Editorial: Global Health Volunteer Opportunities for Pediatricians

Many opportunities for volunteering overseas exist, for both primary care pediatricians and specialists. Such volunteer experiences can provide much needed assistance in resource-limited settings, and can be enormously enriching for the volunteer. Here’s a short list of selected opportunities that may be of interest.

Guatemala and Haiti: Heart To Heart International. In operation for nearly 20 years, Heart to Heart International has initiatives in 60 countries. They have year-round volunteer opportunities for primary care providers, especially pediatricians, right now in Haiti and Guatemala. Their medical volunteer coordinator writes:

In Guatemala, Heart to Heart just opened a new clinic in Patanatic, in the Solola region, providing primary care in this community of about 900 families. This is the first time Patanatic has had access to medical care on an "ongoing" basis. Groups are scheduled in weekly commitments. Jorge Coromac is the program coordinator for Guatemala (jorge.coromac@hearttoheart.org).

The need in Haiti is still overwhelming. Right now we are sending in medical teams for arrival and departure on Sundays. This is a non–clinic day and gives doctors and nurses a chance to work 6 full days on-site while maintaining a 1-week commitment. If you are able to stay longer, we have a second day, Wednesday, that you could pair with Sunday for a 10-day duration or 2 full weeks. We definitely can use family doctors and nurses, as well as nurse practitioners and physician assistants.

Our teams are working in downtown Port-au-Prince at the church-turned-clinic, and out in the country near Leogone and its surrounding areas. Conditions are changing every day. The Volunteer Center (Maison du Coeur-"House of Heart") for Heart to Heart is located in Petionville, just outside Port-au-Prince. This is a walled compound that is safe and comfortable. Volunteers arrive directly in Port-au-Prince, and are met by Heart to Heart personnel. Please understand that some conditions are less than ideal (rough travel, treating people in the heat, etc.) and flexibility is needed. If you are still interested in joining us, please let us know.

Heart to Heart International, based in Olathe, Kan., is going to have a permanent presence in Haiti and will be scheduling for the foreseeable future. The costs are at the volunteer’s expense and include your airfare, which ranges from $400 to $800. There is a daily charge of $50 to cover housing, food, transportation, translators, and security. This is prepaid for the number of days in your trip, including arrival and departure. The cost for Heart to Heart to deploy a volunteer approaches $125/day to cover these items, and if you are willing or able to pay more than the minimum, it is appreciated. There are no other expenses that you will incur.

Please contact Eddie Meyer, volunteer coordinator for Haiti, at medicalvolunteers@hearttoheart.org, and visit the Heart to Heart website at www.hearttoheart.org. Dr. Kelly Kreisler, a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section on International Child Health, has worked with Heart to Heart International in Guatemala and Haiti, and can provide first-hand information: kkreisler2@kumc.edu.

Ghana: Baptist Medical Center. Baptist Medical Center in northern Ghana is facing a transitional crisis, including a severe physician shortage. Previously staffed by up to four full-time expatriate doctors, this over 50-year-old hospital no longer has mission support and has yet to be staffed by any Ghanaian physicians. There is an urgent need for volunteers, long- or short-term, who are experienced in treating patients in a tropical resource-poor setting. This busy hospital serves a huge catchment area of northern Ghana, Togo, and Burkina Faso. Staff support at the hospital is tremendous, with incredibly experienced nurses; pharmacists; and operating room techs and scrub nurses. Volunteer facilities are comfortable, with meals cooked by local workers. Volunteers only need to speak English. However, a Ghanaian visa and medical license are required.

You may access information about the hospital at https://baptistmedicalcentre.org/.

For further information, please contact Dr. Cindy Shumpert at 770-324-7401, or via email at rnoodles@bellsouth.net.

Honduras: Cape Cares (Central American Relief Efforts). Cape Cares is based in East Orleans, on Cape Cod, Mass. Founded in 1988, this organization now makes approximately 10 one-week trips per year to the same three communities in Honduras to provide medical and dental care. Working with the Honduran Ministry of Health and local medical providers in each community, Cape Cares provides not only clinical services but also education, training, and follow-up, so it has an established and growing relationship with each community.

Knowledge of Spanish is useful but not necessary.

For more information, please visit the Cape Cares website. 

Fourteen Developing Countries: ReSurge (formerly Interplast). ReSurge International sends surgical teams many times a year to help surgeons in the developing world with their backlog of cases and to help train local medical professionals. ReSurge surgical teams and visiting educator programs offer volunteers the chance to work with colleagues abroad while providing direct care for children and adults most in need. Teams include surgeons, anesthesiologists, pediatricians, and OR/recovery nurses, as well as team coordinators and translators. Some teams include nurse educators, hand therapists, and physical therapists. Trips are generally 2 weeks.