Summer Medical Institute

The vision of the Summer Medical Institute (SMI) is to raise up healthcare providers who use their professions to honor God and grow in love for Him. The SMI is organized by the Valley Baptist Family Practice Residency in Harlingen, TX. This will be the ninth year for the South Texas SMI. Being located on the TX/MX border, we have ample opportunity to provide care to medically underserved neighborhoods called colonias.

The SMI medical outreach serves as the practical vehicle for mentoring the next generation of health care workers. Each year we accept applications from qualified physicians and nurses to serve as mentors to SMI students. Mentors come alongside students to encourage and inform them about the role of the healthcare worker in reaching the world with the Good News of Jesus Christ. Most faculty serve for a week during the month-long project. If you would be interested in coming alongside students this summer, feel free to check out our website for more information. If you have any questions you can contact Steve Johnson, SMI Coordinator, by phone at 956-389-2492.

Please take a few moments to pray about playing a role in what has proven to be a significant experience in medical students’ lives. Please follow one of these links to apply: Online Faculty Application or PDF.

Spring Physician Breakfast

The MCCF Spring Breakfast will be held on Saturday morning, May 2, from 9-11 am at the Academy of Medicine, 1441 East Avenue.

Topic: Panel on Medical Marriage

Dr. Tom and Vicki Ball, Dr. Cathy and Alan Goodfellow, and Drs. David and Mary Kay Ness will be sharing with us and responding to questions about how they've been have been able to mix medicine and marriage in their households. Please come and bring your spouse or significant other. Feel free to invite any friends or colleagues who might be interested, too!

Please mark your calendars and RSVP using our Response page. Be sure to note the location (click here for Directions to the Academy of Medicine).

Primary Care Shortage

When Dr. Waseem Ghazoly died unexpectedly at age 45, his three physician colleagues in Pittsford expected to cover his 1,800 patients only temporarily.

But the office hasn't been able to recruit a replacement because of an ongoing shortage of primary care physicians. Seventeen months after Ghazoly's fatal heart attack, his office and exam rooms remain empty at Elmwood Medical Associates.

The full practice still hopes to fill the position but has no solution in sight, said Dr. Stephen Meloni.

Click here to read the full article in the Rochester Democrat & Chronicle.

Rafiki Missions Opportunity

The Rafiki Foundation is looking for help with their ministry to needy children in Africa and is seeking Christian physicians to serve short term during one of their quarterly Community Medical Clinics.

Rafiki, a Swahili word for friend, is a Christian missions organization with Villages in 10 countries across sub-Saharan Africa. Their Villages are located in Ghana, Liberia, Nigeria, Tanzania, Zambia, Rwanda, Kenya, Uganda, Malawi and Ethiopia.

In sub-Saharan Africa, the AIDS pandemic has deprived many children of their fathers and mothers. Even with one surviving parent, the needs of a child cannot be met in most of these countries. School enrollment and literacy rates in Africa are among the lowest in the world. An estimated 42 million children in sub-Saharan Africa alone are not enrolled in school. Many cannot afford to go or stay in primary school and in some countries, 70% of the girls do not continue to secondary school. In response to this need, Rafiki Villages are designed to care for children from infancy to age eighteen.

The goal of Rafiki is to nurture orphaned African children into godly contributors in their countries. They do not place their children for adoption. If you would like further information, please click here to read the letter we received, here to visit the Rafiki Foundation's website, or contact Joe Baucom, Rafiki Area Representative, at 574-370-2699.

Prayer for Bongolo Hospital

From Deb Walker, head of Pediatrics

PLEASE PRAY FOR BONGOLO HOSPITAL

We are getting hit very hard because of the government hospital worker's strike that is already a month old (since Jan.12). It is just now getting to the unbearable stage at our hospital. Maternity is up 2.5 times the normal volume and outpatients have doubled. Almost all hospital beds are full. If this rate continues very long, we will run out of certain medications and tests like HIV tests before our next order can arrive. People are getting angry at having to wait because of consultation and lab overload or when we don't have enough tests and supplies to meet the demand. This is especially critical in the area of HIV tests to test the pregnant women and the antiretroviral (ARV) medication to prevent the transmission of the virus to the baby. Women who were planning on doing their prenatals in other cities, including Libreville, are flocking to our hospital. The government HIV program was not able to grant us any HIV tests or ARV medication for pregnant women and their babies at our last request so we are running out. In addition, our X-ray machine is broken and our lab chemistry machines were all fried in a storm last week. Half our missionary medical staff is away on trips. We are doing the best we can but we can 't keep this rate up for very long.

Several of our members have served at Bongolo Hospital in Gabon, and Dr. Keir Thelander is there as a full-time missionary with his wife and family now. Thanks for praying.

Laugh, love, lift

I would be true, for there are those who trust me.
I would be pure, for there are those who care.
I would be strong, for there is much to suffer.
I would be brave, for there is much to dare.

I would be friend of all, the foe, the friendless.
I would be giving and forget the gift.
I would be humble, for I know my weakness.
I would look up and laugh, and love and lift.

I would be prayerful through each busy moment.
I would be constantly in touch with God.
I would be tuned to hear His slightest whisper.
I would have faith to keep the path Christ trod.

A hymn, written by missionary Howard Walter

On the lighter side

Doctor’s Opinions on Financial Bail Out Package

The Allergists voted to scratch it.

The Dermatologists advised not
to make any rash moves.

The Gastroenterologists had sort
of a gut feeling about it.

The Neurologists thought the
administration had a lot of nerve.

The Obstetricians felt they were
laboring under a misconception.

The Ophthalmologists considered
the idea short sighted.

The Pathologists yelled,
"Over my dead body!"

The Pediatricians said,
"Oh, grow up!"

The Psychiatrists thought the whole
idea was madness.

The Radiologists could see
right through it.

The Surgeons decided to wash their
hands of the whole thing.

The Internists thought it was a
bitter pill to swallow.

The Plastic Surgeons said,
"This puts a whole new face
on the matter."

The Podiatrists thought it was
a step forward, but the

Urologists felt the scheme wouldn’t
hold water.

The Anesthesiologists thought the
whole idea was a gas, and

the Cardiologists didn’t have the
heart to say no.

In the end the Proctologists
decided the idea was full of holes.