A letter for my Patients:

This September will mark 3 years that I have been practicing with Northeast Georgia Physicians Group in Cumming.  It has been an amazing time caring for you, your families, and countless others.  It has been my privilege to be your Family Physician.  I have thoroughly enjoyed getting to know and care for all of you!  Hopefully, I have made you all a little healthier during my time here.  However, over the last year or so, my wife and I have been feeling a call to take a step in a new direction.  We have been feeling a call to go into full-time overseas medical missions. 

Just recently, after a lot of prayer, Melissa and I have accepted a position with Mercy Ships.  Mercy Ships is an international organization that operates the largest, non-governmental hospital ship in the world – the Africa Mercy.  Mercy Ships provides medical, dental, and life-saving surgical care to the poorest of the poor in western Africa – all free of charge!  I will be the Crew Physician.  I will be caring for the medical needs of all the volunteer staff and crew, as well as assisting with post-operative care for the African patients.  It’s an amazing opportunity for us and we are very excited about this!    

We will be leaving in January for Texas, where we will have 4-weeks of intense training in how to live in the African culture as well as how to adjust to life onboard the ship.  Upon arrival in Africa, our children, Will (8 1/2yo) and Emily (5 1/2yo) will attend school on the ship with about 60 other kids from around the world.  They are very excited, too!  But I think they are more excited that they will also have a new brother or sister.  We are expecting our third child in October! 

Northeast Georgia Physicians Group has already located my replacement – Dr. Katie Dudas.  She is an Athens native and Mercer Medical School graduate.  She will join Dr. Moore this October.  I will spend a couple of weeks with her also as she gets established.  I have already met her and I know she is going to be a great fit here in Cumming!  I am very confident leaving you all in her hands!  She also has a special interest in Pediatrics.

I will continue to see patients here – old and new – until mid-October.  We have committed to at least 2 years on the mission field in Africa.  If you are interested in following along with us on our new adventure, please email me at drkktrap@yahoo.com, or visit our family website at http://TrapnellMD.blogspot.com.   I’d love to hear from you!  You can also check out the website for Mercy Ships at www.MercyShips.org to get more details on what we will be doing in Africa. 

Again, thank you all for everything!  You have been an amazing blessing to me and my family.  Please be sure and come by and see me before October, email me, or check out our family website.  And keep your appointments!  We’d love to keep in touch with you while we are in Africa! 

Sincerely,

Kevin K. Trapnell MD