When: May 24 - June 1, 2013

Where: Tegucigalpa, Honduras

Who:  Orthopedic Surgeons, Anethesiologists, CRNAs, Scrub Techs, PAR and OR Nurses 

Video: Click here to view a GHO video relevant to surgical teams

Status: Accepting Applications

Project Fee: $1,420 plus airfare

Team Leader: Barry Sorrells, MD

To read Dr. Sorrell's biography Click here.
Trip Details: Hospitals Escuela and San Felipe are the two teaching hospitals for the University Nacional Autonom de Honduras in the capital city, Tegucigalpa.  Hospital Escuela, an 1800-bed teaching hospital and its smaller partner, Hospital San Felipe, offer all medical and surgical specialties including residency training.  The surgical mission project, Operation New Life, has developed a relationship with several surgical departments in these hospitals, and has been providing one-week surgical brigades in plastics, maxillofacial surgery, general and burn surgery, orthopedic surgery, and gynecologic surgery since 2003. In the planning stages are trips with a focus on ENT, cardiovascular, emergency medicine, neurosurgery.  Operation New Life is teaming with Global Health Outreach in these hospitals.

Team participants will work alongside Honduran surgeons, surgical residents, anesthesiologists, operating room nurses, and other hospital staff to partner with and offer training in surgical procedures that allow them to advance their skills and provide an increased level of care after the team departs.  Teams often provide  advanced equipment such as arthroscopy and laparoscopy,  train the surgeons in appropriate use, then leave the equipment with the hospital,  having taught the personnel  "how to fish".   Personal relationships are built with Hondurans that often allow team members to have conversations leading to spiritual discussions and an understanding of the love and truth of our Savior, Jesus Christ. There is ample opportunity for one to one "live out their faith" as they are observed moving about the hospital.

The team has an active prayer ministry within the hospital, often called "the Heart of the Team".  Members of the prayer team make daily rounds visiting patients and their families throughout the hospital offering physical and spiritual hope through prayer and by providing small items for personal hygiene, Spanish Bibles, toys for children, and praying for particular needs.

Teams are made up of surgeons, operating room nurses and technicians, anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, pastors, and others who have or would like to develop, a more fervent prayer life through working with the prayer team.  The ability to speak Spanish is a plus but in view of expert interpreters available, not necessary.  Because of the intensive surgical training focus, there is not a current need for medical students but a summer student medical program is available and well attended by all levels of medical trainees.

The in-country support is provided by Jim Phillips of Love Truth Care Ministries, Little Rock, Arkansas, who has been facilitating teams to Honduras since 1997 in partnership with their national ministry team lead by Francisco Alvarado of Gestiones.  The team typically stays in the Minister Suites Hotel (www.ministersuites.com) in Tegucigalpa, located just a few blocks from Hospital Escuela, with nice accommodations  and food, ample room for team devotions each morning and team sharing meetings each evening.

Teams usually arrive in Tegucigalpa on Friday afternoon, travel to the mountainous countryside to view and experience village life, a Christian after school program and then on to the hotel.  Saturdays are spent evaluating patients with the Honduran surgeons, selecting the candidates for surgery the following week.  Some team members may spend Saturday preparing the necessary equipment and supplies for the surgical cases that will begin on Monday.  Sunday is a day of rest, Church, and sight-seeing. Some enjoy shopping for souvenirs while the patients receive pre-operative laboratory testing and medical evaluation prior to surgery.  Surgery then takes place at both Hospital Escuela and Hospital San Felipe from Monday through Friday.  A typical day starts with breakfast at the hotel at about 6:00 am, team devotions at 6:45, then departure for the hospital at about 7:30.  Surgery is often planned from 8:00 am to about 5:00 pm, though cases may run late as is common anywhere surgery is performed!  The team returns to the hotel sometime between 6:00 and 8:00 pm, has dinner together, and a team sharing meeting most evenings.  The team then returns to the United States on Saturday, tired, but spiritually rejuvenated and with a newly developed love of the Honduran people.  The common question on return is "when can we come back?"

Vaccination Information: Wondering what immunizations you’ll need for the mission trip? Please refer to the Centers for Disease Control website.