DO’s global health efforts honored by humanitarian aid group

Years ago, Royce Keilers, DO, had a dream: To help patients outside the U.S. obtain medical care from physicians trained to focus on prevention and deliver high-quality primary care.

In 2009, Dr. Keilers, a past president of the American College of Osteopathic Family Physicians, formed the International Primary Care Educational Alliance (IPCEA) to facilitate primary care education globally. He realized his dream by spending a lot of time training physicians in China on the primary care model of health care delivery.

Last month, the humanitarian aid organization Heart to Heart International recognized Dr. Keilers with its 2016 Power of One award, according to a statement the organization released. Each year, the Power of One award recognizes an individual who has demonstrated a commitment to compassion toward underserved populations.

“It is our privilege to recognize and honor Dr. Royce Keilers for his work in building bridges between cultures with his deep commitment to medical education,” said Jim Mitchum, Heart to Heart International’s CEO, in the statement. “Dr. Keilers has worked tirelessly to advance an integrated approach of primary care into regions of China, impacting the lives of millions of people.”

Dr. Keilers, who is from La Grange, Texas, discussed his work in China with The DO in 2013.

“Our main goal is to get [physicians] to see the patient as a whole person,” he said. “They need to learn that when you treat one area of the body, it affects another area.”