ShareThisFamily Physician is Planning 20th Medical Mission Trip to Philippines
Chicago, Ill. (Sept. 23 , 2011) Christopher Guerrero, M.D., a family physician at Saints Mary and Elizabeth Medical Center (SMEMC), was recognized with the 2011 Humanitarian Award from the American Academy of Family Physicians (AAFP).
Dr. Christopher Guerrero at the Congress of Delegates and Annual Scientific Assembly of the American Academy of Family Physicians, where he was tendered the Family Physician Award in Orlando, Florida on September 14, 2012. Dr. Guerrero was the first Filipino American to receive this award from the prestigious organization, the American Academy of Family Physicians. The AAFP is the third largest organization of physicians in the USA with 100,300 members
The prestigious award was presented earlier this month at the AAFP’s scientific meeting in Orlando, Fl. Dr. Guerrero was the only individual to receive this award, which honors ”extraordinary and enduring humanitarian efforts both within and beyond the borders of the United States.”
The doctor joined the medical staff in 1982 and has an office at the Saint Elizabeth Professional Building. He has been in practice for 29 years.
In a letter to Dr. Guerrero from Roland Goertz, M.D., AAFP president, it states, ”Your work through local, state, national and international communities demonstrates your sincere concern and dedication to serving others. Your many years of work with medical, surgical and dental missions in Nueva Vizcaya, Philippines, exemplify how we, as physicians, can use our skills to benefit others.”
“I am so elated to receive this national award,” Dr. Guerrero said. ”It is very special, but this award is not only for my labor and talents, but for the many people—family, colleagues and friends who have helped over the years.”
For nearly two decades, Dr. Guerrero has traveled annually to his homeland in the Philippines to provide care through the Global Medical Foundation, which he founded. In February, he led a team on the foundation’s 19th medical mission to the Philippines. On that trip, 13 volunteers from SMEMC journeyed to Bambang and DuPax del Sur in the province of Nueva Vizcaya. They linked up with 42 other doctors, nurses and dentists from across the United States. During six days, the team cared for about 3,600 patients—providing free medical exams, minor surgeries, dental services, patient education and donated medical supplies.
Dr. Guerrero recalls a message he spotted last June in artwork at the East Side Gallery of the Berlin Wall. It read, ”Many small people, who in many small places, do many small things, can alter the face of the world.”
He knows volunteer work is a team effort, but individuals can make a difference. ”Make no mistake—one person can do a lot,” he said. Dr. Guerrero is planning for his 20th medical mission to the Philippines next February. His foundation has already begun shipping supplies to the country.
In 2010, Dr. Guerrero received the Family Medicine Teacher of the Year from the Illinois Academy of Family Physicians for contributions to family medicine as a volunteer instructor at the University of Illinois at Chicago, College of Medicine, and his work as a practicing family physician.