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Our team of 85 doctors, nurses, pharmacists, and volunteers recently returned from our biannual medical mission to the ILAC Center in Licey al Medio, Santiago, Dominican
Republic sponsored by the Cuban Association of the Order of Malta. During a 5 day period our medical team, which included specialists in Cardiology, Internal Medicine, Family Medicine, Physical Therapy, Gastroenterology, Pediatrics, Gynecology, Adult Urology,
Emergency Medicine, Radiology, and Dentistry treated approximately 1000 patients. Many of these patients saw 2 or 3 specialists. Over 100 ultrasonographic studies including cardiac echos were performed by our team.
Our gratitude goes to these 85 volunteers who made this happen. Our team thanks all who made this possible- the wonderful group at ILAC that organizes the patients and provides
transport, food, lodging, and patient follow up for us to carry out this wonderful work. American Airlines, and in particular Jesus Cruz and Goldwyn Nolasco, who safely transport our team with our medical supplies to Santiago. We thank all who helped with
the packing of the supplies and all who made substantial donations to buy them. We are now using our electronic medical record system to help us take care of our patients at the ILAC Center and a special thank you to Dr. Frank Gaudio, Robert Loredo, Cesar
Obediente, Jim Gibbons, Ivette Obediente, and Wendy Santiago who helped make this possible. This system allows us to collect demographic health information on our patients which will aid us in giving them better care in the future.
Thank you to the amazing computer scribes and translators who worked in all areas of the mission helping to make this happen. A huge thank you to the Pharmacy team who labored
long hours to dispense the medications to our patients as they received the prescriptions electronically from the prescribing doctors. Great appreciation goes to the Dominican Order of Malta who also provided help with translators and medication donation.
A very special thank you to Father James Raber OSB, from Belmont Abbey College in North Carolina, who provided excellent and much appreciated spiritual guidance with daily
mass, special blessings to our patients , and daily reflections . Father Raber and Morgan Alemy, Director of Campus Ministry at Belmont Abbey, also brought a wonderful group of Belmont Abbey students who also served as volunteer scribes, helping the physicians
electronically document our patient visits. We were also blessed with the presence of Father Ernesto Travieso SJ , who along with fellow Jesuit Father Narciso Sanchez Medio founded the ILAC Center, in the early 1970's.
It is an honor to take care of the Dominican Campesinos. Our Dominican friends are a noble people who are so grateful for what we do. But the reality is that even though
we bring healing to them in the form of our care and our medications, we receive so much more from them knowing that we are helping our fellow men and women . We feel this so strongly in our hearts everytime we travel to Santiago on these missions.
We will return again September 10-14, 2025. God bless all of you.
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