Former Family and Community Medicine faculty member devotes retirement to humanitarian work
Dr. James Kerwin returned to the college last month to share his experiences with Doctors Without Borders with the next generation of physicians.
James P. Kerwin, MD, is a retired assistant professor of family and community medicine who continues to practice as a family physician. His decades-long commitment to humanitarian medicine recently took him to Ukraine with Doctors Without Borders, where, for six months, Dr. Kerwin managed three mobile medical units that brought care to people near the front lines.
“They tended to be older, poor people who were very attached to their land and reluctant to leave in spite of the dangers,” Dr. Kerwin said. “They had no local healthcare options due to the war and attacks on infrastructure, and we provided primary care, often for hypertension, heart disease and diabetes. We also assisted many people who were internally displaced because of the war.”
The mobile teams traveled through communities facing the daily realities of war, often under difficult conditions.
“Challenges included drones, the bad roads, damaged energy infrastructure, limited resources and a historically bad winter,” Dr. Kerwin said. “It’s difficult to provide healthcare when it’s minus 20 degrees Celsius [4 below zero Fahrenheit] inside and out.”
Throughout a lifetime of providing compassionate care to patients, Dr. Kerwin has continually been inspired by the dedication of his peers, mentees and co-workers in healthcare and education. This has been especially evident with those who’ve worked side by side with him in Ukraine, where each mobile medical unit was staffed by a doctor, nurse, psychologist and health promoter — many of whom brought deep personal ties to the mission, Dr. Kerwin said.
“All of our staff are Ukrainian, and almost all are people displaced from the war themselves, so they had a profound understanding of and connection to the people we served,” he said, adding that he was inspired by his colleagues’ resilience, strength and courage, especially in the context of loss and suffering.
For Dr. Kerwin, the work in Ukraine was part of a long commitment to caring for underserved populations. For years, Dr. Kerwin has volunteered at Tucson’s Clinica Amistad, a free clinic located in a lower income area that provides service to patients without insurance. He also conducted asylum evaluations with the Florence Project, volunteered with the Kino Border Initiative in Nogales, Sonora, and worked with No More Deaths and Good Samaritans, local human rights organizations that work to improve conditions for migrants along the Arizona-Sonora border.
“I have had a long-term interest in humanitarian medicine,” Dr. Kerwin said. “I wanted to work internationally so applied to Doctors Without Borders and began working with that wonderful organization in 2024. My first assignment was in Honduras working with migrants.”
His work on health initiatives in places where they are most desperately needed reinforces the value of humanitarian medicine and the impact healthcare professionals can have in times of crisis. In spite of the globetrotting, he remains closely connected to the College of Medicine – Tucson, returning last month as a guest speaker to share his experiences in humanitarian medicine with medical students and residents.
“My many years as faculty at the College of Medicine – Tucson were a gift to me. I have always been energized by the dedication and enthusiasm of students and residents. Their energy motivates me to continue to work with the underserved both in Tucson and abroad. I hope to continue to work with students and residents and share my experiences and what I have learned,” said Dr. Kerwin, who acted as the college’s interim dean of students from 2011 to 2012. “It’s important, now more than ever, to help those suffering, and I am very grateful to Clinica Amistad, Doctors Without Borders and the College of Medicine – Tucson for their support.”