Norman J. Bizon, PA-C, CTH®
Hello, my name is Norman and I'm a Physician Assistant. Medicine is my calling and travel is my passion.
From Surgery to Travel Health
Norman grew up in the Great White North of Canada and moved south of the border to pursue a career in medicine, graduating from the Physician Associate program at Yale University School of Medicine in 1992. He worked for 12 years in surgery, first in Canada and then at the Mayo Clinic Scottsdale.
Norman started practicing Travel Medicine in 2006 and earned his Certificate in Travel Health (CTH) from the International Society of Travel Medicine (ISTM) in 2007. Practicing family medicine for almost 15 years provided him the knowledge and experience to treat a wide variety of patients from pediatrics to the elderly. Norman has been exclusively working as a Travel Health Consultant since 2018.
From Fiji to the Himalayas
At the young age of 16, he caught the TravelBug trekking around the South Pacific and has been afflicted ever since. He became interested in Third World medicine while living in the Himalayan foothills in India as a volunteer for Canada World Youth.
Inspired by the human element of travel and the importance of service, he has volunteered on medical missions in Nicaragua and the Dominican Republic. When not traveling or practicing medicine, Norman can be found shredding singletrack on his mountain bike or behind the lens of his camera.
Rebecca A. Mattes, MS, MA
Hello, my name is Becky. IT was my profession, but languages and travel have always been my passion.
From International Development to Information Technology
Becky grew up near Houston, Texas and moved to Washington, DC after completing a BA in International Affairs and Spanish at Baylor University in 1989. Prior to graduation, she lived and studied abroad in Mexico and Spain. She began her career in international development, but migrated to the information technology field with the completion of her MSc in Information Systems Development from the George Washington University (GWU) in 1997.
With the completion of an MA in International Science and Technology Policy in 2006 from GWU’s Elliott School of International Affairs, Becky relocated to Brussels to work for NATO Headquarters. After 10 years and various positions in Brussels she returned to the US to do independent consulting, help raise cattle on her family’s farm, and support TravelBug Health as the part-time Operations Manager. Having been an avid globetrotter for 50 years, she likely has some inside tips for your destination.
From Small Town Texan to Globetrotter
At the age of 3 Becky caught the TravelBug during her first family vacation to Mexico while standing on the pyramids of Teotihuacan. Inspired by archeology, history, geo-politics and languages, Becky has lived in or traveled to over 70 countries across every continent except Antarctica. Fluent in Spanish and French, she also can haggle in the souks across North Africa and the Middle East using her Arabic. In her spare time she does wildlife education programs as a raptor handler for Liberty Wildlife in Phoenix.