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Anyone who has witnessed the devastating impact of a traumatic brain injury knows that an integrated approach is needed to care for patients and support their reintegration into society. On a November NNI trip to Hospital Santa Bárbara in Sucre, Bolivia, we expanded our focus to the entire spectrum of care for TBIs.
Read MoreIn Bolivia’s public hospitals, head trauma from traffic accidents, falls, or violence represents a pressing healthcare burden. Head and spine injuries not only affect the long-term quality of life of the injured patient but of entire families and communities.
Read MoreAt the close of our gynecologic surgery mission trip in Sucre, Bolivia, US missioner, Dr. Erin Stevens, shares what motivates her to continue with this work.
Read MoreThe ICO team has a prophetic presence in Sucre and the surrounding area, living the realities of life with cancer. Our mission team is grateful to be among those learning from the patients, doctors, nurses, and administrators at the ICO this week.
Read MoreA five-women team departs this Saturday for Sucre, Bolivia, to work alongside OB-GYN surgeons at the Chuquisaca Cancer Institute (ICO). The primary goal of our visit is to advance training in laparoscopic surgical techniques for gynecologic pathologies.
Concluding our week in Cliza, Executive Director Ann Rhomberg cited the book of John (1:5): “The light shines in the darkness. And the darkness has not overcome it.” We are indebted to all the health workers in Cliza, in Bolivia, and throughout the world, who “continue to shine the light of healing care,” despite any darkness around us.
Read More29-year-old Joselin lived for years with a benign but growing mass in her uterus. Pain from this issue had become debilitating, and her fertility was also threatened. Surgery was the only solution, but financial and logistical obstacles prevented Joselin from accessing care.
Read MoreOn Monday, we began our work at the Hospital Materno Infantil San Juan de Dios. As we were welcomed by the hospital director and met our partners in the medical exchange we are embarking upon, the invitation to engage deeply was clear.
Read MoreThere is growing consensus that pre-travel preparation is one of the most important practices for a successful global health mission. This fall, we are offering our preparation curriculum via an online learning platform tailored to each team, specific to their host community and medical specialties.
Read MoreThe three patients treated during our trip had experienced sudden and severe headaches and nausea, caused by a high-grade AVM. The complexity of their cases pushed the limits of surgical treatment available in Paraguay. But the doctors at the Hospital Nacional de Itaguá were motivated and eager to advance their skills in this type of care.
Read MoreToday is our third day at the Hospital Nacional de Itauguá, our second day of surgery. As we gathered in the faculty lounge, the surgeons seemed somewhat anxious. Yesterday’s surgery was successful, but today’s case will be much more difficult.
Read MoreOn our fourth medical mission trip to the Hospital Nacional de Itauguá in Asunción, Paraguay our Neurosurgery & Neurology insitute team will work with their counterparts to advance AVM surgeries.
Read MoreOur greatest teachers often are patients and their family members. It is through their eyes and experiences that we can begin to understand the challenges patients face in accessing a safe and timely surgery. On a recent trip with our Neurosurgery & Neurology Institute (NNI), I was humbled to learn more about Paraguay’s health system and culture from one such person.
Read MoreHow do we measure our work? We can count surgeries performed and medical supplies delivered, but what about our equally important work fostering relationships? The XXI Bolivian Congress of Neurosurgery in Santa Cruz reminded us of the power of relationships to improve access to safe and timely medical care.
Read MoreEmilia traveled with three of her four children from her home in Monteagudo, Bolivia, to the city of Sucre, seeking treatment for epilepsy. It was an eight-hour trip on mostly unpaved roads, but the children knew the journey was necessary to improve their mother’s health.
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