Our Story
A single visit evolved into a medical mission
In 2007, while a practicing general surgeon at Bryn Mawr Hospital in the Philadelphia suburbs, Anthony Coletta volunteered for his first medical mission to Haiti. It was a transformative moment in his career — and life.
Tony couldn’t believe how little infrastructure and resources the country had. To address these needs, he founded the Blue Sky Surgical Team. Made up of doctors and nurses from the Philadelphia region and beyond — most of whom volunteer their time and talent — this team provided much-needed surgical care to the people of Haiti.
For 13 years Blue Sky sent several surgical missions to the Double Harvest Clinic outside Port a Prince where we treated over 1,000 indigent patients. After that clinic was forced to close and it was impossible for us to resume our surgical missions to Haiti, we provided much needed financial support to New Hope Hospital in Cap-Haitien, Haiti in 2022 and 2023.
A New Chapter: The Honduras Missions
Board member Dr. George Trajtenberg, a general surgeon for over 30 years and close friend of Tony Coletta, arranged to have Blue Sky send missions to the Manos Amigas Clinic in La Entrada, Honduras. Dr. Trajtenberg had led over 10 missions at that clinic since 2013 and welcomed Blue Sky’s involvement.
The Manos Amigas Clinic was established by a Pennsylvania -based NGO, Serving at The Crossroads (SATC) that maintains the facility and its local medical staff. Blue Sky and SATC work in close collaboration.
The first Blue Sky Honduran mission in October 2023 was a great success, with over 60 patients treated in seven days by a team of surgeons, anesthesiologists, CNRAs, nurses and support personnel.
From September 19 to 28, 2024 Blue Sky and SATC will conduct a mission at the Manos Amigas Clinic that in addition to surgical services will for the first time also include Ob/Gyn services. The team will work closely with local Honduran doctors, nurses, pharmacists and techs.
On this mission Blue Sky will work with the Summit in Honduras, a Colorado-based medical charity, in providing general/family and pediatric care to patients in various remote villages outside La Entrada. An educational program will also be offered in Neonatal Resuscitation Protocols at the Mayan Women’s Birthing Center in La Entrada.
The September mission will be led by Seth Newman, M.D., a Blue Sky board member and a board-certified general surgeon from Pennsylvania who is a veteran of many international surgical missions since 2007. He will be joined by Drs. George Trajtenberg, Ryan Shadis, and Gabe Ruiz, all highly skilled board-certified general surgeons.
We expect to treat over 100 patients with a 39- member team of 4 surgeons, 2 obstetrician/gynecologists, 1 pediatrician, 4 family medicine physicians, all of whom will be assisted by a total of 5 resident trainees in general surgery, Ob/Gyn and general/family medicine. The team will also have 3 anesthesiologists /CNRAs, 8 nurses, 1 physician’s assistant, 1 biomedical engineer, 2 birthing center team members and several support personnel. This Mission will cost an estimated $ 30,000.