From the Editor
Welcome to our Annual Giving Issue!
At this time of year, when most of us are blessed with a roof over our heads, clean running water, and a great deal more, we celebrate the medical mission work of NIFA faculty member and George Washington University professor Dr. Glenn Geelhoed and his organization Mission to Heal.
Every year Dr. Glenn goes on multiple medical missions to help “the poorest of the poor” in far-flung places. NIFA has been proud to sponsor a number of our RNFA graduates on some of these missions.
Scroll down to read about Amber Rodriguez, a graduate of NIFA’s RNFA program, who accompanied Dr. Glenn on a medical mission to Ghana. Between 2013 and 2014, NIFA has given over $8,000 in donations to Mission to Heal.
And now, we’re offering YOU a gift! Scroll down to learn how you can send for your free copy of Dr. Geelhoed’s book, Surgery and Healing in the Developing World.
NIFA also donates hundreds of pounds of medical supplies to Project C.U.R.E. each year–after benefiting from donations of medical supplies ourselves, which help keep our programs affordable. Scroll down to learn more.
And, of course, you will find the latest job listings we’ve colleJulie Lancastercted for you as well as other useful resources.
Happy Holidays from all of us at NIFA!
Mission to Heal
For more than 40 years, Dr. Glenn Geelhoed has been taking medical knowledge to the poorest parts of our globe, aspiring with each trip to leave behind an indigenous medical capability. His organization, Misson to Heal, targets parts of the globe with the greatest medical needs.
Dr. Glenn likes to take well-trained RNFAs on these medical missions, and NIFA has supported Mission to Heal by sponsoring a number of NIFA-trained RNFAs. Click here for the story.
A Giving Graduate: Amber Rodriguez
Name: Amber Rodriguez
Credentials: RNFA
Graduate Status: Graduated from NIFA’s RNFA program Oct. 2011
City and State: Casa Grande, AZ
Current Position: Sierra Vista Regional Health Center, RN First Assist
NIFA-sponsored Medical Mission: Ghana with Dr. Glenn Geelhoed, summer 2013
“We were on site for 12 days and did over 200 surgeries. We primarily did direct and indirect inguinal hernia repairs, hydrocelectomies, neck dissections and excision of lipomas. The people were extremely happy we were there. . . Things that we take for granted here like being able to recommend physical therapy or a consultation for this or that, were impossible in this setting. We just did the best we could.” Read more.
A Gift for You!
NIFA’s gift to you this holiday season is a copy of Dr. Geelhoed’s book, Surgery and Healing in the Developing World.
This book assists in narrowing the divide between the labor and equipment-intensive practice of medicine and surgery in Europe and North America (First World) and the Third World of constrained resources, where ingenuity is not only rewarded, but is a requirement in medical/surgical care.
NIFA has exclusive rights to distribute this book. The intent of Dr. Geelhoed, the publisher and NIFA is for this book to be a free offering for all with the surgical volunteer spirit.
Click here for the book gift page on our website.
Help NIFA Give Used Medical Supplies
This month NIFA donated a roomful of medical supplies to Project Cure, thanks to students and hospitals that have donated supplies to benefit NIFA’s efforts to offer the best RNFA training.
Any supplies that we were not able to use, we donated to Project Cure. Please keep us in mind when your facility gathers unused and expired supplies. Just call us at 1-800-922-7747 or email us and we will provide a postage-paid UPS label.
This is one of the many ways NIFA benefits the RNFA community and medical missions. Click here to see the efforts of Project Cure.
Questions?
Do you have questions about implementing an RNFA team or becoming an RNFA?
RNFAs, APRNs and Implementing an RNFA Team will answer many of your questions. If you need answers more quickly, please see the links below or just call us at 1-800-922-7747. We will be happy to discuss any questions you may have and discuss the benefits to staff, surgeons and administrators of having an RNFA team at your facility.
Prerequisites for becoming an RNFA
Surgical Skills Workshops
NIFA Office Hours
Monday-Thursday 7:30am – 5:00pm (Fridays 7:30am – 4:00pm).