Plastic and reconstructive surgeon, Dr. Wendy Gottlieb, participated in the 6th annual missions to Honduras with the members of the Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade from November the 5th to the 12th of 2005.

Medical Brigade Returns from 6^th Successful Mission to Honduras, 11/5-12/2005Virginia Hospital Center’s 64-member medical Brigade recently returned from its sixth mission to Honduras, where they treated 8,105 patients, performed 89 surgical procedures and distributed more than $600,000 worth of medical supplies over the course of five intensive, dawn-to-dusk days.

The surgery team worked at a public hospital and the primarycare, physical therapy, and eyecare teams set up their daily clinics in a Lions Club facility and several schools in and around the poverty-stricken neighborhoods of Comayagua. The mission would not have been possible without the wide-ranging cooperation and support of Virginia Hospital Center. Significant support was also provided by CrossLink International, a Falls Church based non-profit humanitarian aid organization which provides pharmaceuticals, supplies and equipment for mission work worldwide and the Lions Northern Virginia Eyeglass Recycling Center.

This diverse group of medical professionals and other volunteers functioned as a unified team using their talents most effectively on the mission field. The Brigade included 20 physicians, 21 nurses, 2 nurse practitioners/physician assistants, one physical therapist, 2 certified opticians, as well as numerous non-medical volunteers trained to provide support services. In addition to treating over 8000 primary care patients, and performing 89 surgeries, the team fitted more than 2,200 pairs of adult and children’s eyeglasses which often had a “life altering” effect on the recipients. The 9 member eyecare team, which included 3 certified optometrists and an ophthalmologist, provided an expanded level of service with two “state of the art” portable autorefractors, each capable of printing out rapid and accurate eye refractions in less than one minute.

The Brigade’s 89 surgeries included everything from hernias, and laparoscopic cholecystectomies, breast surgery, hysterectomies, cleft lip repairs and numerous other plastic surgery procedures.

The primary care/pediatrics team treated skin diseases, gastrointestinal disorders, allergic conditions, parasites, pneumonia, degenerative joint disease, infections, burns, lacerations and scores of other conditions. Many patients had never been treated by a doctor before. The team was aided by a dedicated group of 55 bilingual high school students from a nearby private school in Comayagua.

Thousands of “courses of treatment” of various pharmaceuticals were prepackaged by the Brigade and its supporters prior to the trip. These “patient prescriptions” were brought by the team along with crutches, walkers and other physical therapy equipment. Over 25 wheelchairs, including 2 pediatric-size, for distribution to clinic patients were packed into a 40 foot and a 20 foot ocean container. These 2 containers were “loaded to the brim” with additional pharmaceuticals, supplies, eyeglasses and equipment and shipped from CrossLink’s warehouse 6 weeks prior to departure.

Many poor Hondurans waited eagerly for the Brigade’s medical services which were advertised in advance by area churches and social service agencies including the Lions. Each day when the Primarycare/PT/Eye teams arrived at a clinic location there were already hundreds of people waiting in line, some since before dawn. This sense of patient need and desperation really motivated the team to work as efficiently and effectively as possible to maximize the number of patients that would be seen.

The American Red Cross confirmed that this was the single largest coordinated effort from one U.S. hospital to ever go to Honduras. The Brigade once again had the strong support of many key Honduran government representatives in Comayagua, Tegucigalpa and the United States including Dr. Maritza Gomez of the Honduran Ministry of Health, Nelson Martinez, President of the Comayagua Lions, the Honduran military, the Comayagua Police Department, the Embassy of Honduras and office of the Honduran Consulate General in Washington, DC. These organizations and individuals created the infrastructure that allowed the team to care for thousands and thousands of people in 5 days.

The Brigade truly was a “team” in the best sense of the word. The group was flexible and very adaptable even though it worked under suboptimal conditions. Honduras is truly an area with a patient population that “tugs at your heart” to work efficiently and “pulls at you” to return again.

Plans are now underway for a 7^th VHC Medical Brigade mission trip to Tegucigalpa, Honduras from November 4-11, 2006.

If you would like to participate in or contribute drugs/supplies to this year’s Medical Brigade, please contact: Barry Byer, MD, Executive Director, Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade vhcbrigade@virginiahospitalcenter.com

To make a tax deductible contribution please send a check made out to:
VHC - Medical Brigade
Medical Staff Office
Virginia Hospital Center
1701 N. George Mason Dr.
Arlington, VA 22205

To schedule a consultation or an appointment at the Reston or Arlington office, please call 703-668-9499. You may also send an email to us using the form below: