The History of Traveler's Medicine Services

Traveler’s Medical Service has been providing excellence in travel medicine service for over 35 years. When you access our services you benefit from our decades of training and knowledge and receive personalized attention and care from our experienced clinical and support staff. Learn how Traveler’s Medical Service, the expert resource for travel medicine services, can help prepare you for an upcoming trip.

Traveler’s Medical Service, one of the first dedicated travel medicine practices in the United States, was founded in 1979 by Martin S. Wolfe, MD, an internationally recognized tropical medicine expert and the director of The Parasitology Laboratory of Washington. Setting the StandardPrior to founding Traveler’s Medical Service of Washington, Dr. Wolfe worked for many years overseas and managed the travel and tropical medicine service for the United States Department of State. He also provided his expertise to the Peace Corps, the World Bank and other local and national organizations with international employees and volunteers.

In the late 1970s, many more people began to travel internationally for work, leisure, study abroad and relief and development projects. There were few places, outside of government agencies and large academic centers, for travelers to receive the pre and post travel medical services they needed. Because of Dr. Wolfe’s reputation, expertise and experience in tropical medicine, travelers near and far sought out his advice and services including travel and routine vaccines, pre-travel health advice and post-travel care. He soon expanded the practice to include nurses, trained in international, public and occupational health, to help him deliver the most comprehensive travel health care. One of these nurses was his daughter, Rebecca, who would go on to found Traveler’s Medical Service of New York.  During these early years, Dr. Wolfe helped to pioneer and develop the specialty of travel medicine and he remained an active leader in the field until retiring in 2015  In 1996, Traveler’s Medical Service of New York was founded by Alberto M. Acosta, MD, PhD and Rebecca W. Acosta, RN, MPH, bringing the same high level of expertise, experience and quality services to New York City travelers. The senior staff members of Traveler’s Medical Service continue to define and advance the field of travel medicine and have contributed their expertise to the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM), the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene (ASTMH), the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) and other organizations.

For over 35 years, Traveler’s Medical Service has set the standard for high quality travel medicine care and we have earned a reputation of excellence from colleagues, travelers and organizations. Our practices continue to provide important services to thousands of travelers each year who rely on Traveler’s Medical Service as their expert travel medicine resource.