MEDLIFE

MEDLIFE (Medicine Education and Development for Low Income Families Everywhere) is a New England-based non-profit health care organization whose mission is to "help families achieve greater freedom from the constraints of poverty, empowering them to live healthier lives."

MEDLIFE currently partners with HUVSYAL, a non-profit organization of the same goals from Riobamba, Ecuador. Together, they are working towards promoting and providing health care to indigenous communities surrounding Riobamba by various methods that include: Community health projects, medical and surgical missions, and plans to build a clinic for the poor.

In the United States, MEDLIFE works with students and professionals from Dartmouth Medical School, University of Maine and the New England area to not only raise money for MEDLIFE's projects in Ecuador, but to provide an opportunity for those students and professionals participating to gain an understanding of the health inequalities that affect many parts of the world today, including Ecuador.

History

MEDLIFE started as a University of Maine student group in 2005.

Mission Statement

The MEDLIFE Vision

Medicine

To improve access to medical care for the poor.

#Professional Development and Education for Local Healthcare Professionals:
Working in a resource poor environment many healthcare professionals do not have access to the tools, services, or supplies they need to do the jobs they have been trained to do. MEDLIFE works to help local professionals do their jobs better by gaining access to needed resources.
#Medical Missions:
##Primary Care: Screen for and care for treatable illness.
##Surgery: Access to needed surgeries.
##Special Needs: If MEDLIFE finds a patient with a special need we help that patient gain access to the services they need,
##Dental Care: Provide preventive education and treatments, as well as restorative care and extraction.
#Establish clinics in remote areas where there is no access to care
##Access main health problems and risks within the community.
##Provide care appropriate to assessed problems.
##Work with regional health care facilities and health related organizations to improve health within the community.

Education

MEDLIFE strives to treat the root causes of illness. Much illness encountered by the poorest of poor is not only a result of lack of access to medical care, but also perpetuated by lack of preventive health care. The Education vision of MEDLIFE is multifaceted:

#Educate the poor on health topics, both preventive and proactive.
#Educate local Health Promoters within the community to:
##Educate their neighbors on health issues and,
##Help develop a data base of health needs, to better understand the root causes of illnesses.
#Provide educational support for communities to learn about community development.
#Continued education for health care professionals.
#Offer an educational experience to college students, in the hope that they will be inspired to continue to contribute their time to community service.

Development

MEDLIFE hopes that by evaluating the medical needs of the community, we will better understand their needs for overall community development. MEDLIFE's objective is not solely medical aid; we are an organization working with motivated individuals and communities to help bring access to healthcare, education and community development to poor communities to improve overall health of the people

#MEDLIFE works to provide avenues to long-term, self sustaining development and to remedy those issues underpinning the cycle of poverty and suffering.
#Development based on listening to our patients needs and concerns.
# Working to overcome the barriers that disproportionately make the poor sick. For example, lack of clean water, poor nutrition, or lack of access to essential medications and treatments in particular for curable diseases and medical conditions.

Where MEDLIFE Works

Cebadas

Riobamba

Quito

Student Chapters found at:

Dartmouth Medical School

University of Maine

Home to the beginnings of MEDLIFE, the University of Maine continues to house a strongly productive chapter of MEDLIFE members. This "UMaine" chapter of MEDLIFE is composed of highly motivated students, pursuing careers inside and out the realms of health care, whose common interest in serving those less fortunate than themselves have brought them together to further MEDLIFE's cause. Throughout the year, students hold fundraisers for the parent organization. Routine meetings are also held to plans said events, as well as to hold discussions about issues in health inequality so as to further their understanding of the hardships faced by the people they are trying to help. The year culminates in a two-week medical mission in Ecuador during the students spring break. Any student can join.

Partners

HUVSYAL is MEDLIFE's sister organization in Ecuador. Based out of Riobamba, HUVSYAL ("Hacia Una Vida Saludable Y Ambiente Limpio" or ¨Towards a Healthy Life and a Clean Environment¨) assists MEDLIFE in coordinating MEDLIFE's community health projects, medical and surgical missions as well as taking care of any patients whose severe illness require immediate medical attention.

Medical & Surgical Missions

2005 Mission

2006 Mission

MEDLIFE second mission took place in May 2006 and again was based out of the University of Maine. Several students accompanied a team that included a physcian and a dentist from the New England are, a student advisor and a MEDLIFE representative went to eight different communities in nine days and saw over 800 patients. Blanca, mentioned below, was one of them.

2007 Missions

March (Medical)

THis medical mission took place during the first two full weeks in March in some of the communities around Riobamba. Nine University of Maine students, a Dartmouth Medical School student, a student advisor and three professionals including two physicians from New Hampshire participated.

During the two weeks of the mission over 600 patients were seen by MEDLIFE's volunteer doctors and dentist. It was the missions emphasis on women's health, however, that enabled over 160 women gain access to pap smears, some for the first time in their lives. Pap smear results were promtly returned to patients.

April (Surgical)

MEDLIFE's first surgical mission was a success. With surgeons and health professionals from Eastern Maine Medical Center and the Hancock County Area, this surgical mission served as a continuity of the focus the March mission of this same year placed on women's health. Specializing in OB/GYN procedures, the surgical team operated on a total of 37 patients.

June (Medical)

Currently, plans for a two week medical mission in Quito composed of students from Dartmouth Medical School and the University of Maine along with physicians and dentist from the New England area are being made.

Success Stories

These are some of the patients who MEDLIFE has helped.

Blanca

Blanca, a 34 year-old single mother, went to MEDLIFE complaining of a lump in her neck that had been growing for four years. On exam, it was noted that her thyroid was six times its normal size. MEDLIFE and HUVSYAL arranged for diagnostic testing. Blanca was diagnosed with thyroid cancer. With MEDLIFE’s support Blanca received curative surgery. Blanca has now joined the MEDLIFE team in Ecuador and hopes to become a Health Promoter in her community.

Cristian

Having injured his leg in a bicycle accident two weeks before MEDLIFE would stop by his community during their 2006 medical mission, Cristian's leg had already swollen to twice the size of his healthy leg. With his family having no means to bring him to a hospital, MEDLIFE mobilized Cristian immediately to one. MEDLIFE helped provide for the two surgeries Cristian would need and the heavy regiments of antibiotics necessary to fight off the infection and prevent him from developing septicemia. Cristian is now doing well and back safe in his community.

Darwin

During a medical mission in May 2005, MEDLIFE met a 5 year-old boy named Darwin. During a routine check-up, it was discovered that Darwin had a heart murmur. By partnerning with their sister organization HUVSYAL, MEDLIFE was able to provide the means for Darwin's condition to be specifically diagnosed in Quito, Ecuador. There, Darwin was diagnosed with Patent ductus arteriosus (PDA), Requiring immediate surgery. In May 2006, with MEDLIFE's help, Darwin had a successful heart surgery in Quito.

William

In May 2005 a MEDLIFE volunteer-doctor knew that, after examining William, the heart murmur he had was a serious condition that would require surgery. William's family was informed, however they already knew of his condition but had never had the means to provide the care their son needed. MEDLIFE’s volunteers raised money for William's surgery. In August 2005 William went to Quito, Ecuador to undergo what would be a successful heart surgery.

External links

* [http://www.medlifeweb.org MEDLIFE]