By By JOHN EBY / Dowagiac Daily News
Elks Lodge 889 honored Dr. James L. Wierman as 2003-2004 "Citizen of the Year" Tuesday night for leading three teams of medical volunteers to Haiti and for starting a free clinic in Dowagiac.
Criteria for Citizen of the Year is that the recipient demonstrate leadership, voluntarily contribute service and be recognized as an all-around good citizen.
A few years involved in the selection process convinced Scott "that there are a lot of good things being done in this community that the majority of the people don't even know."
On May 7, 2003, Dr. Wierman and his wife Denise opened the Cass County Free Health Clinic at Borgess-Lee Memorial staffed by volunteers who are trained, credentialed caregivers committed to helping an estimated 6,000 county residents who lack health insurance.
Although turmoil canceled one Haiti trip, the three trips have grown from eight to 12 to 16 participants. The first year they saw 400 patients. Those numbers have also increased, to 680 and to 850 over the four days.
Dr. Wierman thanked St. Denys Foundation "for the other thing we should recognize" -- its contribution of $7,000 to $8,000 for medications. "That's real important because otherwise we'd have to raise the money. We have the freedom to go down and to have all the medications we need. We really appreciate that."
In January 2002 Dr. Wierman, of St. Paul's Episcopal Church, received the fifth annual Dowagiac Ministerial Association Barnabas award at Second Baptist Church.
St. Barnabas, in the Bible's Book of Acts, is an encourager, so the Ministerial Association looked for lay people from its churches who know Jesus Christ and live their faith through Christian service.
Dr. Wierman, 63, of Twin Lakes Road, Cassopolis, was born Jan. 11, 1941, in Saginaw. He graduated from Asbury College in 1963 and attended medical school at Kirskville College of Osteopathic Medicine, earning his degree in 1968.
He interned at Flint Osteopathic Hospital in 1967-1968 and fulfilled his residency with Wayne State University School of Medicine, 1970-1973. He was the chief medical resident and instructor for Wayne State University School of Medicine during 1972-1973.
He was a physician at Berrien General Hospital in Berrien Center in 1968-1969 and at Wesleyan Hospital in LaGonave, Haiti, in 1969-1970.
He was chief of the Department of Medicine at Berrien General from 1973 to 1978. In 1976, he served as a physician at Kibogara Hospital in Rwanda, Africa.
As a physician in internal medicine for Borgess-Lee Memorial Hospital, practicing medicine at 400 W. Division St. in Dowagiac, Dr. Wierman served as chief of the Department of Medicine from 1968 to 2000.
He was had of the intensive and critical care unit from 1978 to 2000, head of the cardio-pulmonary department from 1978 to 2000 and chief of staff three times -- 1983-1986, 1995-1997 and 2000-2001.
He also served on the hospital board of directors 1983-1986, 1994-1996 and 1998-2001.
The Wiermans have two daughters, Meredith and Nicole, and are grandparents.