About Us
BRIDGES GLOBAL MEDICAL MISSIONS
Mission
To provide medical care in the local practice settings, recognizing that the physical and mental health needs of the surrounding community and region are immense. However the mission will emphasize personalized, high quality, compassionate, and life enhancement services.
Vision
To provide programs that enhance the quality of healthcare, consistently providing clinical education and training at all levels. This program will be capable of meeting international standards of care in the setting of a safe, confidential, structured and supportive milieu.
OVERVIEW
Bridges Global Medical Missions,a 501(c)3 non profit organization and a registered NGO in Guyana. It was founded by Dr. Claudette Heyliger-Thomas – pediatrician, who, in 2008, put together the Bridges Medical Mission Team, an international group of health care professional volunteers, who have come from England, Germany, Canada, USA, Barbados and of course, Guyana, We are indebted to Dr. Joan Liverpool, president/founder of Deskan Institute and Training, who planted the seed of medical outreach to Guyana and has been the main collaborator for our missions. In addition we have had the constant support of Project Dawn, Food for The Poor and Morehouse School of Medicine. Mr. Weygand Gardner, founder /president of All God’s Little Children, who was instrumental in our partnerships with Pastor Motie and Nalene Singh of Faith Missionary Church – Parika and Mr. Stanley Ming of Mings Products and Services.
Our health professionals/volunteers have included – audiology, cardiology, ENT ( ear, nose and throat), echotechnician, endocrinology, dentists, family medicine, IT (information & technology), neonatology, neurology, nurses, OB/GYN ( obstetrics & gynecology), orthopedics, pediatrics, respiratory therapist, social workers, and urology.
The medical outreach programs initially started in No. 28 – West Coast Berbice and Parika – East Bank of Esseqibo. In our past thirteen missions we have supported the Guyanese community at large with health screens, blood pressure checks, blood sugar, EKGs and echocardiograms, height/weight, hearing and vision screening, pap smears as well as distribution of food and clothing, the latter in partnership with Food for The Poor and Caring For Others. The Rotary Club, which provided toothpaste and toothbrushes in 2008, expanded the dental services in 2015 with a dental van. We have also distributed medical supplies to Upper Demarara Hospital and McKenzie Hospital, Leonora Hospital, Fort Wellington, New Amsterdam and Georgetown Public Hospitals.
Our vision of providing education to the Guyanese community not only focused on the patients with whom we interacted but also on the local physicians and nurses. To this end the following Continuing Medical Education (CME) topics have been covered:
2009 Hypertension, Stroke, Hearing Screen in the pediatrics, Neonatal AIDS transmission, Care of the Newborn, Prostate Cancer, Suicide
2012 ENT- Management of ENT emergencies
Cardiology – cardiac failure
2013 Thyroid Disease
2014 Common Orthopedic Problems
Prostate Cancer
2015 Healthy Babies Breathe Program ( which trained 20 nurses)
Cervical Cancer
Endourology
Electricardiograms
Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease
Hypertension in Pregnancy
We are also indebted to a of whole host of support groups, international and local volunteers. and are truly grateful to the Ministry of Public Health who have continuously allowed us to successfully complete our medical / dental outreach programs. We look forward to the continued enhancement of the medical needs of the at large Guyanese communities.
