HealthCare Volunteer

Infobox Non-profit
Non-profit_name = HealthCare Volunteer
Non-profit_
Non-profit_type = 501 (c)(3)
founded_date = January 1, 2006
founder = Neilesh Patel and Elliot Mendelsohn
location = Los Angeles, California
office_locations = Liberia, Nigeria, Tanzania, India, Ecuador, Washington D.C. and Toronto
origins =
key_people = Neilesh Patel, Ravi Raghavan
area_served =
focus = Healthcare
method =
revenue =
endowment =
num_volunteers = Over 5,100 website users

num_employees = 33 volunteers [ [http://www.healthcarevolunteer.com/aboutus.php] , retrieved 7/6/2008]
num_members =
owner =
Non-profit_slogan = 'Empowering individuals to make an impact on global health'
homepage = http://www.healthcarevolunteer.com
tax_exempt = Yes
dissolved =
footnotes =

HealthCare Volunteer is a non-profit organization that connects volunteers with a health-related volunteering opportunity.Cite web|url=http://www.krnv.com/Global/story.asp?S=7061804&nav=menu113_5|title=Young Leader in United States Chosen to Receive a Global YouthActionNet Fellowship From the International Youth Foundation and Nokia|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=November 11|publisher=WorldNow and KRNV|year=2007|author=PR Newswire] Cite web|url=http://www.youthactionnet.org/yan_awards/awardwinner.cfm?awid=119|title=Neilesh Patel biography|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=November 11|publisher=YouthActionNet|year=2007|author=YouthActionNet] The organization provides medical, dental and surgical services to needy patients, and impoverished people worldwide, through indirect and direct patient-care programs.Cite web|url=http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/61404.php|title=HealthCare Volunteer Launches Successful Health/nutrition Volunteering Pilot Program In Zimbabwe |accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=November 12|publisher=MediLexicon International Ltd|year=2007|author=Medical News Today] Cite web|url=http://www.entrepreneur27.org/archive/interview-with-neil-patel-of-healthcare-volunteer/|title=Interview with Neil Patel of HealthCare Volunteer|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=November 12|publisher=Entrepreneur27.org |year=2007|author=Entrepreneur27.org ] The company also provides a social networking application, that allows health volunteers to connect with each other and create new volunteer teams. The organization has matched over 22,000 volunteers to nearly 2,400 organizations worldwide. In total tens of thousands of patients have received health care as a result of its indirect and direct patient care programs.

History

In 2005, during his first year at UCLA Dental School, Patel decided to travel to Brazil to provide dental services to underserved communities. But he encountered difficulties in finding volunteer opportunities, having contacted more than 15 Brazilian organizations and receiving no response. He found that other dental and medical students had experienced similar problems. To address this problem, Patel created the Dental Volunteer and later HealthCare Volunteer to help connect students with volunteer opportunities. Cite web|url=http://newsroom.ucla.edu/portal/ucla/young-humanitarians-win-prestige-49332.aspx|title=Winners of the UCLA Humanitarian Awards|accessyear=2008|accessmonthday=April 28|publisher=UCLA Newsroom|year=2008|author=Elizabeth Kivowitz] During Dental school, Neilesh Patel said he spent many “pizza nights” – subsisting on pizza and pulling all-nighters teaching himself how to program and build a Web site, which became the backbone of HealthCare Volunteer. He said he was driven by the belief that all qualified applicants should have the opportunity to volunteer.Cite web|url=http://dailybruin.com/news/2008/may/07/volunteers-awarded-humanitarian-efforts/|title=Neilesh Patel wins the UCLA Humanitarian Awards|accessyear=2008|accessmonthday=May 7|publisher=Daily Bruin UCLA Newsroom|year=2008|author=JJ Yang]

Founded by Neilesh Patel, and Elliot Mendelsohn in November, 2005, HealthCare Volunteer has a large listing of health-related volunteering opportunities serving the non-profit sector. Volunteers include physicians, dentists, medical students, and dental assistants, who donate their time to provide services including free surgery and dental care. The organization has direct patient care programs in over 10 countries including India, Ecuador, Kenya, Tanzania, Liberia, Cameroon and Paraguay. In 2007, Patel was selected as a YouthActionNet Fellow in recognition of the organization's efforts.Cite web|url=http://press.nokia.com/PR/200708/1146865_5.html|title=International Youth Foundation and Nokia honor 20 global youth leaders as YouthActionNet(TM) Fellows|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=November 12|publisher=Nokia|year=2007|author=Nokia] Cite web|url=http://www.youthactionnet.org/yan_awards/awardwinner.cfm|title=Winners of the YouthActionNet Awards, August 2007|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=November 12|publisher=YouthActionNet|year=2007|author=YouthActionNet] In 2008, Patel was awarded the UCLA Charles E Young Humanitarian Award for his work in global health.

Patel and Mendelsohn have also established HealthCare Tourism International, the first non profit medical tourism accreditation service.Cite web|url=http://www.healthcarefinancenews.com/story.cms?id=7040|title=First nonprofit medical tourism accreditation service launched|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=November 12|publisher=Health Care Finance News|year=2007|author=Molly Merrill The organization has gained attention, and Patel was recently quoted in the New York Times on the subject of dental tourism.] Patel started his first non-profit StudentsHelp.org (www.studentshelp.org) at age 17, which helped provide computer services and technical support to needy people around the world.http://www.studentshelp.org/student.html

Volunteer Networking

One of the unique features of the HealthCare Volunteer website is its ability to allow volunteers to create online profiles and connect with other volunteers. Once volunteers have signed up and created their profiles, they can form volunteering teams for service at home or abroad.

Exercising a 'Free Volunteering' Philosophy

HealthCare Volunteer has sought to reduce the financial burdens for both volunteers and organizations. First, volunteers pay no money to search HealthCare Volunteer for volunteering opportunities nor must organizations pay any money to post their volunteering opportunities on HealthCare Volunteer. Secondly, HealthCare Volunteer strives to exclusively partner with organizations that do not charge their volunteers additional money beyond accommodation and other essential services in order to volunteer. HealthCare Volunteer believes that volunteers are already volunteering their time and effort and should not be required to pay additional fees above the basic costs (travel, accommodation, and basic services). Cite web|url=http://healthcarevolunteer.com/organizations/partnerpolicy.php?PHPSESSID=b61fd64e534e41faf8df1a66e7e15c0f|title=HealthCare Volunteer Partner Philosophy|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=September 10|publisher=HealthCare Volunteer|year=2007|author=Ravi Raghavan]

Organizational Awards

In 2007, HealthCare Volunteer began awarding volunteers who helped advance the mission of HealthCare Volunteer. [Cite web|url=http://healthcarevolunteer.com/news/12262007.php|title=HealthCare Volunteer 2007 Awards|accessyear=2007|accessmonthday=December 26|publisher=HealthCare Volunteer|year=2007|author=Manjusha Dutta]

2007 Awards:

Current Objectives

HealthCare Volunteer is attempting to create new direct patient volunteering opportunities in countries like Ecuador, Tanzania, Liberia, India, and Thailand. In addition, HealthCare Volunteer is gathering and distributing donated medical supplies to needy hospitals and clinics. The organization has also partnered with the Wharton International Health Volunteering Program to provide volunteering opportunities for volunteers trained in the management of healthcare.

References

http://travel.nytimes.com/2008/02/07/fashion/07SKIN.html?scp=1&sq=neil+patel&st=nythttp://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080303/LIVING02/803010311/1004/LIVING

External links

* [http://www.healthcarevolunteer.com HealthCare Volunteer website]
* [http://www.dentalvolunteer.com Dental Volunteer website]