The Latest From The Field

Results of April 2022 Cardiac Mission to Dominican Republic
They had a very successful trip led by Dr. Robert Ross. Seven doctors and one nurse were part of the mission. They were able to teach and mentor the local team and performed 10 open heart operations, 16 catheterizations in…

History of CLI Pediatric Cardiac Missions in Guayaquil, Ecuador
History of the Penn State University College of Medicine and The Hospital de Ninos Roberto Children’s Hospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador Dr. John L Myers, MD is Professor of Surgery and Pediatrics at Penn State University College of Medicine in Hershey,…

Status of Panama Pediatric Cardiac Program
Panama and Central American Pediatric Cardiology MissionsSummary as of Jan 2020. History:Children’s Lifeline originally contacted pediatric heart surgeon Ross Ungerleider, at OHSU at that time, about starting pediatric heart surgical missions to Panama (Annie Mendenhall was a specific contact.) Ross…

Panama / Dr. Michael Womack / Children’s Lifeline
1) It is hard to be as excited about diagnostic caths or TEE (trans-esophageal echo) as interventional caths, but when they are the only way to know how to take care of someone, they are obviously critically useful. One patient…

Cambodia / Dr. Paul Grosssfeld
This year the focus was to provide clinical and bedside training to inpatient cardiac patients, outpatient cardiac patients, lectures to medical students, staff physicians and support staff. In addition, we were able to follow up with eight past surgical patients.…

Panama / Dr. Michael Womack / Children’s Lifeline
Overall, another good trip. We lost a day in the lab with a water main bursting in the street by the hospital. But we had some “firsts” on the trip in terms of devices used in a couple of situations,…
Dominican Republic / CEDIMAT Hospital
Surgical Team Make-Up: 1 pediatric surgeon 2 pediatric anesthesiologist 2 pediatric cardiologists 3 pediatric ICU physicians 1 pediatric ICU registered nurse 1 Respiratory Therapist 1 pump perfusionist NEW FACILITY: The new building is beautiful, spacious and well equipped with all…

Ghana, West Africa / Hearts and Minds of Ghana / Children’s Lifeline
The Hearts and Minds of Ghana team preformed their 100th open heart surgery on November 14, 2015. The goal has always been to have a self sustaining Pediatric Cardiac Surgery program in Ghana and they are well on their way.…

Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
CardioStart undertook a mission to the Clinica Corazones Unidos Hospital. The mission focused entirely on developing and teaching the management of children needing congenital cardiac correction. The staff worked on a total of 7 children (ages from 2 years -…

Port Antonio, Jamaica / West Africa
The team set up medical clinics in Port Antonio, Jamaica and provided primary medical care to children and adults. In total they saw 678 children. The main complaint and diagnosis's was allergies and asthma, also treated malnutrition, parasites, worms, tropical…

Tanzania / Lighthouse Medical Missions
Dr. Robert Hamilton continues his clinical care each year. In 2015 Dr. Hamilton will also go to Nambia to provide more clinical care.

Yucatan, Mexicao / Mercy Children’s Hospital, Des Moines / American Airlines Miles for Kids
Every year we send children from the Yucatan to the US to receive Cardiac Care. Thanks to American Airlines Miles for Kids Program.
Guayaquil, Ecuador / The Penn State Children’s Hospital
The Team consists of surgeons, cardiologists, nurses and perfusionists. This was their sixteenth trip to Guayaquil to provide evaluations and treatment for children of Ecuador who are born with heart defects. This year they only sent one team, which was…
Mexico / American Airlines Miles for Kids / Children’s Center at Mercy Hospital, Des Moines
In 2014 American Airlines has brought over 10 children from the Yucatan to Mercy Hospital in Des Moines. Treating children with Tetrology of Fallot (TOF), cardiac catheterization and VSD.

Ecuador / Johns Hopkins University / Federick Memorial / Children’s Lifeline
This year's Neonatal Intensive Care Mission to Guayaquil was led by Dr. Fabio Olarte, MD from Frederick Memorial Hospital and Elizabeth Cristofalo, MD, from Johns Hopkins University Hospital. The group consisted of Neonatologists, Respiratory Therapist and NICU nurse Janice Beekman…