A simple model for sustainable service.
Swooping into an underserved area and “fixing” everything doesn’t work for long-term sustainability and improving quality of life. Therefore, we embraced the philosophy of aid, inform, and empower as our model.
Empower.
verb. To promote the self-actualization or influence of; make stronger and more confident.
“The Manos Amigas clinic helps many who can not afford healthcare. It’s made a difference for these people. ”
—Delmy Sanchez
Manos Amigas Clinic Director
First, aid.
We provide the necessary equipment, medication, supplies, and healthcare specialists to care for those in the community who otherwise could not afford treatment.
Medicine
The Manos Amigas medical staff provides primary care 7 days a week and also offers topical oxygen therapy to heal severe wounds. Medical brigades offer specialty services.
Dentistry
The Manos Amigas dental staff provides cleanings, checkups, restoration, and root canals. We supplement with specialists in oral surgery.
Eye Care
The Manos Amigas optometry technician provides eye exams and fits eye glasses. Brigades of ophthalmologists perform eye surgeries.
Pharmaceuticals
The on-site Manos Amigas pharmacy is fully stocked, so patients who come to the clinic leave with the medication they need.
“The people of Honduras have some of the worst medical care in the world. So for us coming and doing a little bit for them, it goes a long way.”
— Dr. George Trajtenberg, Surgeon
Leader, 8 Surgical Brigades
The experience of a lifetime.
The excitement in Northwestern Honduras grows as news of each brigade’s arrival spreads. People who have waited years for specialized care have renewed hope when the brigades from the U.S. come to the Manos Amigas clinic.
Surgical Brigades
Most people in Honduras can not afford surgery. So, they do without. Problems worsen over time, pain increases, and their ability to work or take care of their family becomes more difficult. Surgical brigades offer a way back to a more normal life.
Dental Brigades
When you don’t know where your next meal is coming from, taking care of your teeth isn’t a high priority. As a result, teeth decay, become abscessed, and cause pain. Our oral surgery brigades extract teeth that cannot be saved, relieving the patient’s suffering.
Vision Brigades
Being able to see clearly makes life a little easier—from working to caring for family to safely crossing the street. Our vision brigades provide life-changing eye surgeries giving the gift of sight to many people.
Other Brigades
Sometimes the ailments the clinic sees require the gifted hands of other types of specialists. We also send brigades for cardiology, podiatry, wound care, audiology, gynecology, and other focused areas of care.
“Even though the specialist just comes for a week, they leave us instructions and trust our capacities as professionals so we can keep working with the patients.”
— Dr. Santiago Sabillón
Manos Amigas Physician
Informing healthcare providers. Enriching the care.
Our volunteers work closely with the Manos Amigas healthcare providers sharing information and techniques during their stay. This new knowledge enriches the on-going care the Manos Amigas staff and other local medical professionals provide to the community.
On-site Training
Just as in the United States, medical professionals need to refresh their skills and learn new procedures and techniques. We offer seminars and workshops to local healthcare providers on topics such as endodontics, midwifery, and wound care. Additionally, we ensure staff is trained on any new equipment we provide to the clinic.
Sharing Insights
Our relationship is one of an open dialogue with the medical professionals we work with—not a one-way “lesson.” This means thoughts, ideas, and insights are shared and built upon experience in providing healthcare and managing organizations in both the United States and around the world.
Virtual Instruction
The next step is to provide continuing education and training when we can’t be there in person. Today’s technology facilitates remote instruction like never before. We are partnering with individuals and organizations to develop on-going virtual training programs.
“In 2006, I was the receptionist at the clinic. Thanks to an SATC scholarship, today, I am an optometry technician.”
— Karen Murillo, Optometry Technician
Serving at the Crossroads education grant recipient
Empowering local healthcare providers to continue care beyond our stay.
Empowering comes in many forms: from helping establish a Honduran non-governmental organization to launching careers in medicine to trusting that the clinic is in excellent hands 365 days a year.
Enabling the Next Generation
Offering someone a chance at a better future, not only improves their lives, but the lives of their family and community. Several young people who have worked at the clinic or served as translators for brigades have gone on to study medicine, dentistry, or optometry.
Serving at the Crossroads also provides scholarships in optometry and dentistry.
Partnership is Paramount
Long-term sustainability has always been our goal. We don’t tell the Manos Amigas staff how to do their jobs. They are all professionals who have built a reputation in the community for providing high-quality care and treating patients with compassion and respect. Every day they work to improve the quality of life for those in need.
Stories
