20 Years of Heroes

Teach - Heal - Empower

Physicians for Peace was founded 20 years ago by Dr. Charles E. Horton, Sr., with a mission to provide medical education and training in the developing world and with the goal of leaving the most under-served populations in the world better able to care for themselves. This mission Is only possible through the selfless generosity and dedication of our volunteers, medical professionals of all kinds, joining with their peers overseas to provide care to patients who otherwise would never have hope for a better life. During this year, our 20th anniversary, Physicians for Peace will honor 20 heroes, 20 people who have made a true difference in health care charity, 20 people that we call heroes. 

Each month we will honor two of these individuals who embody our mission and our goals to teach, heal, and empower both patients and caregivers. They are our unsung heroes, who make our volunteer medical missions possible, and further the cause of international health education. When we send 100 doctors into the field, they can in turn train thousands of medical professionals in those countries, and ultimately the lives of hundreds of thousands of patients will find their bodies healed, their lives restored. 

All of this begins with support from you. As you read about the amazing results of the medical volunteer work done by our heroes, we hope you will be inspired to support our international health programs, so that together we can bring hope to the world. You can help! 

Physicians for Peace volunteers, Dr. Keith Goss and Dr. Justin Faul, on a surgery
mission in Eritrea in October. Without volunteers like these, Physicians for Peace
would not be able to carry out its mission of building peace and international friendships. 

Every month during this 20th Anniversary year, Physicians for Peace has honored special individuals who have given their time and talent to help treat those with little or no access to medical care and provide specialized training to countless medical professionals. This month, as the year comes to an end, and we reflect on the work we have done, it becomes clear that our "20 Years of Heroes" campaign would not be complete without honoring every single person who has contributed to Physicians for Peace as a volunteer. 

At Physicians for Peace, all of our work in the field, touching people's lives and improving their chances for a better future, is done by volunteers. Every day, in faraway corners of the world, they continue to follow the example set by our founder, Dr. Charles Horton, of compassion and self-sacrifice. We could not accomplish our mission without them. 

This year, 202 volunteers went on 49 missions in 20 countries, helping thousands of people in need. Our volunteers are truly heroes!

On behalf of the Physicians for Peace staff, THANK YOU for a great year, and have a healthy and happy Holiday Season!

Diane Strout (center), Chair of Physicians for Peace's Global Nurse Education Committee, making friends with nurses from Algeria, Philippines, Egypt and Libya during a recent mission to Libya International Medical University in Benghazi.

 

In honor of our 20th anniversary,we have been recognizing those whose work has contributed to the success of Physicians for Peace. It would be impossible to talk about the heroes of medical volunteer work without giving credit to the nurses who devote their time, hard work, and expertise to Physicians for Peace programs.

Nurses are a vital part of every surgery mission, but that is only the beginning of the important contributions they provide. As an organization focused on medical education, we could not do the work we do without the help of volunteer nurses. The Physicians for Peace Global Nurse Education Committee has developed curriculae for teaching a variety of medical skills in resource-poor settings. Creating these replicable programs in medical education has enabled thousands of medical professionals in the developing world to gain life-saving information which they have used to improve the quality of care in their communities. These training programs, which cover everything from midwifery skills to treatment of pediatric burns, have also allowed more volunteers to effectively teach around the world, reaching more people in need.

The Global Nurse Education Committee (GNEC), part of the Physicians for Peace Medical Operations Committee (MOC), is comprised of nurses practicing in a variety of fields, representing hospitals, universities, and medical schools throughout Virginia. But its members are not only concerned with training and academia. They are the ones on the ground in the developing world, working side by side with their in-country counterparts caring for patients, delivering medical supplies and medicines, and helping to establish self-sustaining clinics and treatment centers around the world. These ambassadors of international health education also exchange cultural awareness and develop valuable friendships. 

Their on-going work is invaluable to the mission of Physicians for Peace, and we honor them as our heroes! 

Dr. Ruffin (left) at the APROQUEN Burn Unit in Nicaragua.

Vivian Pellas, burn survivor and founder of the Association for the
Burned Children of Nicaragua.

In recognition of its 20th anniversary, Physicians for Peace is honoring 20 Health Care Heroes in 2009, individuals who embody the organization's mission and goals to teach, heal, and empower both patients and caregivers. The Physicians for Peace Burn Care Program is a true success story in changing lives and building health care capacity for countries in need. We would like to honor Dr. Willcox Ruffin and Ms. Vivian Pellas as 20th Anniversary Care Heroes for their roles in the creation of this program which has helped so many individuals heal from the trauma of burn injury.  

The Burn Care Program was conceived when Physicians for Peace founder Dr. Charles E. Horton, Sr. visited Nicaragua in 1992.  Based on the medical education needs he identified, a team of plastic surgeons, including Dr. Willcox Ruffin, traveled to Managua and Leon in 1994. Dr. Ruffin, a devoted plastic surgeon, has served as Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery at Eastern Virginia Medical School, Chief of Plastic Surgery at Sentara Hospitals, Chief of Plastic Surgery at the Children's Hospital of The King's Daughters, and Director of the Burn Unit at Norfolk General Hospital. He has helped countless patients through his work with Physicians for Peace, and now retired from medical practice, serves on its Board of Trustees.

His purpose on that first mission to Managua was to advance medical expertise in the management of burn care, and to upgrade patient care within a burn unit built by the founder of Asociación Pro-Niños Quemados de Nicaragua (APROQUEN), Ms. Vivian Pellas. Vivian, a burn survivor herself, has devoted her life to improving the quality of care for burn victims in Nicaragua. The facility Vivian Pellas has helped to build, with the knowledge and support of plastic surgeons like Dr. Ruffin, has been able to treat tens of thousands of patients in need. With partners like Vivian, Physicians for Peace has been able to help burn clinics in other Central American countries provide better care and prevention for burns. 

 

The Burn Care Program has continued to grow and expand to include not only training and education, but the establishment of an international burn consortium. APROQUEN is now one of 19 equal partner organizations that comprise the Asociación Centroamericana y del Caribe de Quemaduras (Central American and Caribbean Burn Association) in six countries (Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, El Salvador, Guatemala, Honduras, and Nicaragua.) This Association was formed in 2006 by Physicians for Peace and is dedicated to advancing pediatric burn care in Central America and the Caribbean through training, knowledge exchange, and global collaboration.

You can ensure that this program, started with the compassion and cooperation of Dr. Ruffin and Vivian Pellas, continues to help third world countries treat and prevent burn injuries and help burn victims heal. By contributing to our volunteer medical missions and international health programs, you help bring healing to a suffering world. 

Make your donation today!

 

 

Dr. Josephine Bundoc (left) participates in the first national prosthesis Walkathon in Manila.

Dr. Josephine “Penny” Bundoc, Professor and Chairman of the Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation at the University of the Philippines in Manila, is being honored by Physicians for Peace with its 20^th Anniversary Health Care Heroes Award for her work with the organization’s Walking Free program. The success of PFP’s Walking Free program in the Philippines has been due in large part to her energetic and inspiring efforts. Dr. Bundoc works tirelessly to help the neediest patients in the Philippines receive prosthetics to replace lost arms and legs, and ensure ongoing physical rehabilitation to allow them to rebuild their lives with a sense of joy. In 2005, with support and supplies from Physicians for Peace and partners, Dr. Bonduc was instrumental in the opening of a new state-of-the-art Prosthetic and Rehabilitation Center at the Philippine General Hospital (PGH) and has played a significant role in the success of our medical missions in the Philippines. 

Read more about Penny's work with amputees in these articles...

http://physiciansforpeace.wordpress.com/category/walking-free/

http://www.upibalon.com/story/ibalon-physicians-peace-naga-city

You can help support the work of Dr. Penny Bundoc and our international health programs in the Philippines. When you make a financial contribution or donate medical equipment or prosthetics, you are giving someone access to medical care and the hope of walking again. To learn more about Walking Free and our other programs in the Philippines, visit us on the web... www.physiciansforpeace.org

 

As Physicians for Peace marks its 20th Anniversary, we are proud to honor our founder, Dr. Charles E. Horton, the man who had the vision of using medicine as an instrument of peace around the world. He was, and always will be, our hero as we strive to carry on his dream of building peace and international friendships by caring for those in need...

A native of Missouri, Dr. Horton gained a worldwide reputation for his genius in plastic surgery and his role as a civilian diplomat. He received his undergraduate degrees from the Universities of Arkansas and Missouri and his medical degree from the University of Virginia. In 1955, following his plastic surgery residency at Duke University, he and his young family moved to Norfolk, Virginia, where he became the first to set up a plastic surgery practice. 

In the 1960s, Dr. Horton embarked on one of his first medical missions – a trip to Haiti as a public service project for his Rotary Club. After the Haiti medical mission, he continued to develop personal contacts in medical schools in many parts of the world, and this network of friends formed the basis for Physicians for Peace. Dr. Horton and his colleagues were a group of humanitarians who believed that sharing their talents with others in order to heal the sick and wounded was more important than political or cultural differences because “when you hold a sick child in your arms, there are no politics involved."  Through Physicians for Peace, Dr. Horton was confident that more doctors and medical professionals would carry on his important work of building peace and international friendships. 
 

In an interview with Horton shortly before his death in 2006, he asked that “…everyone be reminded that Physicians for Peace was founded for one main purpose – the exchange of medical education between Physicians for Peace and the countries hosting our missions.   Networking among medical professionals who became friends as a result of working together was the secret to the early success of PFP and remains my primary vision and goal for Physicians for Peace.” Physicians for Peace has continued to partner with hospitals and global health organizations throughout the world, sending more that 500 medical missions to over 50 countries. 

All of us at Physicians for Peace are proud to be a part of the vision and legacy of Dr. Horton, as we remember him on this special anniversary. Come join us as we honor 20 years of healing work of Physicians for Peace at our "Celebrate the Nations 2009 Gala Reception!" 

For tickets and information, visit the event web site. We look forward to seeing you there! 

David A. Lawrence, M.S.P.T., A.T.C., an internationally renowned physical therapist and amputee specialist, is being honored by Physicians for Peace as a Health Care Hero for his medical volunteer work with Walking Free, an international program he co-founded in 2000 to help amputees abroad. 

 

David is President of Lawrence Rehabilitation Specialists Inc. which manages the LRS Gait Center Richmond, Gait Center Hampton Roads, and the Country Club of Virginia Manual Therapy Center.  He is also Program Director for the Stepping Back to Life Project, AT Home Care Inc.

Throughout much of the world, amputee victims of land mines, earthquakes, motor vehicle accidents, industrial and agricultural accidents, birth defects, disease, and war receive little or no medical treatment. The Physicians for Peace Walking Free Program was designed to help third world countries meet the needs of amputees. Following the first initiative in Diyarbakir, Turkey in 2000, Physicians for Peace brought the Walking Free program to Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic in 2001 and has since expanded it to Port-au-Prince, Haiti; Manila, Philippines; and Guatemala City, Guatemala. The Walking Free Program has helped more than ten thousand patients with prosthetic and orthotic needs and has provided more than $2 million in prosthetic and orthotic in-kind contributions including rehabilitation and surgical supplies and equipment.

 

David Lawrence's contributions to Walking Free have been invaluable. He has helped Physicians for Peace establish prosthetic and rehabilitation centers in developing nations worldwide, implementing a strategy that gets volunteers actively involved with prosthetic and physical therapy training for 4-5 years.  “We are empowering the therapists and prosthetists abroad with the skills to be independent.  Success is complete when the clinics are able to not only operate on their own, but to expand their business and patient care,” emphasizes Lawrence. He continues to work tirelessly to help those in need, and his passion for the mission of Walking Free is an inspiration to all.

 
Today is also David's birthday, so from all of us at Physicians for Peace, THANK YOU DAVID AND HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!!

 

To make a contribution to Physicians for Peace in honor of David Lawrence, click here. 

To find out more about Walking Free and other international health programs, visit our web site at www.physiciansforpeace.org

Sam Hill (above) has been an important part of Physicians for Peace for
many years, raising funds to train thousands of medical 
professionals around the world. 

We have honored several people this year as part of our 20th anniversary to thank them for their commitment to helping others. This month we have the special privilege to recognize someone whose tireless support and enthusiasm for our cause has not only helped people around the world, but has helped make Physicians for Peace what it is today. Dr. Charles E. Horton Jr., the son of our late founder, expresses our gratitude to Sam Hill for his dedication:

Twenty years ago, Physicians for Peace was founded by my father, Dr. Charles E. Horton Sr.  Throughout his career as a doctor, he travelled the world, taking on difficult patient cases, training medical professionals in the latest techniques and, most importantly to him, making lifelong friendships with the doctors he worked with.  From these experiences, he saw the possibility that international health education could be the key to bringing quality health care to the developing world. At the same time, he could be establishing and connecting long-lasting personal friends to foster peace between cultures through medical volunteer work.  

This year, as Physicians for Peace celebrates its 20^th anniversary, we are honoring 20 health care heroes, 20 amazing individuals or groups who have contributed to our success over the years.  We are spotlighting doctors, nurses, board members, donors, supporters of all types -- a cross-section of the caring volunteers who made my dad’s vision a reality. 

One individual who has been key to our success is Sam Hill, a close personal friend of dad’s who has been with Physicians for Peace practically since the beginning. In celebration of Sam’s birthday this month, he is our health care hero for July. 

Sam has made significant contributions to Physicians for Peace in so many areas.  First and foremost, Sam is one of those rare individuals who becomes lifelong friends with everyone he meets, and so he has been able to bring countless people into the Physicians for Peace family. Sam often talks about his lunches with dad, when they would put their heads together and figure out how to convert friends into volunteers, and volunteers into cheerleaders for the work of Physicians for Peace. 

Along with my father, Sam has long been the public face of Physicians for Peace. In 1995, Sam became our Executive Director, and more recently served as Director of Development. He is a fundraising powerhouse who helped build Physicians for Peace into the global health organization it is today. Tapping into his vast network of friends and contacts, Sam has almost single-handedly brought in some of our most significant investors.  He has also served his time doing hands-on work on mission trips in the Philippines and Haiti, all the better to explain the importance of Physicians for Peace international health programs to potential supporters. 

Another close friend of my dad’s, Catherine Colgan, a long time board member and someone who has been with Physicians for Peace since the beginning, said of Sam, “He is a quality gentleman, humble to a fault, but everyone can see the strength and caliber of his ability. His people skills and networking ability make him an invaluable asset to Physicians for Peace.”

Congratulations to our July Physicians for Peace health care hero, Sam Hill! Sam’s devoted work with Physicians for Peace has directly resulted in the training of thousands of medical professionals in the 50+ countries where we have sent our volunteers.  Over the past 20 years, these newly-trained caregivers have healed hundreds of thousands of patients in some of the poorest countries around the world. 

You, too, can help Physicians for Peace continue to train medical professionals and heal the sick around the globe. This month, in honor of Sam’s birthday, you can give the gift of life.  Please make a donation so that we can continue our healing work for another 20 years.  Help us create a world of hope!

Warmest Regards,

Dr. Charles E. “Chuck” Horton Jr.

Make a Donation in Honor of Sam Hill 

The country of Eritrea, in the horn of Africa, suffers from a severe shortage of doctors, especially pediatricians and surgeons. With close to half of the population under 14 years of age, and only a handful of pediatricians to serve them, many children remain without access to proper medical care. Yet great strides have been taken to remedy this problem, thanks to the dedication of the Eritrean people and the help of The George Washington University Medical Center, Physicians for Peace, and the Eritrean Ministry of Health. 

As part of our 20th Anniversary series honoring the exceptional work of our medical volunteers, we would like to put the spotlight on five women who have been devoted to establishing post-graduate medical education in Eritrea, and who have worked to make the The Partnership for Eritrea an example that others can follow...



Dr. Jennifer Egelseer (above), the first pediatrician of the group to visit Eritrea, had very little experience in medical mission work, but was quickly won over by the people of Eritrea and recognized the needs in the country.




Dr. Margot Anderson (above) became involved in the project following years of work in health care in the developing world, particularly in Laos.



Dr. Fatima Khambaty (above), a surgeon with mission experience in Ghana and Liberia, also decided to help with the project.

These three women developed post-graduate medical education programs in surgery and pediatrics to be conducted at the Orotta School of Medicine in Eritrea’s capital of Asmara.  In a country where the health care system has been wracked by a war of independence and no medical school existed until 2004, they became the first post-graduate faculty as part of the Partnership for Eritrea, a collaboration between The George Washington University Medical Center, the Eritrean Ministry of Health, and Physicians for Peace. In conjunction with these new partners, they built new residency programs from the ground up to address the urgent need for doctors. 

In the United States, two other heroes are the glue that makes this Partnership work - 

Dr. Ellie Hamburger (above), in the Department of Pediatrics at George Washington University and an attending physician in the Pediatric Residency Program at Children's National Medical Center in Washington, D.C., has gone above and beyond the call, totally committing to making the pediatrics residency program in Eritrea the benchmark for Africa.  




Dr. Huda Ayas (above), Executive Director of The George Washington University Medical Center’s International Medicine Programs, whose passion for this project has helped it become what it is today - a program which provides care for thousands as it serves as a model of workforce development and international health education. 

 

The Partnership has seen great success and plans to graduate the first class of pediatricians in December, 2009, and surgeons in 2010. They have also expanded to new medical specialties, adding an Obstetrics and Gynecology program this year with the help of Columbia University. There are plans with Yale University to launch an Internal Medicine program in 2010. We congratulate the women who have worked so hard over the last several years to make this dream a reality for both the medical students and the people of Eritrea who need their care. Find out more at www.partnershipforeritea.org

You can be a part of this exciting opportunity to build the future of medical care in Erirea - Your gift to the Partnership Program helps an Eritrean medical student receive training in his own country and gives the people of Eritrea a chance to get the medical care they need...

Please support the Partnership today! 

For more information about Physicians for Peace medical volunteer work and international health programs visit our web site at www.physiciansforpeace.org

Mother’s Day Heroes

Rejita Caraballo and Altagracia Luna were struggling mothers in the barrios of Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, when they were recommended by their local priests to participate in the new Physicians for Peace program, Resource Mothers (“Madres Tutelares” in Spanish).

Each resource mother is provided with a small monthly stipend, freeing them from less rewarding work in the barrio.  During daily visits to their clients, they check on the health of their young mothers and babies and teach them about nutrition and breast-feeding; often serving as the only support these young mothers have. They are mentors, but also friends.


Both Rejita and Altagracia find that serving as Resource Mothers is the most rewarding thing they have ever done. As Rejita notes through a translator, “Some of the girls who have had babies don’t want to keep them and care for them at first.” But after Rejita takes them under her wing, they change their minds. Altagracia describes how, when word spreads in the barrio about the program, “Girls come knocking on my door asking to be assigned a Resource Mother. I thank God and Physicians for Peace that I can give love and care to these girls.” 

Both women tell about the special bonds that form between the Resource Mothers and the girls that they mentor, as well as the children who run to greet them as they visit their clients. In the barrios, the Resource Mothers have earned a new designation, “Doña,” a well-earned sign of great respect. 

These two women, helping their young mothers in poverty in the barrio have healthy pregnancies and happy babies, are truly heroes. You can support them by supporting Physicians for Peace, and help make a world of difference in the lives of countless people in the developing world. 

The Resource Mothers Program is one of the Physicians for Peace Maternal and Child Health Programs that support the United Nations Millennium Development Goals for improving health care for women and children around the world.

Learn more on our web site - www.physiciansforpeace.org/wch.html

Dr. Namik K. Baran first came to Physicians for Peace in the 1980’s. At the time, Dr. Baran was a Professor of Yeditepe University in Istanbul, Turkey, and Chief of the Department of Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery there. He reached out to Dr. Charles E. Horton, Physicians for Peace founder, to find a way to improve care for amputees in his country. Both men were plastic surgeons, committed to providing the same level of care to patients in the developing world as that provided to patients in the United States. Over the years, they succeeded brilliantly. 

From 1985 to 2005, by Dr. Baran’s account, he participated in 98 Physicians for Peace missions,  in countries as wide-ranging as Turkey, Palestine, Syria, Egypt, Iraq, Kazakhstan, Ghana, Peru, and Georgia. These missions were primarily devoted to the Physicians for Peace Walking Free program, which provides medical care and rehabilitation for amputees who, by the nature of their disability, need continuing care throughout their lives.

Dr. Baran counts 760 doctors and 116 allied health professionals who participated in these missions, giving 339 training lectures to in-country medical professionals, and treating 4730 patients, healing their bodies and changing their lives. 

 When Dr. Horton passed away in 2006, Dr. Baran’s tribute was telling: 

“The past 36 years of my acquaintance with Dr. Horton were filled with scientific work and friendship. I remember his visits to Turkey for our combined activities in Syria, Iraq, Egypt and Palestine to help the needy victims of congenital abnormalities and accidents. Charlie’s memory will stay with us forever.”

You can help us continue medical mission trips to these under-served regions of the world - 

In July, 2009, Physicians for Peace is sending one if its largest missions to the Middle East, where we have been 17 times before. While there, a team of over 25 medical professionals will train hundreds of physicians in the region in the latest medical techniques, and treat dozens of adults and children for a wide range of medical conditions, including cleft palates, burn reconstruction, accident trauma, diabetes, and other illnesses. 

 

The team will consist of a wide range of medical specialists, such as Pediatric Endocrinologists, Craniofacial Plastic Surgeons, Pediatric Oncologists,  Nurses, Anesthesiologists - every specialty needed to heal those injured by the ravages of war and conflict.  

Through these efforts in clinical care and international health education, the newly-trained medical professionals in the West Bank will be able to treat thousands and thousands of patients, bringing some hope to a region sorely needing support. But this mission isn’t fully funded. We need your support!  You can donate medical supplies or make a contribution to help make this mission possible!  

 

 

Dr. Jack Bevivino has been working with Physicians for Peace for over 15 years.  While at his home in Rhode Island, where he can be found playing hockey and riding his Harley, it's hard to imagine that he is also the humble physician referred to as “Dr. Jack” -  admired, applauded and cared for by a group of surgeons, nurses, and techs in a hospital over 5,000 miles away in Ramallah in the West Bank.  When he returns each year he is welcomed with
open arms back into their surgery suites where learning begins immediately in new techniques and skill sets.  To watch Dr. Jack in action is a pure treat! 




From 1980-81, Dr. Jack Bevivino was a Chief Resident at Rhode Island Hospital, working under Dr. Eid Mustafa, a Plastic Surgeon and a volunteer for Physicians for Peace. Dr. Mustafa, a native of Palestine, was organizing a medical mission to the Middle East, one of Physicians for Peace’s earliest mission destinations. Dr. Mustafa asked Dr. Bevivino to join the team on their scheduled visits to Nablus, Ramallah, Gaza and Hebron. Dr. Bevivino quickly accepted, thinking that this would be a one-time experience. Little did he know that he would spend the next several years volunteering his time and talent to Physicians for Peace, on medical mission trips to help the people of the West Bank. A sign of Dr. Bevivino’s dedication is that he has lost count of the missions he has actually been on, saying he thinks it’s “ten or eleven, you’d have to check.” 

 

Dr. Bevivino is a Craniofacial Surgeon, and his medical volunteer work with Physicians for Peace has concentrated on cleft palates, facial traumas, and burn reconstructive surgery. Many of the cases are young children, so Dr. Bevivino often partners with Pediatric Surgeons. 

 

When Dr. Bevivino looks back at the past decade with Physicians for Peace, his strongest impression is his visits to several of the refugee camps in the region. 

“It's been so difficult to realize that the camps have been in existence for almost 60 years and several generations,  and to see the despair that these people are living with each day.”

 

You can help our volunteers continue Dr. Bevivino's vital medical mission work to help those in need in this struggling region of the world - 

In July, 2009, Physicians for Peace is sending one if its largest missions to the Middle East, where we have been 17 times before. While there, a team of over 25 medical professionals will train hundreds of physicians in the region in the latest medical techniques, and treat dozens of adults and children for a wide range of medical conditions, including cleft palates, burn reconstruction, accident trauma, diabetes, and other illnesses. 

The team will consist of a wide range of medical specialists, such as Pediatric Endocrinologists, Craniofacial Plastic Surgeons, Pediatric Oncologists,  Nurses, Anesthesiologists, every specialty needed to heal those injured by the ravages of war and conflict. 

 

Through these efforts in clinical care and international health education, the newly-trained medical professionals in the West Bank will be able to treat thousands and thousands of patients, bringing some hope to a region sorely needing it. But this mission isn’t fully funded. We need your support!  You can donate medical supplies or make a contribution to help make this mission possible!