Here in America, healthcare is a topic that is discussed frequently, but our discussions rarely go beyond our borders. While we view healthcare as a right, there are many places around the world where healthcare is not even an option, and if it is, it is either not advanced enough, too costly, or there is no access due to the lack of specialists and healthcare facilities. Dr. Domingo Alvear and his organization, the World Surgical Foundation (WSF), recognize that there are so many people around the world who are in need of help where modern healthcare is not available.
I met Dr. Alvear about 8 years ago when he did some minor surgery on my son. He is a nationally known pediatric surgeon and chief of the Division of Pediatric Surgery at PinnacleHealth System in Harrisburg. But beyond that, I had the privilege to get to know more about him and his service with the WSF. His work and efforts with the WSF not only make him a great and successful physician, but demonstrate the true characteristics of a Servant Leader.
Dr. Alvear’s love of medicine came early in life when his uncle, an old fashioned family doctor, inspired him to become a compassionate physician and healer. Dr. Alvear was only 7 years old when his uncle invited him to accompany him on visits to his patients in the remote village in their town in the Philippines. The patient and the family’s reactions to his uncle’s presence impressed him the most.
Dr. Alvear’s early medical training came in a rotating internship and then a general surgery residency at the U.S. Air Force Hospital, Clark Air Base, Philippines. In the U.S., he went through surgical training at Presbyterian University of Pennsylvania Medical Center and St. Christopher’s Hospital for Children, both in Philadelphia. Dr. Alvear started volunteering to help the underserved while he was in medical school. He joined medical and surgical missions to remote villages and the desire to help the underserved was rekindled by joining yearly medical missions to the Philippines.
He and his wife, Dr. Veneranda Alvear, an anesthesiologist, both participated in many missions to their native Philippines and were fulfilled by their work, but knew that the continuing, quality surgical care abruptly stopped at the end of their mission trips. He began to share his concerns with other mission-minded Central PA healthcare workers, business people and volunteers, and as a result in 1997, Dr. Alvear founded the WSF, a volunteer organization that serves people in developing or impoverished countries where modern healthcare is not available or is too costly.
Dr. Alvear gathered community leaders both in the business and healthcare profession in the Harrisburg and York areas and founded the WSF with a vision to extend the efforts of traditional surgical missions and in keeping with the vision, providing medical training and supplying resources is part of the "extended" mission. In each mission, they leave behind medical equipment and supplies and also provide training to local surgeons to promote continued patient care and medical self-reliance.
This volunteer organization of surgeons, anesthesiologists, nurse anesthetists, nurses and other caregivers performs at least 2 surgical missions per year, and more recently 3 per year, to bring hope and improve the quality of life for hundreds of people who could not otherwise receive surgical care. The WSF also provides teaching, supplies, and equipment for hospitals and medical facilities around the world and supports smaller groups or individuals with the same goal or mission in the United States and abroad.
In the last 11 years, the WSF has organized 20 surgical missions and performed over 2,900 free surgeries. The missions usually last from 5-10 days each to countries such as the Philippines, Honduras, Thailand, and India. The WSF also assists medical facilities worldwide fulfilling requests for items and/or mission workers to provide surgical care. They have supported facilities in Costa Rica, Guatemala, Haiti, Kenya and Ukraine, as well as the Community Check-up Center and Hamilton Health Center in Central PA.
So far in 2009, the WSF traveled to Ethiopia and Ecuador, where they performed hundreds of life-changing surgeries in multiple hospitals, as well as provided invaluable trainings and donated essential medical materials and equipment. They will return to Honduras in October 2009.
Because of the efforts of Dr. Alvear and the WSF thousands of children and adults, who would have otherwise gone untreated, instead had surgical procedures to improve their quality of life. Dr. Alvear and the WSF help the underserved by taking healthcare where it is not otherwise available and as a result, make healthcare accessible to all.
Dr. Domingo Alvear is a Servant Leader.
I just found out that Dr. Alvear will be performing surgery on my 5 year old daughter. So naturally, in the internet age, I started doing research to dig up anything I could on Dr. Alvear. I have found nothing but articles like this trumpeting his humanity and knowledge. I feel much better about letting Dr. Alvear perform surgey on my daughter. Thank you!
Posted by: Matthew | February 17, 2011 at 01:13 PM