We have had an extremely productive and professional team this year. I can honestly say that every team member had a a kind, generous, and fun disposition. We were able to serve 119 patients and perform 137 surgical procedures. I really hope to work with each and every one of you in the future and have truly appreciated this experience.
Orthodontist, Jeanine Norden, Dentist, Eric Nordberg, and Ward coordinator Bricia ElAawar educating children and their families about the importance of brushing their teeth!!!!
Jessica Lara and her mother, two wonderful dedicated volunteer translators, Bricia ElAawar, ward coordinator, PACU nurses, Joanne Gillespie and Jeannie Petro. PACU assistant Lorrie Lee, Pediatrician Ashlee Weimar, Speech Pathologist Kelly Cahill and a local volunteer from hospital with a loving mother and her child.
Bricia ElAawar with a group of local Guatemala Medical students who have been watching and helping in the operating rooms these past two weeks.
Chehab ElAawar and two local hospital volunteers excited about sterilizing equipment!
Anesthesiologist Ishai Erez, Surgeon, Milton Solis, and two local volunteer nurses. They worked in Operating Room 3 during the mission. We were an operating room nurse short this mission. Fortunately, a local nurse was able to fill our open slot! Thank you so much to our local volunteers!
Surgery Room 2: Surgeon, Ron Worland, OR nurse, Maryann McKenzie, anesthesiologist, Larry Ong, and a local nurse, minutes before entering surgery.
Operating Room 1: anesthesiologist, Helen Vajk, OR nurse, Devi Dimalibot, surgeon, Rod Simonds, and a local scrub nurse. It was amazing how many surgeries they were able to perform in such a short time.
Jessica Lara and her mother volunteered as translators for about half of the mission. It was wonderful working with and getting to know them. Thanks so much for all your help and I hope that our paths cross soon.
Mission Director, Brian Walker, President of the Rotary club Guatemala de la Asuncion, Gerry Leech, and our kind, dedicated, and helpful host Rotarian, Silvana Ayuso. Without these three the mission never would have been able to take place. Thank you so much for all of your efforts and we plan on seeing you next year in Retalhuleu, Guatemala.
Frank Walchak, Medical Director, and Carolyn Walchak, Head Nurse, scheduled surgeries and managed the medical staff- they made a hard job seem simple.
Our dedicated team of Anesthesiologists. John Lee, Larry Ong, Helen Vajk, and Ishai Erez. Thank you so much for answering my constant stream of questions! Best of luck to Ishai and Larry as they wrap up their residency.
We threw a party to thank our wonderful hospital volunteers, they gratefully welcomed us into their hospital with open arms and worked side by side with us.
This is our amazing team. This mission could not have been better. Many repeat Rotaplast volunteers mentioned how this was one of the better missions that they have been on. Thank you so much to all of the volunteers for making this such an amazing experience.