Dr. Susan Reines, M.D.

Recently I was honored with the photojournalistic opportunity to observe what friend, pediatrician, volunteer and winner of the 2011 David Lawrence Community Service Award, Dr Susan Reines M.D, faces daily at the Dekalb County Georgia Refugee Pediatric Clinic in Decatur. The clinic doctor Reines volunteers at is an amazing place, with incredibly gifted and versatile doctors and a super dedicated staff of PA’s, nurses, administrators, technicians and a room full of brilliant multilingual interpreters. On this particular day, doctor Reines saw no less than twenty patients and doubly impressive that none of them spoke english. Most of the patients visiting the clinic come from politically bruised and war torn countries from the Himalayan region of the world, Burma, Nepal and Tibet, others from African nations in turmoil. The clinic’s interpreters alone must know every dialect (some countries have three or more) of each country and handwriting of the particular languages of the patients for doctor patient information and instructions. It is truly another world through these doors and few see it beyond sitting in rush hour traffic on North Decatur road wondering how those folks waiting at the bus stop can walk around in 30 degree temperatures in sandals.