If you are interested, you can follow the link below to the Our Hearts Your Hands website where you can make a donation. 100% of your donation will be utilized to finance the education of one or multiple nurse anesthesia students.
Healthcare providers who are eager to engage in global outreach often struggle with knowing where to begin. Should they provide care on a medical mission trip, donate medical equipment or financial support to medical facilities, or pursue other avenues? Traditionally, healthcare providers have relied on medical mission trips as their primary means of providing aid. However, this method poses several obstacles such as the cost of the trips, ability to get enough time off, potential health risks associated with traveling to low-income countries, language barriers, and the need to acquire specialized skills for providing care in low-resource environments. Consequently, getting involved in global outreach can be a daunting prospect that deters many willing people from participating.
The Nurse Anesthesia Global Scholarship Fund is specifically designed to overcome many of these obstacles and provide a more accessible pathway for individuals to engage in global outreach. This alternative option makes it easy to get involved, while still adhering to ethical practices and an economical approach to providing aid. To understand the advantages of our sponsorship program over conventional medical mission trips, take a look at a this side by side comparison, utilizing Ghana in West Africa as an example:
The minimum cost of a medical mission trip to Ghana is approximately $2,000-$3,000 per provider. This figure accounts for the average minimum cost of travel from the United States (US) to Ghana, housing expenses, food, equipment, etc.
Anesthesia care is provided by American medical missionaries for a period ranging from a few weeks to several months.
US based anesthesia providers are often unfamiliar with the culture, healthcare system, equipment limitations, needs of the country, common diseases, etc.
Requires time off from work and family obligations.
Potential exposure to foreign pathogens and health risks.
The total cost of a 2-year, post-graduate Nurse Anesthesia Training Program in Ghana is approximately $2,000 per student ($1,000 per year). This figure accounts for tuition, fees, and some educational materials.
Locally-trained nurse anesthetists continue to provide anesthesia care for multiple years over the course of an entire career.
Locally-trained nurse anesthetists are familiar with the culture, healthcare system, equipment limitations, needs of the country, common diseases, etc.
No need to take time off from work.
No personal health risks.