Blue Sky Surgical (BSS) is delighted to share the success of our first visiting medical fellowship, bringing one of our partner young physicians from Manos Amigas Clinic in La Entrada to Jefferson Abington Hospital (JAH) for a shared educational experience in early April.
Based at Manos Amigas Clinic, newlywed Dr David Pacheco has worked alongside and integrated with our Surgical team in 2023, and Medical and Ob/Gyn teams in 2024 both in the OR and Clinic at Manos Amigas, as well as in the field at surrounding remote mountain villages, a local monastery, and rehab facilities. Hosted at the home of experienced BSS team members Dr. and Mrs. Gerry and Karen Cleary, Dr Pacheco spent a week in both the hospital-care setting at JAH, and surrounding Abington Family Medicine (AFM) offices, hosted there by BSS missionary and Medical team leader Dr John Russell. Along with enjoying some home-cooked meals joined by AFM residents with whom David had worked in Honduras, and BSS and Serving at the Crossroads members, he was able to spend the work-week attending patient-care and teaching rounds in the NICU at JAH, and attended multiple lectures, conferences, between seeing patients with our staff throughout the week.
While direct patient care is the primary mission of Blue Sky Surgical, bilateral education is a critical component of what we do. This fellowship builds on a prior successful exchange experience with Surgical residents from the Dominican Republic facilitated by my team at the time (whom my Ob/Gyn wife and BSS member Dr Bethany Perry, hosted, who also visited patient-care sites JAH as well), and we are excited to continue expanding the ability of Blue Sky Surgical to spread care and knowledge for all those involved!
