New York, N.Y. – A new medical outreach, Doctors On Call, Organization Incorporated (D.O.C.) is the first of its kind in North America to focus on surgical outreach exclusively to the Caribbean region, and will lead to improved access to essential surgery in the Caribbean.

D.O.C. supports four areas of development in specialty and sub-specialty surgery: Ear Nose Throat (ENT), which includes Head & Neck & Craniofacial Surgery, Plastic & Reconstructive, General, Vascular Surgery and Urology.

"This project is all about introducing cutting edge technology, and about giving local surgeons exposure to some of the best minds that left the region," said Sophia Johnson, President of D.O.C, Organization Inc. "By bringing training in as an element of our surgical outreach project, we're supporting an important area of development in healthcare. We will work to unlock the causes of illness and pave the way for future areas of development and research."

The project changes the way fundamental surgical skills are exchanged and administered. It also creates the foundation for research into surgical skills and acquisition and innovation in technology. Local surgeons will get hands-on practice with specialist in their field in local hospitals throughout the islands. With the gradual exchange, it will result in more highly trained and skilled surgeons not only for the Caribbean but the rest of the world as well.

"Our project is a wonderful adjunct to operating room learning. It will help local surgeons achieve a higher level of expertise and more rapidly," said Ms. Johnson. "There are other outreach programs functioning in different capacities in the Caribbean, but none concentrates on learning, research and innovation, as we do."

Direct learning opportunities for residents in operating rooms have become as limited as hospital funding cutbacks have decreased the number of hours that operating rooms are in use.

"This new learning environment becomes doubly important, providing more training time and new types of training, as well," said Orville Palmer, M.D., Vice-President of D.O.C., an attending ENT Surgeon at Harlem Hospital Center and Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons in New York.

To achieve the goal of creating more highly trained surgeons and increasing access to surgical care in the Caribbean, the project's focuses on:

- seeking new ways for training surgeons
- research the teaching of surgical skills
- developing methods of evaluating technical competence
- elaborate and extends new technologies in surgery

The project draws its surgeons from New York's teaching hospital staff who are attending staff physician at Harlem Hospital and faculty members at Columbia University College of Physicians and Surgeons.

The team traveled to Jamaica recently for an official walk-through of the Bustamante Children's Hospital, Kingston Public Hospital, Annotto Bay Hospital, Mandeville Hospital, St. Ann's Bay Hospital and Cornwall Regional Hospital. After reviewing the data collected, D.O.C. will move forward with plans for their first surgical mission in April 2001.

"The Jamaican Ministry of Health is pleased to enter into this collaboration with D.O.C. This partnership will lead us to a greater understanding, and the program will ultimately translate into better medicine, innovation of technology and a new generation of top surgeons," said Dr. Basil Bryan, Jamaican Consul General in New York.

Glendon Henry, M.D., Medical Director of Harlem Hospital Center in New York, and staunch supporter of the project says he is encouraged that the Jamaican government has shown support for this initiative, which will train surgeons in newly emerging fields.

"The project has established itself as a being very innovative, and attracting well respected surgeons," said Dr. Henry. "Through the government's support, not only will they be able to retain these surgeons, but D.O.C. will be able to also attract some of the brightest and best young surgeons into the project. This will enhance future development and provide the expertise to support future partnership and growth in the area of surgery in the Caribbean."

"With the government supporting projects like ours, it is telling Caribbean nationals overseas that the Caribbean is committed to training, development, building on the healthcare structure and to keeping the best and brightest minds in the Caribbean, " said Ms. Johnson.

For more information about D.O.C. log on to the website www.doc-online.org.


Contact:

Sophia Johnson

Email: info@doc-online.org

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