Heart to Heart Mission Introduction
This cardiac surgical program was initiated to fulfill a void and need for cardiac surgery at Jose Maria Cabral y Baez Hospital in Santiago, Dominican Republic. This is a 520 bed public hospital that cares for indigent patients and serves a population greater than 4.0 million people. There is no cardiac surgery in the area. The hospital has a medical school and residency program for postgraduate education affiliated with it.
Our team of usually 14 – 16 members is comprised of nurses, technicians, and assistants, as well as doctors, who are not only using their personal vacation time to make these journeys, but are also paying their own way to do so. While there we have educated young doctors and hospital staff in the care and treatment of the cardiac surgical patient.
This program is strongly influenced by the tradition of service that physicians and the medical profession have. It provides a mechanism to expand one’s horizons and gain insight into the importance of a global vision and understanding in today’s world. It also provides another venue for continuing personal enrichment and self-education necessary for a well-rounded individual involved in the care of cardiac surgical patients. This emotionally rich and rewarding experience benefits not only the patients and their families, but has dramatically affected all team members personally.
I hope to continue this ongoing program with donations from our hospitals, pharmaceutical companies, manufacturers of medical products and their distributors, as well as individuals. Currently, the program is in need of assistance from those people and organizations that are in a position to help make this mission a continued success.
Any help, financial or otherwise, that you may be able to offer toward this tax deductible mission would be greatly appreciated, not only by us but also by the friends, husbands, wives and children of those that you are helping to save.
If any individuals would like to discuss and learn more or volunteer in this humanitarian endeavor, i.e. cardiac surgeons, physician assistants, scrub techs, OR or ICU nurses, anesthesiologists or CRNA’s, please contact me at (239) 851-0142 or via email at [email protected] .
Thank you for your interest in helping to mend Dominican hearts.
Robert D. Pascotto M.D., F.A.C.S.
