TAMC’s Boone Lecture to feature infectious disease presentation
Longtime Aroostook Cancer Care provider to be honored
PRESQUE ISLE, Maine — A presentation on infectious disease and the honoring of a well-known County cancer physician will be the highlights of TAMC’s annual Boone Lecture Friday, March 27, at 5 p.m. in the conference center at the A.R. Gould Memorial Hospital.
Thomas Macharia, MD, a provider at TAMC’s Family Practice and Internal Medicine, is an infectious disease specialist. He will present an overview of what appears to be an increase of late in the number of infectious diseases making headlines worldwide. Macharia will also speak about why diseases that were assumed by many to be eradicated through vaccination, such as the recent outbreak of measles in a number of states, are once again a concern.
“From many years ago, the developed world almost seemed to be sure of victory over infectious diseases, especially through two basic activities: improvements in water and sanitation hygiene, and evolution of the field of vaccination and immunization,” said Macharia. “Despite concerted efforts, unfortunately, the threat of infectious diseases, both old, and newly emerging, has not gone away for various reasons, including increased international travel, perhaps climate change, and use of medical devices on patients.”
Macharia joined TAMC’s medical staff in the summer of 2014. As an infectious disease specialist, he quickly became a highly recognized and sought after local expert for area media in the wake of the intense coverage of the Ebola outbreak.
His practice is quite diverse as he is providing traditional primary care outpatient services, as well as consulting on inpatient and outpatient infectious disease cases. He sees patients with HIV/AIDS, Hepatitis B and C, as well as patients who have developed infections as a result of transplants, cancer related conditions, orthopedic hardware, including bone implants and prosthetic joint infections, and general medical and surgical infections.
Macharia completed his medical degree at the University of Nairobi, Kenya in 1998. He practiced for several years in Kenya before immigrating to the United States to complete his internal medicine residency and infectious disease fellowship at the University of Maryland School of Medicine in Baltimore. During his time there, he was chosen to serve as chief resident and received multiple teaching awards.
The annual Boone Lecture is held to remember longtime local physician Dr. Storer Boone (1894-1981) while providing local health care professionals and the community with a health-related educational opportunity. The program is now in its 33rd year.
Continuing an annual tradition at the Boone Lecture of recognizing physicians who have provided exceptional service to the community, Dr. Ronald Rohe, TAMC Aroostook Cancer Care oncology provider, will be honored this year for his long history and pioneering work in treating cancer patients in The County.
Rohe, who will transition from full-time to part-time at TAMC at the end of the month, has practiced medicine for five decades. In addition to providing oncology and hematology services to patients at TAMC, he served patients at Cary Medical Center in Caribou and Northern Maine Medical Center in Fort Kent for many years.
For more information, contact Vilma Craig in TAMC’s clinical education department at 768-4309 or by email at vcraig@emhs.org.
