 Opportunity Details: UrgentSan Juan Sacatepéquez, Guatemala
Partner for SurgeryDetailed DescriptionOpportunities are available to lead a surgical team on a one-week mission at the surgical center, Centro de Salud Bárbara (CSB), in the western highlands of Guatemala, dedicated to serve the area's impoverished, rural population in need of surgical care. Partner for Surgery provides all necessary patient and volunteer logistics (transportation, food, temporary housing). Our local community managers confirm the patients, escort the patients to and from the hospital, provide personal attention, translate, serve as patient advocates and, if necessary, assist with the follow up. The surgical team lead is responsible for recruiting all necessary surgical personnel, and procuring and shipping needed surgical supplies to the CSB surgical center.
Partner for Surgery (PfS), in collaboration with the private Guatemalan foundation Fundación Chusita Llerandi de Herrera, has built a new surgical center, Centro de Salud Bárbara (CSB), in the western highlands of Guatemala to serve the area's impoverished, rural population in need of surgical care. This unique facility is now available to partner with and host independent surgical mission teams interested in serving the people of this region.
The CSB surgical center is located an hour northwest of Guatemala City, Guatemala and is dedicated exclusively to making health care available to rural, indigenous Guatemalans from the remotest areas of the country, where surgical care is otherwise completely inaccessible. This population is most in need of general, pediatric, and plastic surgeons, as well as gynecologists.
The surgical center is constructed, equipped and maintained to ensure patient safety and comfort, as well as maximum team efficiency. The operating suite has two fully equipped rooms, including anesthesia machines, laparoscopic towers and autoclaves. The premises are contained on one floor with easy access between patient admissions, pre-op, operating rooms, PACU and the recovery ward. PACU contains 4 beds and the recovery ward contains 12 beds. Additional on-premise lodging is available for patients and their family members at Albergue San Gabriel. This allows patients sufficient time to completely recover before traveling home to their rural communities.
PfS provides a full spectrum of support for visiting surgical teams, and can assist in arranging all in-country logistics, including transportation, accommodations, meals, local support staff, Spanish and Mayan language translators, and procurement of local supplies. The surgical teams are responsible for recruiting all necessary surgical personnel, and procuring and shipping needed surgical supplies to the CSB surgical center.
PfS pre-screens potential surgical patients and escorts them to and from their rural communities, providing continuity of care throughout the process. PfS community volunteers are also available to assist patients if difficulties occur during post-operative recovery. A surgical team leader must recruit the rest of the team as well as provide “expendable” supplies for the mission. Although the team leader must assemble the teams, support in navigating the process is offered by Dr. Giordano, the point of contact for Partner for Surgery and an experienced surgical team leader. Click here to view some of the logistics and procedures involved in preparing a surgical team for a PfS mission trip.
Opportunities are available year-round. The following dates in 2012 are in need of teams; interested team leaders should contact Dr. Giordano no later than six months prior to the mission date.
Week of: October 21 October 28 November 11 November 18 November 25 Location of Volunteer Opportunity:Contact Information:Joseph Giordano, MD, FACS
Emeritus Professor of Surgery George Washington University Phone: 202 364-1112 Direct Line: 202 669-1405 Agency Profile: Partner for SurgeryAgency Mission: Our mission is to provide access to surgical care for the most impoverished rural Guatemalans.
Travel Assistance: Our Guatemalan affiliate arranges all logistics within Guatemala, including transportation, lodging, meals, procurement of local supplies, and ensuring that the clinic is prepared to receive the surgical team. Website: www.partnerforsurgery.org Opportunity open to:Actively Practicing Surgeons, Retirees, Residents, International Surgeons, Family
Active Practicing SurgeonsVolunteers must provide a copy of their current medical license and complete an application.
RetireesVolunteers must provide a copy of their current medical license and complete an application.
ResidentsVolunteers must complete an application.
International SurgeonsVolunteers must provide a copy of their current medical license and complete an application.
DeadlineMay 25, 2012
Religious RequirementsPfS and CSB have no religious or political affiliation.
AccommodationsAccommodations are available 10 minutes from the Surgical Center in a spacious retreat house used only by surgical teams. Meals are prepared on the premises to suit the needs of the team.
Other InformationSome on-premise sleeping accommodations are available at the Surgical Center for volunteers who need to spend the night. Spanish language skill is a plus to communicate with Surgical Center personnel, but it is not a requirement. If your team does not include members with Spanish fluency, PfS can arrange local translators for you. Most of our patients speak a Mayan language and do not understand Spanish. PfS also provides Mayan translators. Partner for Surgery offers an opportunity for surgical team members to accompany patients back to their homes. Through this cultural experience team members can better understand the enormous impact disabilities and infirmities have on impoverished communities.
Related trip reports search. |
|
Volunteer Toolkit