Doc to Dock – Phase II
Summary
Every day in the United States over 7,000 tons of unused and/or reusable medical supplies are thrown out and sent to a landfill. At the same time, in developing countries, thousands of people are turned away from health care lacking these same supplies. Doc to Dock’s mission is to correct this imbalance. Since it’s inception at CGI 2005, Doc to Dock has formed a U.S. based donor hospital network of over 300 hospitals, which is growing steadily. Doc to Dock has collected disposable supplies and capital equipment. After a needs assessments of hospitals in Africa and Haiti, 40 foot containers of supplies, each containing an average cargo value of over $500,000, are shipped out to fill the specific needs of hospitals.
Approach
Through its renewed CGI commitment, Doc to Dock will collect medical supplies throughout the United States from three main sources: 1) doctors and nurses at major medical conventions; 2) hospitals, through the collection of supplies discarded in operating rooms and procedure rooms; and 3) manufacturers, through direct product donation. The supplies will be sorted, inventoried, and posted on the organization’s website, serving as a virtual warehouse. Recipient hospitals will then be provided with the opportunity to select specific supplies that they need which will then be shipped to them.
Background
The initial inspiration to establish this program was Dr. Charash’s participation in CGI 2005. The aim of the program is to provide medical supplies to areas in need, as well as empower the local health care community in developing countries in Africa and the Middle East.
Progress Update
April 2009
– Delivered 12 containers since operations began, with a total cargo value of $6,000,000. These containers have ranged in inventory and purpose. For example, supplies were sent to open a new maternity and delivery wing at the Kumasi Regional Medical Center in Ghana, which opened in November 2008. In addition, supplies were sent to the Durhame Medical Center in Ethiopia in March 2007 to facilitate a new program in vaginal fistula surgery. Other containers have been sent to Haiti after the 2008 hurricane season to help with orthopedic surgery for weather related injuries, as well as to a Lesotho mining community to supply a general medical care practice.
– Developed an extensive donor hospital network in the US, with over 300 hospital contributing
– Outreach to hundreds, if not thousands, of additional hospitals through various hospital chains and organizations, such as the Greater New York Hospital Association.
– Logged thousands of volunteer and intern hours over the past 2 years.
– Expect to send an additional 20 containers in 2009, valuing $10 million, and expect to expand to 30 containers in 2010, a cargo value of $15 million.
2008 commitment is to roll out medical equipment from the remaining 10 hospitals in the North Shore LIJ network. Supplies will include sutures, unoped needles, syringes and gloves to hospital beds, neonatal monitors and incubators, microscopes, x-ray equipment and more. Once the organizations’ softwar is operational, any approved healthcare worker in Africa will be able to go online and order medical supplies from our database.
Doc to Dock had its first Advisory Board Meeting and had established a partnership with Paul Hastings, the Law Firm. In addition, Doc to Dock will have it’s Board of Directors meeting on Monday, October 1st, 2009.
May 2007
– Sent 40 foot container of gynecological surgical supplies valued at $500,000 to a hospital in Ethiopia to treat women with vaginal fistulas. The supplies enhanced the treatment capacity of medical and surgical care.
– Sent a 40 foot container to Hubert Maga Hospital in Benin with general medical and surgical supplies valued at $400,000. These supplies were individually selected by the staff of the hospital, and a group of students from Student’s of the World are currently in Benin to film the delivery and impact of the container.
– Formed a contract with the Government of Benin to send additional supplies to Benin as an incentive if they increase their investment into their own health care system.
– Plans to send a container of general medical supplies to Namibia with a 95% match for their medical needs.
– Expand number of hospitals in the US donor base to 20 hospitals.
– Begin volunteer programs to expand capacity to sort and manage inventory supply.
February 2007
– Formed partnership with North-Shore Hospital-Long Island Jewish, a 15 hospital network, in order to receive all medical supplies from functioning operating rooms and discarded supplies.
– Formed partnership with the James Jordan foundation to supply the hospital a foundation is building in Kenya.
– Arranged to send a $500,000 container of supplies to a hospital in Ethiopia, addressing its specific need of gynecological supplies.
– Plans to contact the medical directors of several public hospitals in Libya to discuss their supply needs. Sponsor has already been identified for this project.
– Established partnership with Students of the World (SOW), a US-based student organization dedicated to raising public awareness and activism by documenting development issues around the world. A group of 8 college students from the University of Michigan will follow a Doc to Dock container from the United States to Benin, filming the entire process.
– Met with the First Lady of Burundi, to establish opportunities and needs for Doc to Dock shipments.
Partnership Opportunities
SEEKING: financial resources, implementing partners, media and marketing assistance.
OFFERING: implementing partners, best practices information, media and marketing assistance.