Nearly 40 people were on hand to learn about the “Truth in Orthopedics” and a local provider’s experiences with serving patients in the Lake City area as well as Tanzania. Dr. Steven Meyer was the featured speaker at the latest Stewart Memorial Community Hospital (SMCH) Lunch Connection, that was actually held in the evening to be able to accommodate more attendees. The first part of Dr. Meyer’s presentation was about current practices in orthopedic joint replacement and options for arthritis patients. He then focused on his passion for the mission work he performs in Tanzania. The author of “Miracle Children of Tanzania,” Dr. Meyer has founded the Siouxland Tanzania Educational Medical Ministries (STEMM) and works tirelessly to provide medical equipment, food and supplies to a nation devoid of orthopedic care. He recounted the outcomes of a 2017 bus crash that killed 35 students and teachers, leaving only three survivors with terrible injuries. He succeeded in securing the transportation and medical care for these three children at Mercy Hospital in Sioux City, where they underwent surgeries, therapies and recuperation. The Lunch Connection is held four times a year at Stewart Memorial, with the next session on Aug. 15, featuring Dr. Margaret Vitiritto who will deliver two sessions. The first, a “Passport to Better Health,” will be at noon. The 6 p.m. session will be “For the Health of Your Child.”
