On April 17, 2007 , a team of faculty, residents, and medical students from the Department of Family Medicine at the University of Oklahoma at Tulsa arrived at the Mission of Hope clinic in Santa Cruz, Bolivia.  During the two weeks that followed, the team examined many patients at the Mission of Hope clinic.  Normally, we are able to attend about 100 patients each day, but with the team from Tulsa, we were able to set up extra exam rooms and take care of many patients that would normally be turned away.  This was a great blessing for our patients!

The team also participated in two all day outreaches into the outlying communities where no medical care was available.  They first went to an Ayore Indian village with doctors from the South America Mission, where they examined about one hundred patients.  The second outreach was into the community of Peji in conjunction with the Catholic University of Santa Cruz.  Medical students from the Catholic University also participated in the outreach.  About two hundred patients received medical care during the Peji outreach.

During the Peji outreach, exam tables were set up inside the classrooms of the local school.  Tables were set up outside for a makeshift pharmacy.  Vital signs of the patients were also taken outside.  The medical students from both univerities teamed up to handle the patient load.  Dentistry students from the Catholic University also set up a dental clinic. 

Patients lined up for vital signs

Tonnie taking a temperature

Dr. Meara giving medicine to treat  worms and parasites

Yamina, the Mission of Hope pharmacist, helping the team dispense the medicines