clinic main campus
- Examinations performed on-site by a registered nurse and a “virtual physician”
- Videoconference equipment that allows the doctor to view and hear what the nurse is seeing and hearing (i.e. scope-view of the patient’s throat, audio of the heartbeat etc…)
- Once the exam is complete, any needed lab results or prescriptions would be expedited via MyChart
Travel Medicine Clinic
Whether you plan to soak up the sun in Mexico, trek through Nepal, do business in China, tour
the Taj Mahal or go on safari in Kenya, make a Cleveland Clinic International Travel Health Clinic
your first destination.
Traveling abroad increases your risk of acquiring diseases that you would not normally encounter at home. If you are among the increasing number of people traveling to remote destinations or developing countries, your risk of exposure to exotic diseases is even higher.
We can provide you with peace of mind whether you’re doing business, enjoying leisure travel or
volunteering for medical or church missions. A visit to our Travel Health Clinics will help to
minimize health risks during your trip, whether you are traveling alone or touring with a group.
A Visit Tailored to Your Travel Plans
Our physicians and nurses, specially trained in tropical and travel medicine, will review your itinerary, length of stay, and current travel conditions/ advisories for your destination. We will assess the potential health risks, the need for special vaccines, immunizations or medications, and the general medical and safety concerns for your specific itinerary.
We offer up-to-date information on the immunizations and medications recommended for the part of the world you’ll be visiting, including alerts issued by international governmental agencies such as the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the World Health Organization. Studies show that if you visit a travel health expert before international travel, you are seven times less likely to get sick on your trip.
An Ounce of Prevention
Immunizations
We offer all travel-related and routine vaccinations in our Travel Health Clinics: your specific itinerary will determine the ones that you might require. As official state-designated Yellow Fever Vaccine Centers, we can administer the vaccine and provide required travel documentation for Yellow Fever Vaccine, if needed. Other vaccines that may be required or recommended include routine flu vaccination, if you’ll be in close quarters — such as traveling by cruise ship — where flu epidemics can occur.
If food safety is a concern, Hepatitis A vaccine may be recommended. Depending upon the country, it may also be wise to be vaccinated against such diseases as typhoid. To stay healthy while traveling abroad, you’ll also need to be up-to-date on childhood vaccinations such as polio and diphtheria/pertussis/tetanus (DTP), as these illnesses are still thriving in some parts of the world.
While most adults have no problems with receiving multiple vaccines at once, a doctor may advise against it for certain pregnant women, elderly travelers and immunocompromised patients. The focus is on your personal protection and special needs.
Medications
If you are traveling to one of the many tropical or subtropical countries where malaria is endemic, we’ll provide anti-malarial medication, education and recommendations on avoiding insect-borne illnesses. To prevent gastrointestinal disorders from ruining your trip, we offer education and advice on avoiding food-borne illnesses, and may recommend anti-diarrhea medication.
Tips for Personal Safety and Protection
Based on your itinerary, we may urge precautions with water and food, and recommend careful attention to hygiene to ensure that you enjoy your trip. Protection against sexually transmitted diseases, which are commonly associated with travel, remains important wherever you go. Other precautions depend upon climate and activity. Hikers will need to guard against frostbite at high altitudes, while scuba divers will need to avoid decompression sickness in tropical locales.
For Travelers at Special Risk
A pre-travel risk assessment is especially recommended for travelers who:
- are chronically ill, and have a problem such as heart disease, chronic lung disease or diabetes mellitus
- will be traveling or living overseas for an extended period of time, such as exchange students or expatriates
- are headed for a remote location or developing country, for example on a medical or church mission visiting third-world and developing countries means that health care may be less sophisticated, difficult to access, or even non-existent. We can help you locate medical facilities at your destination and advise you on accessing proper health care, including medical evacuation if necessary.
Upon Your Return
We offer full evaluation for the returned traveler who has fever, diarrhea or any new illness.
About the Program Directors
Westlake: Brent W. Burkey, M.D., is board-certified in Internal Medicine, and holds a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. He is a member of the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, the International Society of Travel
Medicine, and the Global Health Council.
Beachwood: Brenda Powell, M.D., is board-certified in Family Practice. She received her medical degree from Duke University School of Medicine, Durham, N.C. Dr. Powell is a member of the American Academy of Family Physicians, the Wilderness
Medical Society, the American Medical Women’s Association and
the Society for Travel Medicine.
Main Campus: Steven D. Mawhorter, M.D., is board-certified in both Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease. He holds a Diploma in Tropical Medicine and Hygiene. He is a member of the American Society of Tropical Medicine & Hygiene, the International Society of Travel Medicine and the Wilderness Medical Society.
Costs
Visits to travel health clinics are usually not covered by traditional medical insurance plans. Vaccines and immunizations can be costly, but may be required for your health, safety and benefit. For corporate travelers, the Occupational Safety and Health Administration strongly advises companies to provide expert medical consultation when work duties require travel which may place you at medical risk. We are happy to work with any corporation or group to tailor a comprehensive program for your needs.
Web Resource: www.cdc.gov/travel
This official site of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, Section on Travelers’ Health, provides an overview of the risks you may face as an international traveler.
How to Schedule an Appointment
As soon as you confirm your travel reservations, schedule a visit to one of our International Travel Health Clinics:
Cleveland Clinic Beachwood
216.839.3000
Cleveland Clinic Westlake
440.899.5555
Cleveland Clinic Main Campus S-32
216.444.8845
Toll-Free: 800.223.2273
