Hearts with Hope (Corazones Con Esperanza) Foundation was established in 2003. Its goal is to provide Latin American families access to medical care and other necessities for their children with congenital heart disease. The organization's objectives are to teach and assist health care professionals in the diagnosis and treatment of these children as well as provide financial, educational and emotional support for their families. The organization assembles "teams" of medical and humanitarian volunteers that travel to Latin America on a continuing basis to share knowledge, commitment and contributions.
Many of the Hearts with Hope board members are physicians at UCLA who I work closely with as a part of the healthcare team as a Radiologic Technologist in the Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory. Due to my professional relationship with the cardiac team and my personal passion for pediatric patients, the board invited me on two of their medical mission trips to Arequipa, Peru in Oct. 2010 and Oct. 2011. It was an incredible experience to go on a humanitarian mission to Peru. We worked long hours so we could treat as many patients as possible but were still able to bond with each other during our group meals and weekend activities.
My role as a radiologic technologist was to assist the physicians with their cardiac catheterization procedures. For the 1st mission I was placed in a small group with two physicians and a registered nurse so I was in charge of prepping the patient, operating the old fluoroscopic equipment, and finding/organizing/dispersing supplies. For the 2nd mission I was in a much larger group that included teams for dental, surgical, and medical outreach in addition to the cardiac cath team. On the 2nd mission, we worked in a brand new lab so part of my goal was to teach the x-ray techs in Peru how to properly use the new digital fluoroscopic equipment.
Even though there was a lot of work to be done, hundreds of boxes of supplies to organize, and hundreds of patients to be seen, we still had a fun experience of a lifetime. Our Peruvian colleagues treated us well. We received a warm welcome upon arrival at the airport, a visit from previous patients treated by the Hearts with Hope organization, a welcome party, and a departure party as well. In addition to the social activities, I was able to go on side trips to the city of Cuzco to see the Macchu Picchu ruins and visit the Amazon Rain Forrest in Puerto Maldonado.
I love my job and the opportunities that it has presented to me. I am grateful for the life I have and the ability to use my skills to help out an incredible organization that treats a patient population that is close to my heart.
For more information, please visit Hearts with Hope.
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The Health Science Bachelor of Science in the Radiologic Technology option/Program is offered through the California State University, Northridge (CSUN) Department of Health Sciences, part of the College of Health and Human Development, as a Bachelor Degree/Certificate Program. Graduates of the CSUN RT Program receive a diverse educational background as well as greater opportunities for advancement and mobility within the profession of Radiologic Technology. In addition to proficiency in general Medical Imaging, RT Program graduates are educated in a variety of specialized imaging procedures, including Computed Tomography, Cardiovascular Imaging and Magnetic Resonance Imaging. The CSUN RT Program has received the maximum accreditation (8 years) by the Joint Review Committee of Education in Radiologic Technology -- November, 2010. |