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Miracles Abound in Uganda

I’ve talked about the amazing team Cardiostart brings to Uganda. Two of those people, Ashad from Pakistan and Sandy from the USA, have a huge responsibility. They are biomedical engineers and their job is to fix all the machines and to teach and collaborate with the one biomedical engineer employed by the hospital. It is an enormous job and responsibility. Ashad is MacGyver or just Magic. And if you think about heart surgery, you know how important all the machines are to patients. It is a crucial part of the success [...]

By Joyce Major|2017-02-01T22:15:01-05:00November 14th, 2012|Blog1|0 Comments

Student Outreach: Florida to Uganda
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Student Outreach: Florida to Uganda

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Student Outreach: Florida to Uganda

High School students in Florida send science textbooks with medical supplies Today, some of us sorted through the supplies and equipment CardioStart shipped to Mulago Hospital a few months ago. Among the shipment was four large boxes packed with science textbooks given by Dan Carella, a high school science teacher, and some of his students in Florida. In fact, Dan and some of students helped pack the 40-foot container at the CardioStart office in Tampa. I was asked to help find a local school that would like these great books. [...]

By Joyce Major|2017-02-01T22:15:02-05:00November 12th, 2012|Blog1, Homepage Featured, News|0 Comments

Uganda Mission: A Volunteer’s View
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Uganda Mission: A Volunteer’s View

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Uganda Mission: A Volunteer’s View

If you put together cardiologists, perfusionists, surgical techs, ICU and pediatric nurses, emergency physicians, respiratory therapists, anesthesiologists, data processors, biomedical techs and all the supplies that they can bring along with two enormous shipments, the result is a well oiled machine. These people come here as strangers and represent the countries of Uganda, Nigeria, UK, Germany, Pakistan and the USA. These volunteers pay their own airfare and use their vacation time to work for the good of the patients and to improve the quality of care. These talented, devoted professionals energetically attacked [...]

By Joyce Major|2017-02-01T22:15:02-05:00November 12th, 2012|Blog1, Homepage Featured, Past Missions|0 Comments

Donated ECG machine helps Peru pediatrics

In US hospitals and other developed countries, diagnostic medical equipment is prevalent. However, in many underdeveloped countries, like Peru, common cardiac assessment tools, like an electrocardiography machine or ECG (often called EKG), is often in need of repair, outdated, or simply nonexistent. Dr. Mariano Brizzio & Lourdes Cuadros, RN When CardioStart’s Mission Director, Dr. Mariano Brizzio, was preparing for the upcoming mission to Arequipa, Peru, in September 2012, he discovered that Honorio Delgado Hospital did not have an ECG for use with pediatric patients. Hospital staff would often use the ECG from another department [...]

By Janine Henson|2017-02-01T22:15:02-05:00October 31st, 2012|News|0 Comments

Heart Surgeon’s 25-year Impact

Dr. Aubyn Marath I met Dr. Aubyn Marath in 2006 when I participated in my first CardioStart mission to Arequipa, Peru. He seemed attractive, energetic, and visionary. In the subsequent six years, I have come to see him as the most altruistic, compassionate, and humanitarian person I have ever met. Much of my relationship with Aubyn has taken place in clinical settings. His approach to complex clinical problems is thoughtful and resourceful. For patients with complex congenital heart disease, Aubyn draws from a wealth of [...]

By Janine Henson|2017-02-01T22:15:03-05:00October 19th, 2012|Blog1, Homepage Featured|0 Comments

Outreach Health Screenings
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Outreach Health Screenings

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Outreach Health Screenings

As part of the CardioStart surgical mission, several volunteers coordinated a community health screening for diabetes and high blood pressure. Of the 278 people screened, five individuals were diagnosed with diabetes and 17 with severe hypertension. Patients were referred to the local doctor, who was present at the screening venue. One individual was diagnosed with such severe hypertension that the local doctor purchased the medication himself for the patient and referred him to Cardiology the next day. Seriousness of Rheumatic Fever and Strep Throat Undiagnosed and untreated Rheumatic Fever and [...]

By Janine Henson|2017-02-01T22:15:04-05:00October 12th, 2012|Homepage Featured, Past Missions|0 Comments

20 Lives Saved in Peru
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20 Lives Saved in Peru

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20 Lives Saved in Peru

Thirty-four volunteers, skilled in cardiovascular surgery, assessment and post-operative intensive care, ventured to Arequipa, Peru, for CardioStart’s 10th cardiac surgical mission to Honorio Delgado Hospital. Volunteers hailed from across the US, Canada, Italy and Argentina to form a cohesive medical team during the two-week mission, concluding October 6, 2012. Thanks to the leadership of Mission Director and cardiac surgeon, Dr. Mariano Brizzio, the mission was a huge success. Over the previous nine missions to Arequipa, CardioStart strived to implement a sustainable cardiovascular program at Honorio Delgado Hospital. This year, important [...]

By Janine Henson|2017-02-01T22:15:05-05:00October 11th, 2012|News, Past Missions|0 Comments

Vietnam November 2011

CardioStart Volunteers Teach Advanced Cardiac Surgery & Critical Care Twelve patients were recipients of cardiac surgery and 27 patients received pacemaker implementation. This accomplishment and collaborative effort included a mini-symposium, and is on record as by far the largest free implant gift provided to patients in one sitting throughout Vietnam. “These Vietnamese surgeons are already very skilled, doing the simpler procedures and managing them well,” said Janine Henson, Mission Director, and Vice-President of CardioStart. “They asked us to assist in their progression by providing mentoring and teaching new skills to [...]

By Janine Henson|2017-02-01T22:15:05-05:00October 1st, 2012|Past Missions|0 Comments

Healing Hearts in Peru
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Healing Hearts in Peru

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Healing Hearts in Peru

I cannot believe we will be celebrating CardioStart’s 11th mission to Honorio Delgado Hospital in Arequipa, Peru, later this month. I clearly remember CardioStart’s first mission. It really felt like a different world. The teammates became like family to me in the experience. Just to add to the new challenges it was the first time I had the responsibility in leading a mission. My co-leader was my rock though and we got through it together. From housing issues to building an ICU from scratch we learned tremendous lessons, which continue [...]

By Janine Henson|2017-02-01T22:15:06-05:00September 18th, 2012|Blog1, Homepage Featured, Peru|0 Comments

Uganda Awaits CardioStart Team
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Uganda Awaits CardioStart Team

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Uganda Awaits CardioStart Team

With a waiting list of 100 adults and 200 children in need of cardiac surgery, a CardioStart surgical team will be welcomed to Uganda Heart Institute in Kampala, Uganda, Africa. The 10-year-old hospital is leaning on five international cardiac teams to help them develop their program through a 5-year plan. The Heart Institute’s needs are great. With various types of medical equipment in need of repair, biomed personnel can be instrumental in helping. A new cardiac catheterization lab was recently opened and can use interventional cardiac support, especially with pediatrics. [...]

By Janine Henson|2017-02-01T22:15:06-05:00September 7th, 2012|News|0 Comments