On Saturday, December 10^th Global Health Force teamed up with Mercy House to hold the annual holiday dinner for the homeless at St. Martin de Porres Church in Yorba Linda.  Around 130 homeless men, women and children arrived on buses from the Santa Ana Civic Center and were welcomed by GHF volunteers.

People signed in to a log book and then were presented with gifts of socks and ponchos. Next, they stood in line patiently waiting for a hot dinner of chicken, carnitas, rice, beans, tortillas, and various types of cakes.

The warm atmosphere along with the lively Christmas music playing in the ackground lifted everybody’s spirits and allowed them to converse and relax in a safe, comforting environment.

While signing in people at the doors and handing out desserts, I was able to get to know the folks a little better, whether it be their preference for strawberries or peaches or their love for rock music.  My experience at the event was very rewarding.  I realized how grateful I should be for everything I have taken for granted my whole life. Hearing them thank me graciously, I came to the realization that even the little things we do can mean a lot.  Although a dinner and a mat to sleep on for one night may not seem like much, it holds a huge significance for the homeless and provides them with a place they can call home, at least for the night.

By Brittany

This is my 8^th year that I’ve been traveling to places around the world and offering free medical care to the poor and needy.  I call them my “medical missions.”  Those who know me well, know and understand that it is my yearly trek to go half way around the world to heal and give free medicine to those in need, living in remote villages.

This was my fifth trip time with Global Health Force.  I’ve been to Vietnam, Haiti, Dominican Republic and now India with Dr. Tran and other volunteers.  The main reason why I go is to find a sense of purpose by serving the poor and needy.  I enjoy the bonding experience with other volunteers; the beautiful
landscapes of Vietnam and Dominican Republic; and amazing cultural exchanges in Haiti and India.   I was born in Vietnam and immigrated here at a very young age.  Given my immigrant story and background as a family physician, I carry a longing desire and commitment to give back to the underserved where access to medical care is limited.

In our current trip to India, we had several challenges along with many  highlights.  We were able to administer primary care to people in villages outside the city limits of Bangalore, to retired senior citizens in a nursing home, and to street children at a local youth home.   We tasted some of the best Indian food at our hotel and local restaurants. I was able to perform minor surgeries on more patients in India than I have in any of our other trips.

Some of our challenges involved getting acclimated to the culture and the traffic in Bangalore.  If you think L.A. traffic is horrendous, you haven’t been to Bangalore. With 10 million people residing in the city, sometimes it took us close to 2 hours to go 15 miles.  In Vietnam,
we’re used to getting up when the rooster crows at 5am and getting on the bus to arrive at the local village by 8am.  We would work straight through lunch until the afternoon before boarding our bus to go back to the hotel.  In India, we started our bus ride at 8am and would arrive around 10am at the local work site.  Then, we were invited to have tea with the administrator and didn’t begin work until a bit later.  Around 1pm, lunch would be offered, and then afternoon tea.  Needless to say, we were not accustomed to the culture, and this caused some frustration for me because I am used to American time and maximizing our efforts to see as many people as possible in one examining day.

What I have valued the most from my trips with Global Health Force is the ability to balance work and fun.What you may not know is that all the volunteers spend their vacation time and hard-earned money to go on these trips.  While it is true that they would like the humbling exerience of helping the poor and needy, it is just as important to share with the volunteers rich cultural experiences along with the surrounding sights and sounds.  A balance of fun and hard work is wrapped all together in a rewarding and humbling gift to treasure for a lifetime.

This is pretty much the reason why I return to work with Global Health Force every year.  I knew that although I would have to work hard and travel long hours to reach the people, I knew that I would have some down time to enjoy the cultural delights that India has to offer.

I believe that the Indian patients, who came into our primitive, man-made “clinics,” all had in common a sense of gratitude and  ppreciation for our work and presence in their country.  It didn’t matter if you’re playing the role of doctor, nurse, or pharmacist, you are
given the gift of a genuine smile and thank you with every life that you touch. As a doctor working with Global Health Force, I am inspired by the amount of generosity of the volunteers and graced by the kindness of the Indian people.  Our patients have limited means
to pay for their health care; most of them do not know how to say thank you in English; but they have the uncanny ability to give me a lasting memory about my trip—whether it’s a smile from a baby receiving a stuffed toy animal or a squeal of laughter from a young boy playing soccer with some of our volunteers.

These patients are not as fortunate as you and I.  Often times, they do not know how they are going to feed their families; how they are going to afford for their kids to go to school; how they are going to make a living; or how they are going to pay for the medicines to treat their diabetes and hypertension.  Global Health Force not only provides free health care and several months supply of free medicine, they work with local volunteers to help pay for staple foods, mosquito nets, blankets, and general household supplies.  Also, we bring over huge suitcases full of donated toys for the children of the local community.

We are not like the other international organizations that have fancy doctors performing complicated cataract surgeries or life changing cleft lip operations.  We are a group of ordinary people with simple missions to work together with our counterparts around the world to deliver medical care, education, resources, and supplies to those most in need so that they might have a more hopeful and productive future, and to live a more dignified life.

With all that I give and teach to our patients abroad, it pales in comparison to the bountiful gift of grace and humility that our patients give me in return.  They teach me that simplicity, kindness, and love can offer beauty and peace into my life no matter where I am.  That is the lasting feeling I bring back with me to the USA, and I hope lasts all year long…or at least until the next time I travel on my medical missions.

To be a part of Global Health Force as a family physician, a woman, and a volunteer is a tremendous experience that I recommend for everyone.  No matter our profession, gender, age, or language of choice, the gift of volunteering provides immense joy and rewarding humility that lasts a lifetime and lives deep within our soul for all the days to come.  What I realize from my volunteer experiences is that I am not healing the poor, sick and needy, but they are lifting my spirits and leave me richer than ever before.

Dr. Amy Nguyen

Scholars suggest and experts agree that Global Health Force’s trip to Haiti and the Dominican Republic this May was one of the greatest medical missions of the modern era.  Once again, the ubiquitously respected yet remarkably humble Dr. Thuy Tran and her team of natural-born world shakers were able to effectively transport some of America’s finest health care to some of the world’s most underserved populations.

The astounding success of this mission began with the backbone of Global Health Force (GHF): the Pharmacy.  In past GHF clinics, the pharmacy has often struggled to keep up with the prescription orders for the hundreds of patients who have been waiting sometimes hours for medical care.  On this trip, however, the pharmacy not only filled prescriptions with lightning speed, but also handed out baseball cards.  This level of efficiency can be at least partially attributed to the fact that 60 percent of the pharmacy volunteers on the trip were attorneys.  However, as all volunteers for Haiti/DR 2011 can attest to, the main factors contributing to the competence displayed by the pharmacy volunteers were clearly hard work and good looks.

Another bright spot in the GHF rotation for Haiti/DR 2011 was the equally good-looking nursing staff.  When not posing for pictures with the cutest kids ever or icing their ears from hours of stethoscope abuse, these wonderful nurses could always be seen putting smiles on faces of anxious Haitian and Dominican patients.  The nursing group, which consisted of savvy elder stateswoman Elaine, spiritual leader Bissonne, body fluid specialist Kat, palliative care expert Noriko, and the heroic male-nurse Cullen, can also be proud of accomplishments such as setting up a mobile ICU for a patient experiencing seizures and getting the entire clinic dancing during “Nurse Time!”.

Global Health Force also brought a terrific, diverse, and experienced group of healthcare practitioners to Haiti and the Dominican Republic.  These MD’s, NP’s, and PA’s always knew exactly which antibiotic to prescribe and exactly where to apply antifungal ointments.

The Haiti/DR 2011 GHF volunteers as a whole displayed enormous heart by bringing their years of training thousands of miles to help strangers in one of the most impoverished places in the world.  This is what I love most about Global Health Force and why I will continue to go on GHF missions as long as I can contribute: the privilege of spending time with a group of people with hearts so big.  If we were able to give back to the people in our clinics just a fraction of the joy that we volunteers take from the trips, I am happy.

Cullen Torsney

In August 2010, I had the amazing opportunity to travel with the Global Health Force on a medical volunteer trip to Vietnam.  This group included a dedicated team of health care professionals and volunteers. With the help of local contacts, we were able to see over 1000 of the countries most indigent and vulnerable patients.  We traveled by bus to set up a clinic in a new place each day and this way we were able to see patients all the way from the isolated mountainous regions to the villages outside of Vietnam’s central coastal areas.  Each day we worked tirelessly in the heat to try to meet the many needs of all the people who waited patiently to be seen.

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“It was a day of color.”

These are the words that continually return to me, thinking back to my medical trip to the Dominican Republic with Global Health Force. They were the first words that Dr. Vivian Credidio, a psychologist from Los Angeles serving as a medical interpreter, used when we asked her to describe the day she had taken to explore the village outside Baharona (an impoverished but wonderfully vibrant town in the southwest region of the DR). She told us about riding the small and cramped guaguas (small buses the size of minivans used for public transportation), and meeting the frail but energetic elderly woman who was determined to be Vivian’s personal guide around the little town. Vivian told us about being greeted by a smile and song by the people on the streets (she being the clear foreigner), despite the sense of struggle that existed in the air.

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“I come to volunteer at the clinic because these are my brothers and sisters,” then he looked at me and asked, “but why did you come?”

The 11-person team organized through Global Health Force united to help and serve the people of Haiti. On January 12, 2010, the people of Haiti were struck by a devastating 7.0 earthquake. Many countries responded to appeals for humanitarian aid, and dispatching rescue and medical teams. Our team traded the comfort of our homes, and even vacation time, to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We saw approximately 400-500 patients each day amongst the 7 providers. I enjoyed the autonomy of seeing patients without having to document on charts. I polished up on my history-taking and physical examination skills due to the lack of resources such as a computer, radiology or laboratory. This was a humbling experience. We clinically diagnosed malaria, secondary syphilis, rectal prolapse, dysentery, and so much more. Read the rest of this entry »

On a rainy Saturday evening the last thing I wanted to do, after working the night shift on Friday was to volunteer at the Santa Ana Armory with the homeless, but I was wrong. After a few U-turns, my husband and I arrived at our destination to a warm welcome from Phuong and Lynn Tran. The Armory was bustling with volunteers preparing sleeping pads, clothes and food for their weekly Saturday night guests. Read the rest of this entry »