A Promise of Health’s medical partners’ program is a growing piece of our healthcare plan.

Starting in our first year, two orthopedic surgeons in Mérida donated their services to remove a dangerous tumor from the spine of a young man. Since then, Mérida’s Hospital Horan, the Yuctán Red Cross, and other medical professionals have also volunteered their services to assist our Maya patients.

Today, A Promise of Health has a vital cataract surgery program. In the fiscal year, ending June 30, 2006, 25 virtually blind patients received vision in one eye. This year, another 25 will receive surgery. The surgeries are volunteered by two of Mérida’s finest ophthalmologic surgeons, Doctors Rodolfo Espadas M.D. and Wilbert Chi M.D.  Alcon Laboratories in Texas and Mexico donate the surgical materials and medicine. For the past two years, the Cora Foundation generously assisted our organization, in making the surgeries possible for more people.

In February 2005, a surgical team from Salem, Oregon headed by Dr. Gordon Moe M.D., performed 16 abdominal surgeries on Maya patients to remove gall bladders and repair hernias at no cost to them.  Accompanying Dr. Moe were anesthesiologist, Dr. John Ross, M.D. and surgical nurses Barbara Hargand, R.N. and Kim Barton R.N. who like Dr. Moe took a week of their time away from work and families to help A Promise of Health. Mérida Hospital O’Horan donated the use of the operating and recovery rooms.

In Mexico, a cardiologist has donated his services, as has a dentist, an optometrist, and a chiropractor. Next fiscal year an Oregon surgeon has volunteered his team for a week of abdominal surgeries in the   Yucatán. 

If you know of a medical group or professional that is interested in donating their services, have them contact us at Bill.Grannell@promiseofhealth.org.