About us

The International Perfusion Association (IPA) is 501C3 non-profit corporation dedicated to supporting perfusion education and cardiac surgery mission work world-wide.

Our Story

This program was initiated to fulfill a void and need for cardiac surgery at Jose Maria Cabral y Baez Hospital in Santiago, Dominican Republic. This is a 520 bed public hospital that cares for indigent patients and serves a population of greater than 3.2 million people. There is no cardiac surgery in the area. The hospital has a medical school and residency program for postgraduate education affiliated with it. With the start of the massive construction at Cabral, HOMS Hospital has been kind enough to allow us to perform our mission in their hospital, that is for the past 7 mission trips starting Nov 8, 2013. The indigent patients continue to be sent from Cabral for cardiac surgical intervention and are returned to Cabral after discharge from HOMS.

The patients are mostly young individuals with valvular heart disease. When not treated with antibiotics rheumatic fever can result in rheumatic heart disease affecting the valves of the heart. The aortic and mitral valves are mostly affected and need replacement. This disease process, while still endemic in the DR, is almost not existent in the US. Coronary bypasses are also performed for coronary artery disease. As you recognize, these are very costly operative procedures. Our cardiac surgical team to the Dominican Republic of 18 members is comprised of very qualified nurses, technicians, and assistants, cardiac surgeon and cardiac anesthesiologist, who are not only using their personal vacation time and spending time away from their families to make these journeys but are also paying their own way to do so.

They are from all parts of the US including OH, IL, TN, CA, WI, CT, IN, MD, PA, NY, MA, OH, OK, NE, VA, Ml as well as multiple locations in Florida. This is an all-volunteer mission with no paid members. Our teams have felt that helping to aid in the preservation of human life in a country less fortunate than our own is an important calling. It is time to give back. Without donations from various organizations. friends and family both financially and with donated product, our mission could not have continued. Together we are helping save lives of Dominicans with low resources to obtain their needed open-heart surgery. Your help is not only appreciated by me, but also by the people of Santiago whose lives you help to save.

What we do

The International Perfusion Association supports cardiac surgery missiontrips in places of need for patients for that would otherwise go unserved. We bring full cardiac teams of medical professionals (normally 16-18 volunteers) from the United States to perform these services. In addition, we raise funds, equipment and disposable supplies to support other groups providing similar services.

We are Passionate

We are passionate about patient care and strive to bring the same surgical excellence we have in the US to developing countries.

How we do we do it?

We have an amazing team of medical professionals that are willing to devote their hard earned time off to voluntarily mission work.

How can you help?

We are in need of general funding and also accept medical equipment and supply donations. We have been fortunate to receive donations …

Testimonials

Success Stories

These are typical examples of our patients who without our cardiac surgical intervention patients would die. Our typical patients are usually between 17 to 45 years of age that have suffered the consequences of rheumatic heart disease and require valvular replacements. They have returned to being productive individuals contributing to society. Please help them help themselves.

Success Story Patient 1 By coincidence, this 25 yr/o female happened to enter the emergency room at the start of our mission. An alert physician heard a murmur and obtained an ECHO of her heart....

Success Story Patient 2 This 32 yr/o lady fatigued very easily. Cardiac workup revealed mitral stenosis, closure of the valve. Successful surgery was performed and she has returned home to care for her 3 children and her husband.