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18 Jul
Haiti Updates
Haiti 6 August Hope Everywhere The lead-up to this trip has been rough. Haiti has been experiencing escalating conflict for many months, and the decision to proceed with our trip was constantly in question. Many […] READ MORE 19 July MacGyver Rules The digital readout on the AC device in our room reads 17 Celsius and the motor has been whining all day long pushing out the comfort zone to probably 80 […] READ MORE 14 June Day 5 in Haiti The NAVMC team landed in Port-au-Prince 5 days ago, and it has been non-stop since. From day one, this trip has been different. In recent weeks, President Jovenal Moïse […] READ MORE 29 December December 2018 – Trip Summary Molhenne was supposed to die. When our medical team left Haiti in December 2017, her blood count was insufficient to sustain life especially in someone who had just lost both […] READ MORE 25 December Happy Holidays from Haiti NAVMC has just returned from its 3rd trip to Haiti this year. Attached is a trip summary. We wanted to share with you our successes from Haiti understanding that this […] READ MORE 11 July Coming Home There are 10 of us crammed into the “ambulance” as we speed through Port-au-Prince this morning dodging the fires that still burn in the streets. We are one of the […] READ MORE 9 July Day 3 in Haiti Today has been a day of rest and unrest. We are safe in the compound around Adventiste Hospital resting after a long and stressful day yesterday. The streets of Port-au-Prince […] READ MORE 9 July Day 2 in Haiti At eight o’clock tonight, Rose was wheeled out of the operating room, tumor-less. It took us 8 to 9 hours to complete the surgery. As far as we can tell, […] READ MORE 6 July Day 1 in Haiti The team has arrived at Adventiste Hospital in Port-au Prince. Rose is resting with her family in the hospital awaiting surgery tomorrow. She is nervous and excited for the opportunity […] READ MORE 5 July July Fourth in Haiti The tumor on Rose’s right arm now is the size of a large cantelope. Despite the size and the open wounds it has created, her hand function is near normal. […] READ MORE 19 June Haiti Last Day Large balloons with glow lights inside bounced over the heads of the 50 children at Renmen orphanage last night, suspended in the air by little hands reaching for the sky. […] READ MORE 19 June Haiti Day #5 Genese’s smile would light up the earth on a cloudy day. She came running up to Dr Hippolyte and me and gave me an embrace that brought tears to my […] READ MORE 13 June Haiti Day #4 Natacha shattered her ankle 2 weeks ago. She has been in a hospital in Port-au-Prince since then lying in bed with 8 other women in the woman’s ward, awaiting our […] READ MORE 12 June Day #3 in Haiti Charles’ thigh was crushed in a motorcycle accident 6 months ago. He was able to find the funds to have it fixed then. Six months later he is still in […] READ MORE 11 June Day #2 from Bull When I met Anne in December 2017, she had been in a sling with a functionless and painful arm for four months, her fractured humerus unhealed. She had been in […] READ MORE 10 June Day #1 in Haiti RF is a 23 year old woman with a tumor on her right arm the size of a cantaloupe. She is one of the patients waiting to see us in […] READ MORE 1 December MOHLENE Mohlene, 18 years old, was born HIV positive. She contracted the infection from her mother, and this is called “vertical transmission.” Her mom died many years ago from AIDS, and today Mohlene held my hand and smiled as we talked about her home and her family. Tomorrow she will lose both of her legs, but she doesn’t know this yet. READ MORE 1 December Lightning Speed Things are happening at lightning speed down here, and the amount of work we have done already is astounding. Stories are coming in from the results of our previous efforts as we prepare to begin new stories. A young man is going into surgery, as I write, for repairs on his fractured leg and upper arm. Another male who was in a motorcycle accident awaits surgery to repair his femur and wrist fractures early tomorrow morning. READ MORE 1 December GENESE and WOODJINA Day 2 Haiti: The team is settling in to care for injured patients who have travelled to Port-au-Prince from as far away as Cap Haitian, a 6-hour drive. Some we have seen before, and they have returned for follow up. Doctors Without Borders is scaling back here, thus the volume of injured patients at our doors is rapidly rising. READ MORE 1 December WOODJINA’S STORY Woodjina lies alone in her bed in a small room surrounded by ten other patients with orthopedic injures, all with various splints and traction devices set up. She swats at a mosquito and pulls against the traction device attached to her left leg. A coke bottle filled with cloudy water and tied to a rope dangles off the foot of her bed. It is attached to cardboard that envelops her left lower leg. Her right leg is in a splint, her left hip is dislocated, both are hot with fever. She wiggles to relieve the pain in the pressure sores that are developing after 3 weeks of bedrest. She is 5 years old. READ MORE
READ MORE15 Jul
About Us
About Us Who we are We are a team of medical and humanitarian volunteers supporting the health and education of children and families in Haiti and Bolivia. We send medical teams to underserved areas, providing essential medical and surgical care. We provide funding for education and food to children and families in Haiti where famine is rampant. We are passionate about securing a healthy and safe future for families and children. We invite you to join us as a volunteer, a donor, or a sponsor in the array of service opportunities we offer. Northern Arizona Volunteer Medical Corp (NAVMC) Mission NAVMC supports the health, education, and safety of children and families in need through local programs and international relief projects. Northern Arizona Volunteer Medical Corp History NAVMC is proud of its local and global work, and is grateful to the hundreds of supporters and sponsors who value our mission, the work that we do, and the lives that we save. Thank you! 1995 Beginnings Northern Arizona Volunteer Medical Corp (NAVMC) was founded by two Flagstaff, Arizona doctors, Kelly Reber and Bert Mckinnon, who traveled to Armenia on a volunteer medical trip. Inspired by this experience, they gathered a local group of doctors and nurses to continue this type of charitable work. In these early years, NAVMC traveled to Cambodia, Brazil, and Mexico providing surgical care to the underserved. 2007 Mogolia NAVMC transitioned into a teaching role, providing a more sustainable program. From 2007-2009 NAVMC sent teams to train orthopedic residents and operating room staff in Mongolia. We treated trauma victims and introduced new technologies and materials to the largests trauma center in the capital city Ulaanbaatar. 2010 Haiti On January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by a massive earthquake that left over 200,000 people dead and 400,000 injured. NAVMC sent three teams as part of an earthquake relief effort. Since then, we have sent over 40 medical teams to Haiti providing surgical care and teaching local medical providers. 2011 Renmen Foundation NAVMC began supporting a home for children in Port au Prince. To this date, we provide, education, food, and infrastructure for 50 children that call it their home. See Renmen 2012 Local support NAVMC reached out to the local community to assist families and children in Flagstaff and Northern Arizona. We supported organizations including those that fed the food insecure and educated local youth, as well as managed blood drives to stock blood banks nearby and faraway. 2020 COVID March of 2020, the health care providers of the Navajo, Hopi, Apache and Zuni Nations found themselves without personal protective equipment (PPE). We responded to their most critical need, isolation gowns. Through our efforts, nearly 9,000 reusable cloth isolation gowns were fabricated and distributed to 13 service units. Board of Directors President Dr. John Durham Treasurer Bethany De Alva Secretary Amy Peterson BOARD MEMBER Dr. Andrew Aldridge BOARD MEMBER Robert Miller Board Member Dan Hall executive director Laura McGrath
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30 May
BOLIVIA TRIP SUMMARY – MAY 6-13, 2023
We had an absolutely amazing trip to Bolivia. This was the trip intended to check on our supplies, negotiate terms with the hospital, see patients in clinic, and reconnect with everyone down there that make our trips possible. All goals were achieved and exceeded. The team consisted of Drs. Andy Aldridge, Phil Williams, Brian Balanoff and me. The small team made the trip much more relaxing, and we could be more flexible with our schedule. It also really helped the four of us to form meaningful and lasting relationships with those at the Susan Hou Clinic in Palacios and Dr. Douglas Villaroel (our red tape workaround master.) We also got to listen to and speak a lot of Spanish which will serve us well in November. Here are a few of the highlights: We visited and paid our respects to the Espinoza family. Unfortunately, Dr. Espinoza passed from covid while providing care to covid+ patients in July 2020. Dr. Espinoza was a pivotal member of our team in Bolivia. He was a general surgeon who worked in Santa Cruz, but often came out to Portachuelo to work with us. If any complications arose with our patients after we left the country, he would take care of them. We had a very special breakfast with his large family at their home in Santa Cruz and were able to reminisce and share stories. We all feel so fortunate to have known and worked with Dr. Oscar Espinoza. We spent time at the hospital in Portachuelo. This is where we perform our surgeries and where the patients stay before and after surgery. The big news from this trip was that our equipment was all in functioning condition. I negotiated terms with this group for November and was assured prices would remain the same as in 2019. Apparently, inflation has not hit Bolivia like it has the states. We also had the pleasure of visiting Dr. Vargas at his home in Portachuelo. Dr. Vargas is the main doctor at the clinic in Palacios. He helps us select and prepare our surgical candidates before we arrive. My favorite part of the trip was the two days and a night at the Susan Hou Clinic in Palacios. We saw upwards of 80 patients in the clinic, all hoping to have surgery with us in November. We narrowed the list down to 50ish and now we are figuring out the most dire cases and what we can actually accomplish in November. People have been waiting a long time to see us so there were many urgent needs. We had the pleasure of the company of the Bolivian clinic coordinator, Gabriela, and her husband, Marco. While at the clinic we went on a night walk, saw the stars of the Southern Hemisphere (hello Southern Cross!) and ziplined over the rushing river that patients must cross to make it to the clinic from their homes since its bridge washed out. We also visited the newly built library (book donation thanks to NAVMC) and the kids treated us to food and drink. Our last night we had a lovely dinner with Dr. Douglas Villaroel. He is the person responsible for keeping us legal in Bolivia. He takes care of our licensure, credentialing, and helps us to bring all the equipment we need into Bolivia, not an easy feat. He reiterated his continued support for our cause and has already asked for a list of equipment I want to bring in so he can start working on the red tape so common in Bolivia. Dr. Douglas also spoke with us about the washed-out bridge and how it is impacting the community and their access to the clinic. More to come on that. I think it might be a great fundraising opportunity for NAVMC. Those are the highlights of our trip. I cannot explain how wonderful it felt to be back in Bolivia and to see all our friends. It has been over 4 years! We took the perfect small group to re-form strong bonds with everyone who helps us do what we do. With a full team in November, I know we will be able to help a lot of Bolivians and make you all proud. It’s great to get NAVMC back on the ground, accomplishing so much and realizing our mission statement. Thanks for everyone’s support!Amy
READ MORE1 Nov
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In the News Haiti Updates Bolivia Updates About Us Update from the President Who We Are Mission Board of Directors NAVMC 30 Haiti What We Do Why it Matters Renmen Education Haiti Trips Gallery Bolivia What We Do Why it Matters Bolivia Trips Gallery Media Events Crocktoberfest 2024 Crocktoberfest 2024 gallery In the News Haiti Updates Bolivia Updates About Us Update from the President Who We Are Mission Board of Directors NAVMC 30 Haiti What We Do Why it Matters Renmen Education Haiti Trips Gallery Bolivia What We Do Why it Matters Bolivia Trips Gallery Media Events Crocktoberfest 2024 Crocktoberfest 2024 gallery Donate
READ MORE16 May
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READ MORE28 Apr
Bolivia Updates
Bolivia 27 November 2018 Bolivia trip NAVMC took 18 medical professionals to Bolivia the first week of November. The team saw almost 50 people in clinic and booked 36 patients. We performed 40 procedures including many […] READ MORE 5 July Ultrasound Machine In March, NAVMC’s board approved $2500 toward a new ultrasound unit for the clinic in Palacios, Centro Medico Humberto Parra. The unit just arrived and they shared some great photos […] READ MORE 31 May NAVMC Continues to Offer Surgical Aid in Bolivia Unfortunately, last year we had to turn down a few patients for surgery. One was turned away because his hernia was so large our surgeon did not feel comfortable repairing […] READ MORE 10 May Patient Testimonial “One day I was working at my kitchen job and I suddenly felt an insurmountable pain in my lower abdomen. The pain was so strong I thought I was going […] READ MORE 10 May Shoes When it rains in Palacios, a small rural community a 30 minute drive from the nearest paved road, everything turns to mud. The roads, which were almost entirely made up […] READ MORE 1 June Roofs In June 2017 NAVMC helped to fund a construction project in Palacios, Bolivia. The team removed the commonly used thatch roofs in favor of corrugated metal ones. The new roofs serve to reduce the spread of […] READ MORE
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