Our Mission is to educate and assist local medical teams in providing heart surgery and cardiac services to adults and children in underserved regions of the world.
Our Vision is a world where access to cardiac care can be realized by everyone.
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Upcoming Missions
PEDIATRIC CARDIAC MISSION
Hospital del Nino Dr. Francisco de Icaza Bustamante,
Guayaquil, Ecuador
April 26th – May 3, 2025
The Children’s Hospital Dr. Francisco de Icaza Bustamante had already received gold level accreditation by Accreditation Canada International (ACI) on November 20, 2014, after meeting international health care standards of quality. This is the first hospital in Ecuador and Latin America to receive international accreditation.
PEDIATRIC HEART SURGERY & INTERVENTIONAL CARDIOLOGY MISSION
SANTO DOMINGO, DOMINICAN REPUBLIC
May 3-10, 2025
CardioStart International is pleased to announce a return mission to Clinica Corazones Unidos Hospital in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. This one-week mission will focus on managing pediatric congenital cardiac surgery and PEDIATRIC catheterization lab procedures.
POSTPONED
Mission to Macapa, Brazil
Program development in pediatric cardiology and surgery
CardioStart’s primary role will be to develop a pediatric cardiac surgery program and pediatric cardiac intervention. This mission will work to reduce the large existing volume of pediatric case, while providing pediatric training to the local team. Priority will be given to cases with late-presenting congenital heart disease and cases that require valve repair.
Testimonial of Amanda Philip Amandi
A 19-Year-Old Male Diagnosed with Left Ventricular Apical Aneurysm After Misdiagnosis of Takotsubo Cardiomyopathy, From Diagnosis to Recovery with Gratitude for Dr. Dan and the CardioStart Mission Team
I had the chance to speak with Amanda Philip Amandi, a 19-year-old male, on day 3 of his surgery while he was recovering in the ICU.
CardioStart Thrift Store
The CardioStart Thrift Store is located in downtown Sisters Oregon, a beautiful, upscale cowboy town that lies between three imposing Sister mountains that are part of the gorgeous Oregon Cascades.
Introducing New CardioStart Board Members
Nicola Entwistle, MBA
Nicola holds an MBA from IE Business School and a Cyber Security for Business Leaders certification from Oxford University. She is passionate about equality having co-chaired the LGBT Latin America Network for Mastercard and is also an Ambassador for the UK’s Women of the Future programme.
Donato (Dan) Sisto, M.D. FACS, FACCP
Dan is an active cardiothoracic surgeon, living in New Hampshire, working part time in Connecticut and Vermont. He directed the Open Heart Surgery program at Portsmouth Regional Hospital, which he started in 1998, until the end of 2019.
Celebrating 37 Years of Global Volunteer Heart Care!
1987-2024
World Tour
- 999 Corrective Surgeries
- 57 Containers of medical supplies
- 3757 Field Patients
- 1500+ Volunteers
News Corner
Recent News
In Memory Of Barbara Ray
We are saddened to announce the passing of Barbara (RN) who committed so much of her time and love to the people of Arequipa Peru during and after CardioStart missions.
Tanzania 2022 Mission Report
After a year of COVID restriction, CardioStart was finally able to return to missions and a fourth return mission to The Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute.
Blog
Testimonial of Amanda Philip Amandi
I had the chance to speak with Amanda Philip Amandi, a 19-year-old male, on day 3 of his surgery while he was recovering in the ICU. When I asked, "What’s your name and how old are you?" he replied, "My name is Amanda Philip Amandi, and I’m 19 years old." I then asked, "How are you feeling right now?" He shared, "I’m feeling a little tired and have some pain over the surgical incision, but I’m also a lot relieved because I no longer see or feel my heart beating through my chest."
Turn your Passion into Fundraising
The CardioStart fishing tournament is approaching its 10th anniversary. For Rolando and Lisa Rodriguez, it is more than a fundraiser for the charity but a true labor of love.
