President Adam Manning welcomed everyone to the Centerville Rotary Club and led reciting the Pledge of Allegiance. Brian Hayes provided the prayer.

 

Today’s quote provided by Don Overly: "We must be willing to let go of the life we planned so as to have the life that is waiting for us."  Joseph Campbell  (American writer)

 

Thanks to today’s greeters, Dan Johnson & Dave Williamson

Welcome today’s guest, Kelly Lavelle, visiting from the Miamisburg Rotary Club.

 

 

President-Elect Uriah Anderson attended the Rotary Presidents-elect Training, PETS, which now has a new name, Presidents-elect Leadership Seminar (PELS). He said there were over 30 out of 43 clubs in our district represented. One highlight was RI Director for Zones 30 & 31, Brian Hall, who will be presenting at the District gala. May 2 is the District Day of Service. He highly recommended the district trainings if you are interest in leadership at the club level.

 

Announcements:

 

Uriah Anderson was our Sergeant at Arms today with assistance by Brian Hayes.

 

Happy Bucks were generously given for:

 

 

Our speakers today were Eric Hammond, Trisha Reiner, Matt Day who shared about their medical mission trip to Malawi.

 

At Ron Hollenbeck’s suggestion, Eric & Matt came to our Board meeting with a proposal to fund the purchase of Cholesti-check strips to use in a very remote area of Malawi. The Board approved $1,100 for the test strips.

 

They introduced themselves:

 

The success of their mission trip was due in part to the support of the Bishop of the Karonga Diocese in Malawi.

 

 

Their team recently visited Karonga, Malawi, to assess community health needs and support local providers. During their time there, they encountered a wide range of conditions, including stroke, lower back pain, and cases initially identified as cerebral palsy—some of which may have been misdiagnosed due to limited access to advanced diagnostics such as genetic testing.

 

They observed that cholesterol testing is not routinely available, despite the presence of medications like atorvastatin, which had been donated but remained largely unused. To help address this gap, they introduced point-of-care tools such as Cholest-check strips and worked to identify and support patients at high risk for stroke.

 

Working in remote areas for 6–7 days, their team collaborated closely with local medical staff and interpreters. Clinics operated on a first-come, first-served basis, with patients arriving as early as 4:00 a.m. to be seen. While initial estimates suggested seeing 6–12 patients per day, they quickly adapted and were able to care for approximately 30–35 patients daily—though demand often exceeded capacity.

 

 

They focused on identifying high-risk patients and providing targeted care, while also training local healthcare professionals to support ongoing treatment efforts. In total, they were able to visit 10 patients in Chitipa and 7 in Karonga through more in-depth follow-up.

Significant resource gaps were evident. For example, there were no blood glucose meters available for patient use, prompting them to leave behind all available supplies. Test strips were limited and quickly depleted. They also noted that patients with hypertension are not consistently screened or treated for diabetes, highlighting an opportunity for improved integrated care.

 

Physical therapy services are limited, and there are notable gaps in training. Their team provided support using portable equipment such as a handheld ultrasound unit and resistance bands. Many patients presented with untreated traumatic injuries or chronic conditions requiring more comprehensive inpatient care than was available. Differences in evaluation and treatment approaches were also observed compared to U.S. standards.

 

Despite these challenges, the visit fostered meaningful collaboration and ongoing dialogue with local providers. There is a clear and urgent need for sustained, interdisciplinary care in the region.

 

They are continuing conversations to support diagnosis, treatment, and education efforts, and they hope to return next year with additional students and providers. This initial visit has better equipped them to understand and respond to the community’s needs moving forward.

 

Matt noted they are taking an educational approach for long lasting mark. Students who go are being educated not only on medical aspects but also witnessing other country’s needs. He thanked the Club for the donation.

 

Eric noted that some private pharmacies did have the needed drugs and thanked us for our donation and support. He said the greatest need for physicians are in family practice, OB/GYN, and Pediatrics.

He is also working on a fellowship in Street Medicine (working in Pittsburgh).

 

Rand Oliver gave them information on Rotary International grants, and noted they would need to contact a Rotary club in Malawi who would want to partner. They should find the district in the area where they want to do the work.