International
Loveland, Colorado 80537
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About Me
International Medical Relief (IMR) is a registered 501(c)(3) medical organization with NGO status based in the United States. We provide mobile medical clinics and sustainable health education to underserved communities in 40 countries around the world.
IMR offers short-term assignments for volunteer medical professionals and dental professionals, students, and non-medical volunteers to conduct medical and dental clinics that provide free, expert care and health education in areas where it is limited or difficult to obtain. We make all arrangements for our volunteers, including transportation, lodging/meals, government permits, and clinic logistics. We secure equipment, supplies, and medicines from within the United States through partnerships with pharmaceutical and medical supply companies, hospitals, and other health and development organizations. We provide this service without compensation or discrimination, and irrespective of race, religion, creed, or political affiliation.
IMR was founded on the belief that knowledge of basic health facts and access to healthcare should not be the prerogative of select nations, regions, or classes, but should be shared by as many people as possible. We undertake our work to include some of the millions of people who have been excluded from today’s healthcare systems worldwide.
IMR contributes to the world’s communities by improving the overall health and wellness of the people via medical diagnosis and treatment, partnerships with local medical designees, community training, and fostering the principles of prevention.
OUR MISSION
To provide access to health care in underserved and vulnerable communities around the world to improve the health, wellness, and quality of life of those populations most in need.
OUR VISION
To be the preeminent global nonprofit health provider that will create, sustain, and enhance global community health status by providing compassionate, responsive, and high quality services.
OPERATIONS
International Medical Relief promotes the well-being of underdeveloped communities through a comprehensive continuum of services provided in collaboration with partners. These services are accomplished through three main functions of the organization:
HEALTH CARE SERVICES
IMR provides free health care services, medicines, and supplies to entire communities, particularly to community members who are sick or frail, especially poor, or at great risk of ill health and disease. To foster community interaction and development, we begin each clinic with team members’ introduction to community leaders and members and proceed through pre-arranged logistics. Locations for clinic can vary from community hospitals to small clinics, health posts, and temporary areas set up in a village, or even in individual homes reached by trekking from village to village for house calls. We work with our hosts and the local Ministry of Health to determine the best way to reach the most vulnerable and those most in need.
Our volunteer medical and dental providers diagnose and treat a wide variety of conditions, typically while being shadowed by student volunteers who learn in the process. We commonly treat patients suffering from respiratory infections, malaria, urinary tract infections, pain, moderate and severe dehydration, headaches, parasites, dermatological infections, and wounds. Common wounds include those from snake bites, motor vehicle accidents, and agricultural accidents, such as goat bites. We may conduct minor surgical procedures on abscesses, jiggers and other burrowing parasites, or large wounds. Many of the illnesses we diagnose are the result of a lack of clean water, sanitary conditions, and education.
We commonly treat patients suffering from dermatological infections, impetigo, scabies and staph infections, some of which are highly contagious. We conduct minor surgical procedures on abscesses or lesions needing sutures.
Our medical teams enhance direct patient care through our comprehensive laboratory and wound care stations. We can typically provide rapid testing for pregnancy, malaria, strep A, HIV, and hemoglobin. The wound care station includes specialty dressings, cleaning supplies, and suturing materials.
We also provide a privacy area for examinations, IM injections, and mental health counseling. An in-clinic ICU for oral and IV hydration and observing patients completes the clinic.
Because our teams are staffed by volunteers, every team looks different and has different capabilities. We frequently have pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, infectious disease, pain management (including acupuncture and chiropractic providers), physical medicine, geriatrics, family practice, and mental health providers on our trips. Our dental teams often include oral surgeons, general or specialized dentists, and certified dental hygienists and assistants. Technical providers such as respiratory therapists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists often accompany us as well.
For patients who require care beyond the scope of what we are able to provide, we do our best to get them to the nearest medical facility for treatment.
During each clinic, basic equipment, pharmaceuticals, and medical supplies are used in clinic and then donated to trained local health care workers within recipient communities to be distributed, free of charge, as diagnosed needs arise. Our medicine and supply donations occur as a result of IMR partnerships with pharmaceutical and medical supply companies, as well as donations from area hospitals and clinics. These resources are lifesaving.
EDUCATION
Education is as important as medical and dental care for our patients. Each clinic includes basic health education according to the specialties and skills of the IMR volunteers, as well as the needs of the local people. When communities become empowered to take health and wellness issues into their own hands, they become self-sufficient. IMR provides learning opportunities for the local communities through classes and hands-on learning to sustain their well-being beyond our visit.
Community classes focus on prevention and run throughout the clinic day. They might include basic first aid, clean water, breathing solutions, hand washing, infectious diseases, dehydration, smoking, and simple treatments for chronic ailments affecting the community. Clean water, basic hygiene, and nutritional tips
The medical exchange component of education is critical for the continuum of care outside of our visit. IMR provides technical expertise to local medical professionals through a partnership with them in diagnostics and treatment, and through a mutual exchange of ideas. During our clinics, doctors, nurses, dentists and other volunteers work side by side with the host community’s own medical and health professionals for a collaborative exchange of modern and traditional means of healing.
Jobs Posted
| IMR Brazil June 22-29,2019 , | |||
| 11-06-2019 | |||
| IMR will return for our 8th visit down the beautiful, world-renowned, Amazon River. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and takes up nearly half of South America by itself. Brazil is a country of great natural beauty that includes mountains, wetlands, island archipelagos, waterfalls, colonial ports, and some of the world’s most populated cities. Your team will live and work on the Amazon River in the heart of the rainforest and every moment on the river is truly a feast for the eyes, from the magnificent sunrises to the striking sunsets. You may even see an elusive jaguar or impossibly large anaconda as you survey your surroundings from the bow of the riverboat you will call home. You and your team will live on a five star, world-class boat and set up a full medical and dental clinic in remote villages along the water’s edge. Without IMR, these villages have no other means of healthcare. Upon returning to your private riverboat each night, you will be welcomed with a feast of local cuisine and opportunities for stargazing, crocodile hunting, hammock swinging, and much, much more. After a dinner of local delicacies and remarkable desserts, the boat will make ready for your departure to the next clinic site while you take a hot shower under the stars and prepare for a wonderful night’s sleep without bugs or cares. Enthusiastic crowds will gather at every stop, and children will peer through every crack as they anxiously wait their turn for care and hugs from the IMR team. Enthusiastic crowds will gather at every stop, and children will peer through every crack as they anxiously wait their turn for care and hugs from the IMR team.
Simply being in the Amazon, living on a riverboat, and caring for people with very limited access to care may be enough, but there is still more to see! Your team will spend a day discovering Manaus, including the renowned opera house, Teatro Amazonas (the #1 rated place to visit in Manaus according to TripAdvisor!), the handicrafts market, and the Rio Negro Palace. You will also have the opportunity to explore the rainforest and "hunt" for caimans, explore the villages where you will work, and experience life aboard, steaming up and down the Amazon. Every IMR team member who has "taken the boat" will tell you - this trip is best!!
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| Sengal June 7-15, 2019 , | |||
| 13-05-2019 | |||
| This special trip is dear to IMR's heart, as our very first trip was to Senegal in 2002, and we have worked here for more than a 15 years. Join us as we return with great joy to treat the Talibé children, work in villages and holy cities, and travel throughout central Senegal Senegal is a country of contrasts because in a single view you will see women laughing and dressed in lovely printed traditional dress and boubous riding in pony carts, businessmen and women stepping out of their Lexuses and entering high rise offices, overloaded trucks that are impossibly wide for the street, and the tin shacks that house the poor. Turn your head, and you will see goats tied on top of cars for a quick ride to their new homes, children laughing, running, and twirling wooden hoops, and dogs and ponies everywhere. Much of Senegal remains deeply patriarchal and traditional, but women now form a significant minority in the government, and education is on the rise. Most of Senegal remains rural, with very limited education, almost no health care outside of the cities, and extreme poverty. One child in eleven dies before the age of five. More than 20% of children are malnourished, and malaria is a common cause of death. Burns are a daily fact of life in the village, where families cook food over open fires. This is where you will make a difference in this remarkable country. On this special trip, IMR will focus our efforts on the Talibé children. In rural Senegal, the accepted way for children to have the honor of attending school is through the Talibé system. In the past, this system developed educated professionals in Senegal; today, the children, living in "daaras" or schools, are found more often on the street, begging, than in the classrooms. The Talibé children live in dire conditions, sleeping on concrete floors with dozens of other boys. Many find refuge in their "daara" or school, with up to 100 boys being cared for by a single teacher. In order to attend school, the boys beg up to ten hours per day and are required to pay their teacher a daily fee. After begging all day, the children learn the Koran by rote; if they make a mistake in recitation, they are often severely beaten. By the time they are fifteen or sixteen years old, they are often abandoned to the streets. Join IMR as we return to treat the Talibé children with acute medical and dental care, health education, vaccinations, wound care, and love. We will also treat many villagers on this trip. The patients you will see will have conditions ranging from rashes to joint pain, lymphatic filariasis to leptospirosis, schistosomiasis to GERD. Burns are common from the open cooking fires and serious wounds are normal occurrences in clinic each day. Working in the villages is very special and our patients will celebrate your visit. Are you a Dentist? We need you HERE! This is a place of suffering, where chewing sticks have done their damage and created teeth that are barely an exterior shell, with roots that scream with every bite a patient takes. We see some of our sickest patients in Senegal. On our 2014 trip to Senegal, we treated more than 200 patients acutely ill with malaria in addition to those suffering from tinea, scabies, ear infections, urinary tract infections, respiratory infections, and sexually transmitted diseases. Your patients will be in the greatest need for medical and dental care. In 2018 we cared for more than 700 Talibe children and more than 1500 total patients. Health education will continue to make a difference to the health of the villages and the Talibé children. Please join us for a very special opportunity to care for the most neglected of patients on this rewarding trip. You will have the opportunity to partner with many local physicians and an outstanding team of translators that have worked side-by-side with IMR for many years. |
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| Nicaragua June 1-8, 2019 , | |||
| 10-05-2019 | |||
| After landing in vibrant Costa Rica, you will be transported by boat to Nicaragua's tropical rainforest region. You will be staying in one of the most ecologically diverse environments of the world. The medical team will travel to the Rama Indian tribes and other nearby communities to set up clinics. Each morning the team will venture out on guided boats, traveling on rivers famous for world-class fishing, to reach these nearby large communities as well as the more isolated locations throughout the rainforest. Following the clinic, IMR’s team will return to their accommodation: a state of the art, exclusive lodge, where private cottages are connected via bridged paths that wind through the Amazon rainforest. Housing a minimum of 44% of the plant species and 35% of vertebrate species on Earth, Nicaragua’s rain forest is considered a biodiversity hotspot of Mesoamerica. Embrace the opportunity to be immersed in this tropical ecosystem, as this area is in danger of being lost, like so many of our natural rainforests. The growth in the Bluefields area has expanded beyond the ability of the medical structure to care for their patients. IMR works in town to help offset the overload of patients from the continual growth in this area. Also, indigenous groups that rarely receive medical care or any outside visitors are also a very special highlight for any volunteer. It is an honor to receive the patient's trust and be allowed into this region to provide medical care. The Rama, considered to be the “Guardians of the Forest,” do not generally have the means to travel the extensive distances to seek the limited health care typically offered. Your patients will paddle for many hours against the current to come to clinic or to return to their homes after being seen. If you watch closely, you may see a small wooden canoe, hand carved from the single log of a tree, tied up to a larger barge for a tow against the current. IMR’s focus on health education and acute medical and dental care will serve your patients well: you will see many patients for wound care, respiratory infections, and fungal infections. Rotavirus, giardiasis, ascariasis, and other infectious diseases are common, much of which can be prevented through your team’s focus on preventing disease with education.
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| Cambodia May 31- June 9, 2019 , | |||
| 12-04-2019 | |||
Cambodia, home to nearly 15 million is perhaps one of the most charming countries in all of Asia. From an outsider’s first glance, its pristine golden beaches, tranquil rice paddies, lush jungle landscapes, and vibrant sunsets over the world’s largest religious structure are the allure of this country. Take a deeper look and learn that it is the Khmer people that ultimately comprise its unique draw. Cambodia’s tragic history defined by decades of political unrest, violence, and poverty has shaped an inspiringly optimistic and warm population. As a visitor, it is a powerful experience to feel the serenity emitted by Cambodia’s paradisiacal landscapes in harsh contrast to the magnitude of strife previously endured. This poignant intersection of a painful past and developing present leaves no visitor untouched.ABOUT CLINIC International Medical Relief is partnering with Cambodia on a major goal of the country: to improve access to healthcare and preventative education to health conditions. This is no easy task - during the bloody regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, the health care system as a whole was decimated, with virtually no doctors left in the country at the end of the regime. Even today, more than 40 years after the end of the Khmer Rouge, the United Nations Millennium Project proclaimed that only 13 percent of the country visited health facilities last year, and 22.9 percent of children die before the age of 5. Treatable diseases like malaria, intestinal parasites, cholera, diarrhea, tuberculosis, and yaws, as well as vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles are endemic and claim lives everyday. The situation is improving as a whole but among the populations that IMR serves, the poor, migrant workers, unregistered population, and ethnic minorities, healthcare is almost nonexistent.
TRANSPORTATION & LODGING We will be staying in comfortable and modern hotels during your stay in Phnom Penh. You will love the bustle of the city and the wide variety of cuisine's. All transportation will be included in your trip, and provided by safe and trustworthy drivers.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS On your free day in Phnom Penh, you and the team will have opportunities to visit the Royal Palace, take a river tour, and see the Killing Fields of the Khmer Rouge. Be prepared to immerse yourself in this incredible culture and learn about the recent history of Cambodia that many of your patients will not have read about it, but instead, lived it. Your ability to care for these patients will be deeply meaningful.
EXTEND YOUR STAY You're venturing around the globe, have you considered extending your stay a few additional days to visit some of Cambodia's top spots? Join IMR on an exclusive extension of Cambodia! Discover Siem Reap — home to the temples and ruins of Angkor Wat, Bayon and Neak Pean. Immerse yourself in Cambodian culture at an acrobatic circus with live music. Indulge your senses in some of the best cuisines in Southeast Asia and be welcomed to a country of vibrant people, history and natural landscapes. |
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| Medical Mission Trip: Nepal May 24-June 2, 2019 , | |||
| 13-03-2019 | |||
ABOUT THE MISSION TRIP Kathmandu is located in a valley surrounded by the Himalayas and has a population of almost 1 million people. Nepal is a developing country with a low life expectancy and a very low per capita income. It continues to struggle with high levels of hunger and poverty. Natural disasters are a significant contributor to mortality. Nepal is a beautiful and exotic country with great need to meet its most recent challenge, the April 2015 earthquake. The nation is highly religious, with more than 80% of the population practicing Hinduism and many people having deep belief in both Hinduism and Buddhism. In addition to being home to eight of the top ten mountains in the world, Nepal also has some of the most beautiful religious sites in the world. Services are extremely limited for anyone outside of the capital of Kathmandu, especially in the areas where your team will be working.
ABOUT CLINIC The team will be working in small communities far outside of Kathmandu that were hit hard during the April 2015 earthquake. Your patients will include the residents of small, remote villages who are in desperate need of medical and dental care and health education. You will be able to provide your patients with the immediate care they need and the education to help them help themselves long after you leave. IMR’s medical and dental teams will provide immediate care medicines, laboratory testing, wound care, and more these villages and you will get to know their community as you will be staying in a beautiful guesthouse for the week near the villages you are working in. You will be able to work side-by-side with the IMR's many local medical partners on this trip, providing education on breast cancer prevention, continuing to provide reading glasses and eye examinations, and giving care and comfort to hundreds of patients in need.
TRANSPORTATION & LODGING You will stay in simple accommodations with beds provided for everyone. The accommodations, while not luxurious, are safe, clean, and the best of what this community has to offer. The guest house is the staple of trekkers in Nepal and their owners are hospitable hosts who will make you feel welcomed and cared for. Local foods will be served, including the community staple, dal bhat, consisting of rice and lentils with a variety of spices. Tibetan delicacies are everywhere as well; don't miss the water buffalo momos and the many varieties of rice pudding!
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS Your work in two of the most beautiful districts in Nepal will be the highlight of your trip but seeing the beautiful ancient Stupas, Durbar Square and doing a little shopping in Thamel is a close second. This trip is one our most beautiful - take the time to extend your stay, if you can, and visit Tibet or take a trek! You will not have the words to describe this trip upon returning home so take a lot of photos!!
EXTEND YOUR STAY EXCLUSIVE IMR EXTENSION You're venturing around the globe, have you considered extending your stay a few additional days to do some hiking in the Himalayas or visit neighboring Tibet? Trekking in Nepal - Mardi Himal Nestled in the Annapurna region, this exciting route introduces travelers to the beauty of the Himalayas. On this 5-6 day trek you can expect to experience the magnificent sites of Dhaulagiri, Machhapuchhre (Fishtale), Manaslu and Annapurna ranges. While the Mardi Himal is a relatively moderate trek compared to some others in the region, you will not be short in sites as your trail winds through Gurund and Magar traditional villages with spectacular views, lush forests and a dramatic view with a wide range of snow-capped mountains in the distance. You will be accompanied by professional trekking guides and Sherpa's on a 1:1 ratio. We are proud to say that our in-country partner company is home to the first Nepalese woman to successfully summit Annapurna IV. Cross your fingers, she may just be your guide! For more information on this opportunity visit: https://worldwidenavigators.com/trips/mardi-himal-hymalayan-trek/ Venture to Nepal's neighboring Tibet following your Nepal clinical trip where you will have the opportunity to explore some of the most famous monasteries and temples in the world, learning first hand about Buddhism in one of the most beautiful places at the top of the world. Join WWN on this three night, four day program extension to adventure to stunning Tibet for a tour of Lhasa’s world-famous sites. Spend the day at the world- renowned Tibetan Buddhist sites of the Potala Palace and the Summer Palace. Leave one of the highest cities in the world with a rare glimpse of these historically significant sites, some of which date back to the 1600s, the time of the 5th Dalai Lama. To view the trip itinerary click here: https://worldwidenavigators.com/trips/wonders-of-tibet/ Interested in extending your stay to tour some of India's top spots? Contact our preferred travel agency Worldwide Navigators directly at travel@worldwidenavigators.com |
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| Medical Mission Trip: Dominican Republic May 11 - 18, 2019 , | |||
| 11-02-2019 | |||
ABOUT THE MISSION TRIP The Dominican Republic is one of the most popular tourist destinations in the world. It is also a country where water supply, deforestation, and soil erosion are posing a great threat to the country. The coral reefs surrounding the island are also in harm's way, decreasing the fish that the people of the coastal regions need to survive. 30% of the population is unemployed and more than 20% of the workforce is underemployed. The poor water quality throughout the island is responsible for many health problems and increasing infectious disease. More than 2 million Haitian immigrants, most of them undocumented, live in the Dominican Republic working in high labor, low wage, unskilled jobs and receiving no services from the government. This is why International Medical Relief has been invited to provide care for the people of the Dominican Republic who can't access care. ·
ABOUT CLINIC IMR will be traveling to villages surrounding the province to provide patients with much needed health care services, dental care, and education and medications. We will care for families, the elderly, refugee workers, and more. All community members are invited to attend and even those who are there for the training and education on health topics will come with their families for guidance in how to stay healthy and care for their children. This area lacks clean water and we anticipate treating a lot of diseases as a result of this. Various skin infections, respiratory infections, fungal infections and infectious diseases are all common to the area.
TRANSPORTATION & LODGING The team will be staying in modest, dormatory-like housing that is safe and clean. You will fly into Santo Domingo and meet your transportation to our base camp. If you fly on the group ticket, all transportation will be arranged; if you are taking advantage of the amazing opportunity to extend your stay for the golf, beaches, or mountains by flying independently (and we hope you do!), we'll help you arrange your transportation as required or add you to the group transportation for a small fee.
TRIP HIGHLIGHTS While the highlight of this trip will be with the patients that you care for, the team will also have the opportunity to participate in the local culture in town some evenings. You'll have some time to make new friends in the village where you are based, practice your Spanish, and maybe even learn some village dances or games! Don't forget your baseball glove, cleats, and favorite bat (just kidding about the bat!) - baseball is more than a national past time; it is the passion of the Dominican Republic and the heart of the community. Let's play ball!!
EXTEND YOUR STAY Join IMR on an exclusive extension of nearby Dominican Republic! Spend five perfect days in the unexpected tropical paradise of the Dominican Republic, a country known for its warm people, lush mountain scenery and of course beaches galore. Wander charming cobblestone streets and discover the history of Santo Domingo, the oldest city in the Americas. Explore the country’s mysterious caverns and lush subtropical rainforests. Play in the sand on miles of pristine beaches and discover the underwater beauty of lively coral reefs. Steeped in history, with a delightful blend of traditional and modern, it’s a no-brainer why the Dominican Republic has become a hotspot for tourists from all over the world.Trip Link: https://www.internationalmedicalrelief.org/medical-missions/dominican-republic-3/ Donation required for participation |
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| Brazil October 13, 2017 - October 22, 2017 , | |||
| 20-01-2017 | |||
About The Mission Trip IMR will return for our fourth visit down the beautiful, world renowned, Amazon River. Brazil is the fifth largest country in the world and takes up nearly half of South America by itself. Brazil is a country of great natural beauty that includes mountains, wetlands, island archipelagos, waterfalls, colonial ports, and some of the world’s most populated cities. Your team will live and work on the Amazon River in the heart of the rainforest. Every moment on the river is a feast for the eyes, from the magnificent sunrises to the magnificent sunsets. You may even see an elusive jaguar or impossibly large anaconda as you survey your surroundings from the bow of the 5-star riverboat you will call home.
About Clinic The Amazon Region of Brazil has about 23 million people with extremely low density. Don't be fooled by this, however. The river communities already know the dates of the IMR trips in 2016 and are eagerly waiting for you to arrive. The team will see patients with malaria and dengue fever, tinea and scabies, chagas disease, and many different wounds. Malaria, Dengue Fever, Leishmaniasis, Tuberculosis, and Leprosy are major public health concerns in the region but there is also an epidemiological shift occurring with the rise of chronic, non-communicable diseases, personal violence, and alcoholism. IMR brings significant value to these patients by providing education on hypertension, diabetes, smoking, and sexually transmitted diseases in addition to basic hygiene, water storage, sanitation, and mosquito/insect control. On past trips, IMR has seen a wide variety of skin conditions and wounds, including snake and piranha bites, cutaneous leishmaniasis, and many types of fungal infections. Ear infections are common in all ages. Dental care is of primary importance along the river and your team will provide oral health education, fluoride, and acute dental care to every patient in your care. You will be provided with extensive public health information to help you provide the best care possible for your patients, including statistics from past IMR teams. The remote river communities will welcome your team with open arms, a plea for care, and a friendly “obrigado” (Portuguese for “thank you”) upon your departure.
Lodging You and your team will live on a five star, world-class boat and set up a full medical and dental clinic in remote villages along the water’s edge. Without IMR, these villages have no other means of healthcare. Upon returning to your private riverboat each night, you will be welcomed with a feast of local cuisine and opportunities for stargazing, crocodile hunting, hammock swinging, and much, much more. After a dinner of local delicacies and remarkable desserts, the boat will make ready for your departure to the next clinic site while you take a hot shower under the stars and prepare for a wonderful night’s sleep without bugs or cares. Enthusiastic crowds will gather at every stop, and children will peer through every crack as they anxiously wait their turn for care and hugs from the IMR team. Enthusiastic crowds will gather at every stop, and children will peer through every crack as they anxiously wait their turn for care and hugs from the IMR team.
Trip Highlights Simply being in the Amazon, living on a riverboat, and caring for people with very limited access to care may be enough, but there is still more to see! Your team will spend a day discovering Manaus, including the renowned opera house, Teatro Amazonas (the #1 rated place to visit in Manaus according to TripAdvisor!), the handicrafts market, and the Rio Negro Palace. You will also have the opportunity to explore the rainforest and "hunt" for caimans, explore the villages where you will work, and experience life aboard, steaming up and down the Amazon. Every IMR team member who has "taken the boat" will tell you - this trip is best!!
Extend Your Stay You certainly don't have to leave Brazil to have the vacation of a lifetime. From waterfalls to beaches, mountains to deserts, from the 15th century to the 21st century, there is something for everyone in Brazil. Add into the mix 200,000 million of the nicest people you will ever meet, and some of whom you did meet during clinic,and you have the perfect place to extend your stay. Visit Pelourinho, a 16th century city, climb Sugarloaf Mountain to see Rio de Janeiro from a whole new perspective, learn a little Capoerira, a Brazilian martial art using art and music and requiring tremendous upper body strength (you are IMR, you can do it!!), or the Tujuca Forest in the middle of Rio, or the Museu de Arte in Sao Paulo. Not matter which direction you go in, there is something amazing to do in Brazil! The IMR office can help you extend your stay, so give them a call! |
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| Vietnam December 27, 2017 - January 7, 2018 , | |||
| 18-01-2017 | |||
About The Mission Trip Vietnam is a Southeast Asian country on the South China Sea known for its beaches, rivers, Buddhist pagodas, and bustling cities. Fishing is one of the major contributors to large workforce employment. Major employers include a highly diversified group of industrial manufacturers (i.e. machinery, chemicals, textiles, bricks, fertilizer). Most of these businesses are state-owned. You will see an extensive amount of new construction as you travel from your home base out to the small villages each day. Recently, tourism has played a major role in the economy of the area.
About Clinic Your team will focus on acute medical and dental needs and health education. As with every IMR team, your team will provide classes on hand washing, oral hygiene, purification and storage of drinking water, family planning, safe sexual practices, choking, and stretching/pain management. Individual patients also receive extensive education focusing on prevention from their provider, based on their current and chronic medical conditions.
LodgingThe team will stay in modest, comfortable accommodations. The South Central Coast is known for cooking the strongest and boldest flavor foods available in Vietnam, including mì quảng (rice noodles with turmeric and fish or meat), bún chả cá (fish ball noodle soup), bún mắm (seafood gumbo), cánh gà chiên mắm (fried chicken wings in fish sauce), and mít trộn (a salad mixed with jackfruit and pork rind).Trip HighlightsYou will have the opportunity to see some of the most famous historical sites in the area and enjoy the excitement of the local markets. We will determine the itinerary for your cultural day soon-- there is so much to see and do! One of the most famous sites is Mỹ Sơn, an archaeological site dating back more than a thousand years, in Quảng Nam. Located in a remote forested valley, this former capital and religious center of the Champa kingdom once contained in excess of 70 style temples and stupas. Although badly damaged by bombing raids in the 1960s, the site still has more than 20 structures and was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1999. Many statues, sculptures and reliefs recovered from Mỹ Sơn are kept in the Museum of Cham Sculpture, near the Hàn River. Dating from the fourth to the 14th centuries, the sensual artwork on these works depicts daily activities as well as Hindu and Buddhist religious themes. The local market offers a wide variety of goods sold by many different vendors, including clothing, silk, jewelry, flowers, and foodstuffs such as dried fruit and fish, plus coffee, tea, and wine.Extend Your Stay Thinking about extending your stay? IMR can help you plan the trip of a lifetime. Contact the office to discuss your extended stay! If you’re interested in touring the rest of Vietnam, take a trek-- think plunging highland valleys, tiers of rice paddies, and soaring limestone mountains. Go to the Sunday market at Bac Ha and revel in the local flavors. Visit Sapa in the Muong Hoa Valley and stay overnight at the Topas Ecolodge. Love mountain biking? Cat Tien National Park in South Vietnam is your place! There is truly a surprise in every corner of Vietnam and a UNESCO World Heritage Sites almost everywhere you look. Want to travel further afield? Laos, China, and Cambodia are neighbors. Go say hello! |
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| Cambodia December 15, 2017 - December 24, 2017 , | |||
| 18-01-2017 | |||
About The Mission Trip Cambodia, home to nearly 15 million is perhaps one of the most charming countries in all of Asia. From an outsider’s first glance, its pristine golden beaches, tranquil rice paddies, lush jungle landscapes, and vibrant sunsets over the world’s largest religious structure are the allure of this country. Take a deeper look and learn that it is the Khmer people that ultimately comprise its unique draw. Cambodia’s tragic history defined by decades of political unrest, violence, and poverty has shaped an inspiringly optimistic and warm population. As a visitor, it is a powerful experience to feel the serenity emitted by Cambodia’s paradisiacal landscapes in harsh contrast to the magnitude of strife previously endured. This poignant intersection of a painful past and developing present leaves no visitor untouched.
About Clinic International Medical Relief is partnering with Cambodia on a major goal of the country: to improve access to healthcare and preventative education to health conditions. This is no easy task - during the bloody regime of Pol Pot and the Khmer Rouge, the health care system as a whole was decimated, with virtually no doctors left in the country at the end of the regime. Even today, more than 40 years after the end of the Khmer Rouge, the United Nations Millennium Project proclaimed that only 13 percent of the country visited health facilities last year, and 22.9 percent of children die before the age of 5. Treatable diseases like malaria, intestinal parasites, cholera, diarrhea, tuberculosis, and yaws, as well as vaccine-preventable diseases such as measles are endemic and claim lives everyday. The situation is improving as a whole but among the populations that IMR serves, the poor, migrant workers, unregistered population, and ethnic minorities, healthcare is almost nonexistent.
LodgingWe will be staying in clean and friendly hotels throughout our stay. You will love the bustle of the city and the wonderful food. Please join us!Trip Highlights You will visit many deeply sobering sites on this trip - and learning about the recent history of Cambodia will remind you that many of your patients will not have read about it, but instead, lived it. Your ability to care for these patients will be deeply meaningful.
Extend Your Stay There are so many important sites in Cambodia! Extend your stay and travel by bus to Siem Reap and spend as many days as you can marveling at the temples of Angkor, including Angkor Wat, Ta Prohm, and Bayon. Then return to Phnom Penh by ferry on the Tonle Sap Lake, watching the fishing families work near the floating villages that they call home. While you are in Phnom Penh, savor its busy markets and restaurants and pay respects to those lost to genocide at the Choeung Ek museum and Tuol Sleng prison. Visit the Royal Palace, the Silver Pagoda, and the Central Market. If you love backpacking, head to the Cardamoms. If you love beaches, head down to Kampong Som (Sihanoukville). IMR is happy to help you extend your stay! |
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| Thailand – Lantern Festival October 29, 2017 - November 6, 2017 , | |||
| 18-01-2017 | |||
Experience the real “Land of Smiles” in a serene town of Northern Thailand where you will stay in a small forest compound surrounded by mango trees. Nestled among rice fields and the quiet hum of daily life, this town neighbors the bustling Chiang Mai night market. Stroll through lines of vendors for a total sensory experience; immerse yourself in the appetite-inducing smells, regional fruits, stunning silk tapestries, and even sizzling fried insects. With our advantageous location, remove yourself from the bustle in just a short walk up the mountain to take in spectacular views of the valley below. Your team will participate in an ongoing effort to decrease certain health concerns in the villages we work in.
The team will treat remote indigenous groups of the Akha, high in the Chiang Rai mountains. Other patient populations include local migrant workers, as well as refugee populations, often from bordering Myanmar, who are left outside of the medical system. IMR believes that every child should have inalienable rights and protections to prevent them from situational slavery; some patients will be rescued victims of these unfortunately prevalent circumstances.
During your stay and to coincide with IMR’s year of festivals, your team will attend Thailand’s stunning Loi Krathong and Yi Peng festival! During this time of year, a celebration based on the Thai lunar calendar, people decorate their homes and craft baskets made from flowers, leaves, and lights which they then float on the river. You’ll have the opportunity to send floating lanterns up into the sky as well, joining thousands of others that light up the sky for miles around!Company Profile
Company Info
International
Loveland, CO, United States
Company Description:
International Medical Relief (IMR) is a registered 501(c)(3) medical organization with NGO status based in the United States. We provide mobile medical clinics and sustainable health education to underserved communities in 40 countries around the world.
IMR offers short-term assignments for volunteer medical professionals and dental professionals, students, and non-medical volunteers to conduct medical and dental clinics that provide free, expert care and health education in areas where it is limited or difficult to obtain. We make all arrangements for our volunteers, including transportation, lodging/meals, government permits, and clinic logistics. We secure equipment, supplies, and medicines from within the United States through partnerships with pharmaceutical and medical supply companies, hospitals, and other health and development organizations. We provide this service without compensation or discrimination, and irrespective of race, religion, creed, or political affiliation.
IMR was founded on the belief that knowledge of basic health facts and access to healthcare should not be the prerogative of select nations, regions, or classes, but should be shared by as many people as possible. We undertake our work to include some of the millions of people who have been excluded from today’s healthcare systems worldwide.
IMR contributes to the world’s communities by improving the overall health and wellness of the people via medical diagnosis and treatment, partnerships with local medical designees, community training, and fostering the principles of prevention.
OUR MISSION
To provide access to health care in underserved and vulnerable communities around the world to improve the health, wellness, and quality of life of those populations most in need.
OUR VISION
To be the preeminent global nonprofit health provider that will create, sustain, and enhance global community health status by providing compassionate, responsive, and high quality services.
OPERATIONS
International Medical Relief promotes the well-being of underdeveloped communities through a comprehensive continuum of services provided in collaboration with partners. These services are accomplished through three main functions of the organization:
HEALTH CARE SERVICES
IMR provides free health care services, medicines, and supplies to entire communities, particularly to community members who are sick or frail, especially poor, or at great risk of ill health and disease. To foster community interaction and development, we begin each clinic with team members’ introduction to community leaders and members and proceed through pre-arranged logistics. Locations for clinic can vary from community hospitals to small clinics, health posts, and temporary areas set up in a village, or even in individual homes reached by trekking from village to village for house calls. We work with our hosts and the local Ministry of Health to determine the best way to reach the most vulnerable and those most in need.
Our volunteer medical and dental providers diagnose and treat a wide variety of conditions, typically while being shadowed by student volunteers who learn in the process. We commonly treat patients suffering from respiratory infections, malaria, urinary tract infections, pain, moderate and severe dehydration, headaches, parasites, dermatological infections, and wounds. Common wounds include those from snake bites, motor vehicle accidents, and agricultural accidents, such as goat bites. We may conduct minor surgical procedures on abscesses, jiggers and other burrowing parasites, or large wounds. Many of the illnesses we diagnose are the result of a lack of clean water, sanitary conditions, and education.
We commonly treat patients suffering from dermatological infections, impetigo, scabies and staph infections, some of which are highly contagious. We conduct minor surgical procedures on abscesses or lesions needing sutures.
Our medical teams enhance direct patient care through our comprehensive laboratory and wound care stations. We can typically provide rapid testing for pregnancy, malaria, strep A, HIV, and hemoglobin. The wound care station includes specialty dressings, cleaning supplies, and suturing materials.
We also provide a privacy area for examinations, IM injections, and mental health counseling. An in-clinic ICU for oral and IV hydration and observing patients completes the clinic.
Because our teams are staffed by volunteers, every team looks different and has different capabilities. We frequently have pediatrics, obstetrics and gynecology, infectious disease, pain management (including acupuncture and chiropractic providers), physical medicine, geriatrics, family practice, and mental health providers on our trips. Our dental teams often include oral surgeons, general or specialized dentists, and certified dental hygienists and assistants. Technical providers such as respiratory therapists, physical therapists, and occupational therapists often accompany us as well.
For patients who require care beyond the scope of what we are able to provide, we do our best to get them to the nearest medical facility for treatment.
During each clinic, basic equipment, pharmaceuticals, and medical supplies are used in clinic and then donated to trained local health care workers within recipient communities to be distributed, free of charge, as diagnosed needs arise. Our medicine and supply donations occur as a result of IMR partnerships with pharmaceutical and medical supply companies, as well as donations from area hospitals and clinics. These resources are lifesaving.
EDUCATION
Education is as important as medical and dental care for our patients. Each clinic includes basic health education according to the specialties and skills of the IMR volunteers, as well as the needs of the local people. When communities become empowered to take health and wellness issues into their own hands, they become self-sufficient. IMR provides learning opportunities for the local communities through classes and hands-on learning to sustain their well-being beyond our visit.
Community classes focus on prevention and run throughout the clinic day. They might include basic first aid, clean water, breathing solutions, hand washing, infectious diseases, dehydration, smoking, and simple treatments for chronic ailments affecting the community. Clean water, basic hygiene, and nutritional tips
The medical exchange component of education is critical for the continuum of care outside of our visit. IMR provides technical expertise to local medical professionals through a partnership with them in diagnostics and treatment, and through a mutual exchange of ideas. During our clinics, doctors, nurses, dentists and other volunteers work side by side with the host community’s own medical and health professionals for a collaborative exchange of modern and traditional means of healing.
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