In-House Expert - Frank J. Bia, M.D., MPH, Medical Director, AmeriCares
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Areas of Expertise:
- Medical issues currently challenging global health (HIV, Malaria, swine flu, emerging chronic diseases, etc.)
- Infectious and chronic diseases; nutritional and vitamin deficiencies
- Disaster relief/medical issues faced during emergencies
- Medical conditions in refugee camps and disaster relief
- U.S. medical education and international health issues
- Medical/pharmacist roles in the AmeriCares gift-in-kind model
- Issues in travel medicine including vaccinations, malaria prevention and safety
- Tropical global health issues, e.g., neglected tropical diseases
- History of medicine and tropical diseases
Dr. Frank J. Bia is an expert in infectious diseases, medical microbiology and tropical medicine. He joined AmeriCares in 2008 as Medical Director following more than 30 years as a member of the faculty at the Yale University School of Medicine. During his tenure at Yale, Dr. Bia served as a Professor of Internal Medicine (Infectious Diseases) and Laboratory Medicine. He was also co-director of Yale's highly successful International Health Program providing collaborative training experiences though the Yale/Johnson & Johnson Physician Scholars in International Health Program. He remains an active member of the Yale faculty (emeritus).
As AmeriCares Medical Director, Dr. Bia oversees the planning, assessment, resourcing and clinical operations of the organization's Global Programs, as well as the AmeriCares Free Clinics and their volunteer physicians in Connecticut. Additionally, Dr. Bia provides medical care to uninsured patients as part of his internal medicine practice at the AmeriCares Free Clinic in Bridgeport, CT.
Dr. Bia is a fellow of the American College of Physicians, a longstanding member of both the American Society of Tropical Medicine and the Infectious Diseases Society of America, in addition to the International Society of Travel Medicine. He has published over 100 articles in peer reviewed medical journals and has contributed to several books and professional conference symposia. He has been the editor of the monthly publication for health providers, Travel Medicine Advisor, for nearly two decades.
Dr. Bia received his bachelor's degree from Fordham University and his medical degree from Cornell University Medical College followed by his Master of Public Health (MPH) from the Harvard School of Public Health. Dr. Bia honed his expertise in the areas of infectious diseases, tropical medicine and international health while working abroad in Haiti, China, Colombia, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Iran and Thailand.
Dr. Bia has appeared on "The Oprah Winfrey Show," "Good Morning America," Fox News and WTIC-TV in Hartford, CT, and was interviewed in Travel Weekly. A profile of his work also appeared in the British medical journal, The Lancet. He is the recipient of the Benjamin Kean Medal for excellence in the teaching of tropical medicine, awarded by the American Society of Tropical Medicine.
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