October 30, 202020 – Top-Rated for 2020!
December 6, 2018 – HOLIDAY COAT DRIVE
Sight MD and A Promise to Peru supporters team up with the teens from the youth group of St. Paraskevi church who will be going into the city in December to deliver clothes and food to the homeless through the Midnight Run program.
Please consider donating one or more of these items New or gently used.
DONATIONS NEEDED:
❖ Men’s Coats/Down Jackets—Lg, XLg, XXLg
❖ Men’s clothing: Jeans, Sweaters, Hoodies ❖ Men’s warm shoes
❖ Warm Gloves
❖ Warm Blankets
**No Children’s or Women’s clothing
Your gifts to the homeless are greatly appreciated!
In over 1,000 relief missions per year, Midnight Run volunteers from churches, synagogues, schools and other civic groups distribute food, clothing, blankets and personal care items to the homeless poor on the streets of New York City. The late- night relief efforts create a forum for trust, sharing, understanding and affection. That human exchange, rather than the exchange of goods, is the essence of the Midnight Run mission
260 Middle Country Rd
Ste 201
Smithtown, NY 11787
Suite 400
700 New York Avenue
Lower Level
Huntington, NY 11743
590 Nicolls Rd
Deer Park, NY 11729
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December 03, 2018 - Drs. Philip and Richard Messina Endowed Fund for Excellence in Global Initiatives Award Breakfast Breakfast
November 26, 2018; Stony Brook School of Medicine, Stony Brook, NY
The Messina Family established the Drs. Philip and Richard Messina Endowed Fund for Excellence in Global Initiatives Annual Award in 2014 to encourage participation in international medical and cataract surgical missions for Stony Brook medical students and Stony Brook ophthalmology residents with the nonprofit organization A Promise to Peru, Inc. as a way to commemorate the lives of these two physicians. This year’s recipients are Dr. Anjoulie Gang, a second year ophthalmology resident and Shuhan Wang, a fourth year medical student from Stony Brook. They gave an informative power point presentation describing their experiences on the Cataract Surgical Mission to Riobamba, Ecuador in September 2018 to the Associate Dean of Global Medicine Dr. Mark Sedler, Associate Dean of Student Affairs Dr. Andrew Wackett, Chairman of the Department of Ophthalmology Dr. Robert Honkanen, Assistant Director of Alumni Relations Mary Hoffman and the members of the Messina family. A matching grant was awarded to the ophthalmology resident through the generosity of the Department of Ophthalmology.
Background on the lives of Drs. Philip and Richard Messina
Philip came to the U.S.A. through Ellis Island, N.Y. in 1911 at 6 years old from Sicily, Italy. He lived in the lower east side of Manhattan and somehow he made his way out to Indiana University for undergraduate school and medical school. He finished his studies in 1932 in the midst of the Depression, his older sister worked at Knickerbocker Toy Factory sewing stuffed animals to pay for his education. Residency training programs were not in existence at the time. Once a doctor graduated medical school, one would open an office and start your practice whether it was General Surgery or General Medicine. He chose the latter and his practice was in Brooklyn for over 50 years, he delivered 3,000 babies, performed tonsillectomies in the office and made house calls well past the time when other physicians has stopped. His compassion for his patients and his work ethic certainly inspired his son to become a physician and his daughter to become a nurse.
Richard attended Marquette University in Wisconsin and graduated medical school from University of Bologna in Italy in 1965. Prior to his ophthalmology residency, he enlisted in the Public Health Service as a commissioned officer for two years. Stationed in Albuquerque, New Mexico he worked as a General Practitioner on the surrounding Indian Reservations. He gained an appreciation for the Native American culture and the need for better health care in underserved areas. He established his ophthalmology practice in Brentwood and continued to be passionate about treating those that were underserved. He was a Clinical Instructor at Stony Brook School of Medicine until his untimely passing at the age of 48. His dedication to serve those in need, inspired the Messina family to establish a scholarship in his name that promotes global awareness of the need to provide health care to the underserved populations in the United States and worldwide. And he was the inspiration for Debra Messina, M.D. to co-found the nonprofit organizations A Promise to Peru.
Three generations of Messina physicians… it is something to be celebrated and this Endowed Fund for Excellence in Global Initiatives was specifically established for the Stony Brook family where Debra is a proud alumna. It is a fitting way to remember these two lives. The would be very proud to know that their family was assisting medical students and ophthalmology residents in the opportunity to gain
greater insight into the interpersonal relationships that are formed between physician and patient. Their legacy of service to those in need and their passion for medicine will live on and serve to provide an example to young physicians in training, now and for future generations.
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June 13, 2018 - keloland.com
Good eyesight is so important in today’s technology-oriented world. This week, a team of eye specialists and volunteers converged on the Rosebud Reservation to provide a free eye clinic for Native children and adults there. On the Rosebud Reservation, because of cutbacks in the Indian Health Service, good healthcare is not always easy to find, particularly good eye care. With that in mind, a volunteer group came to Mission to provide eye tests and eye glasses for those with less than optimal eyesight. The glasses were free, and the volunteers gave eye examinations to anyone who came through the door and requested them. Read the full article here.
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June 20, 2017 - Pams.org
George, Victor, Students and Physicians – Es Salud Hospital
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On November 5, 2016 Julia Colmenares CNA was honored for her dedication to A Promise to Peru by the Peruvian American Chamber of Commerce of Long Island at a dinner dance celebrating their 10th anniversary. Julia has been a part of the surgical mission team for the past 5 years. Pictured with Julia are A Promise to Peru board secretary Cathy Roberts and her husband Ken Roberts.
We published an ad in Paccli to congratulate Julia!
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October 17, 2016
A Promise to Peru, Inc. is recognized by the Peruvian Ministry of Health Calca, Peru June 2016
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April 04,2016
We are in Noticia Long Island!
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December 10, 2015
The NYIT Blog The Box recently featured an article on Usman Aslam, one of our dedicated volunteers!
Photo source nyit.edu Aslam places an IV line on a patient waiting for cataract surgery in Guayaquil, Ecuador.
Meet Usman Aslam, Presidential Global Fellow
“The best part of going on medical missions is being able to see the immediate effects of my work helping people,” says Usman Aslam. In June 2015, Aslam embarked on his fourth international medical mission—a trip to Guayaquil, Ecuador, which was funded by an NYIT Presidential Global Fellowship.
In Ecuador, Aslam volunteered for seven days with health care professionals mobilized by the nonprofit A Promise To Peru. Aslam was part of a team that performed more than 400 medical screenings and ultrasounds, 725 visual acuity tests, and 128 cataract surgeries (75 percent of the patients were legally blind). They donated supplies and services worth more than $434,100.
Read the full article here.
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November 3, 2015
2014 Mission Participant, Medical Student Rebekah Gensure, presented her poster at the Robert Wood Johnson Medical School Global Health Fair, December 2014
Please click here to download the presentation.
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July 21, 2015
Christine Garcia on TEDx: How do community organizations get their start and what keeps the momentum going to continue service to others? This is a talk on how individual ideas become flourishing community projects.
August 8, 2015
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August 2, 2015
PRESS via NJ.com: Short Hills eye surgeon will embark on surgical mission to Ecuador
Dr. Michael Farbowitz, eye surgeon and medical director of Short Hills Ophthalmology, will be travelling to Guayaquil, Ecuador this June as a participant in a cataract surgical and medical mission to treat the impoverished residents in that location.
The mission, organized and supported by A Promise to Peru, Inc. (www.apromisetoperu.org) a New York based charitable organization, hopes to perform sight restoring cataract surgery on 150 patients. In addition, the group will treat other common conditions of the eye, dispense distance and reading glasses and provide general healthcare to the communities including: internal medicine, emergency medicine, gynecology, nephrology and ultrasonography.
“I’m looking forward to helping as many people as possible in the week that we are there said Dr. Farbowitz. “The medical facilities there do not have access to the technology that we here take for granted. I’m looking forward to helping as many people as possible and give them access to modern skills and technology.”
Toward that goal, this summer’s mission to Guayaquil, Ecuador will consist of 52 participants who will transport 69 pieces of luggage packed with supplies, medications and equipment to set up a portable full-service eye and medical clinic as well as two portable operating rooms. The majority of the equipment and supplies are donated or lent by local businesses, physicians and private individuals.
Dr. Farbowitz is a veteran of past medical missions, including a trip to Ghana in West Africa in 2012. “Giving of my time and skills to help others both at home and abroad has always been a part of the mission of Short Hills Ophthalmology,” Dr. Farbowitz said. He hopes to make this trip a yearly event, and has been an active participant in Vision Harvest, a yearly event that provides free cataract surgery to the uninsured around Thanksgiving time.
The past several years the mission served Peru, however, this June they will travel to Ecuador to provide similar care. This year’s mission is being conducted in conjunction with the non profit organization Blanca’s House. (http://blancashouse.org) Their clinic in Guayaquil, El Centro Misionero de Salud “Maria Leonor Aguiar” is composed of several exam rooms and two operating rooms.
Since the inception of A Promise to Peru Inc., the surgical and medical team has accomplished:
• 7,000 medical exams on patients in remote villages, orphanages and schools
• 100 Portable ultrasonography examinations
• 2,100 patients examined in the eye clinic
• Approximately 200 sight restoring surgical procedures performed
• 3,700 pairs of glasses administered
Five physicians who organize annual cataract surgical and medical mission to areas in need throughout South America established A Promise to Peru Inc. The group organizes ophthalmologists and physicians of various specialties along with other healthcare professionals from across the NY metropolitan area and around the United States who donate their time and talents towards this effort. They also mentor medical students from Stony Brook, Robert Wood Johnson and Columbia University, State University of New York optometry students, pharmacology, public health students and undergraduate students from various universities. These students assist the physicians and nurses in their treatment of the hundreds of patients seen daily.
Farbowitz encourages patients and friends to donate to this worthy cause by visiting the website www.apromisetoperu.org.
Short Hills Ophthalmology is at 551 Millburn Ave. For more information, call 973 379-2544, or visit www.shorthillseye.com
Upon his return from Ecuador, Dr. Farbowitz will be available to local school or civic organizations to speak about his trip. Contact Michelle Gargiulo at 973-379-2544 or michellesheye[at]gmail.com for details.
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APRIL 07, 2015
Drs. Robin Cunningham and George Coritsidis, worked with Stony Brook medical students Michael Subrize, Amy Fuller, and Bennett Hong on a research study involving the use of portable ultrasound in aiding mission physicians in making accurate diagnoses. Their poster: Portable Ultrasonography Enhances Diagnostic Capability in the Peruvian Andes was presented in June 2014 at the Consortium of Universities for Global Health Conference in Washington, D.C. The annual Consortium of Universities for Global Health Conference facilitates the sharing of knowledge to address global health challenges. It is dedicated to creating equity and reducing health disparities worldwide. The abstract was also published in the Annals of Global Health Journal.Portable ultrasonography enhances diagnostic capability in the Peruvian Andes. Annals of Global Health, Vol. 80 Iss. 2, March-April, 2014a* For those interested in reviewing their poster click here.
Congratulations to our medical students and physicians for their hard work and dedication.
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OCTOBER 12, 2014 - via airlinkflight.org
AIRLINK PRESENTS 2ND ANNUAL HUMANITARIAN AWARDS
FOR AIRLINE AND NGO PARTNERS
**JetBlue Airways Receives 2014 Airline Partner of the Year Award**
**ChildFund International Receives 2014 NGO Partner of the Year Award**
Washington, D.C., (January 21, 2015) – For their second annual Humanitarian Awards, Airlink honored its partners JetBlue Airways and ChildFund International as Airline Partner of the Year and NGO Partner of the Year, respectively, in recognition of their steadfast support of Airlink in 2014.
“We are extremely pleased to recognize both JetBlue Airways and ChildFund International for their ongoing dedication and response to humanitarian crises in 2014,” commented Steve Smith, Executive Director of Airlink. “While JetBlue provided significant support to Airlink this past year, they also continue to act as a catalyst for our program and to help build our collective impact. ChildFund International is a new NGO partner to Airlink that has engaged very actively with our program, particularly during the Airlink Ebola Air Bridge, which indicates the degree to which they value our partnership.”
The presentation of the awards took place during the Airlink Charity Gala Dinner, which was held on Tuesday, January 20, 2015, at the Shelbourne Hotel in Dublin, Ireland, as part of the Airline Economics’ Growth Frontiers Dublin 2015 Conference. Airlink was the sole charity partner for the Gala Dinner, which was sponsored by Engine Lease Finance Corporation. “We are grateful to Philip Tozer-Pennington and Aviation News Online for providing Airlink with the opportunity to generate greater exposure for the organization and for all their support from our first introduction” said Steve Smith.
In 2014, JetBlue Airways supported humanitarian efforts by providing air transportation to a significant number of disaster response organizations responding to humanitarian crises. Over the past year alone, JetBlue increased its capacity commitment to Airlink, donating seats to NGOs in support of relief projects including the building of safe houses for girls and women formerly kept as slaves in Haiti, the diagnosis and treatment of cataracts and other eye diseases in rural populations in Peru, and the recovery efforts following the biggest wildfire in the history of Washington state, to name a few.
“On behalf of JetBlue’s 16,000 crewmembers, I’d like to thank Airlink for this prestigious honor. At JetBlue, our mission is to inspire humanity both in the air and on the ground. With Airlink, we are able to bring this mission to life and help our neighbors in need throughout our network, said Penny Neferis, director emergency response and business continuity, JetBlue Airways. “We are committed to helping communities in crisis and Airlink allows us to do so.”
ChildFund was recognized for their outstanding efforts to help families and communities support children through every stage of their development as well as for changing the underlying factors that prevent children from reaching their full potential and finding their rightful place in society. ChildFund International has provided cargo on multiple flights during Airlink’s Ebola Air Bridge to West Africa, beginning with the first flight – a 737 funded by Ross Perot, Jr. – to transport emergency medical aid to Monrovia, Liberia.
“ChildFund is honored to receive this award,” said Anne Lynam Goddard, president and CEO of ChildFund. “ChildFund staff, volunteers and corporate partners have dedicated countless hours and given generously to help those affected by one of the worst global crises we have seen in our lifetimes. Receiving this award is a testament to their hard work and a solid reminder of the work that remains to be done to end this epidemic.”
Airlink remains committed to helping the aviation community and NGOs utilize air transportation to deliver humanitarian aid across the globe and looks forward to working with JetBlue Airways and ChildFund International on future missions.
About AirlinkAirlink is a 24/7 rapid response disaster and humanitarian relief organization that links pre-qualified nonprofits with partner airlines for passengerand cargo transportation. Airlink’s rapid response business model supports the delivery of the right aid to the right people at the right time. With a global air transportation network that is constantly expanding as crises and natural disasterscontinue to occur around the world, Airlink has supported humanitarian initiatives on every continent. Since its inception in 2010, Airlink’s airline partners have flown over 3,500 passengers and transported approximately 2,500,000 pounds of aid cargo. For more information, please visit www.airlinkflight.org. Follow Airlink on Facebook and Twitter.
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OCTOBER 12, 2014
Video – Money & Main Street | Verizon FiOS1 News – Long Island
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SEPTEMBER 27, 2014
Source: airlinkflight.org
The World Health Organization estimates 39 million people are blind and 246 million have severe visual impairment: 90% of those affected live in developing countries. Cataracts are the leading cause of blindness in middle and low-income countries, but 80% of all visual impairment can be avoided or cured. This cure can come in the form of cataract surgery or by simply administering a pair of glasses.
Unfortunately, unequal access to eye care exists in Peru. Lima, the capitol city has approximately 25% of Peru’s population and yet 75% of Peruvian ophthalmologists work in Lima. When A Promise to Peru first implemented their program in 2010, physicians became aware of this problem when they discovered that a large number of mature cataract cases that existed in the remote Andes mountain villages. Their discovery inspired A Promise to Peru’s annual surgical campaign, in which they bring a portable, full-service eye and medical clinic and a portable operating room to rural Andean populations surrounding Urubamba.
Over the course of their two-week mission in June and July of 2014, they diagnosed and treated cataracts and other eye diseases as well as providing general healthcare to the communities: critical care, pediatrics, internal medicine, emergency medicine, gynecology and nephrology. In addition, they partnered with local Peruvian physicians, the Peruvian American Medical Society, and a local NGO, Fundación Niños del Arco Iris, to assist with identifying and transporting patients from remote towns to the main medical site in Urubamba, Peru.
In addition to providing surgical and medical aid, this program has an educational component. Graduate students involved in the program were able to initiate studies on pediatric malnutrition in rural Peru, and on the benefits of portable ultrasonography in the field. Likewise, medical students also held workshops for patients on topics such as dental hygiene, exercises to prevent lower back pain, and hand washing. Physicians from A Promise to Peru were also invited to participate in the 3rd International Health Symposium in the Sacred Valley, Peru at the Urubamba Hospital on July 3, 2014. Various physicians from A Promise to Peru gave lectures, which were well attended.
Thanks to the generosity of JetBlue, AIRLINK was able to help A Promise to Peru send 45 team members – doctors, nurses, technicians, medical students, and other medical personnel – to work on the 2014 mission in Urubamba.
Results
- 1,650 patients were evaluated
- 1,000 pairs of prescription glasses and sunglasses were dispensed
- 50 ultrasound exams performed
- 85 eye surgeries performed
- 2 studies on health in rural Peru were initiated
About A Promise to Peru
A Promise to Peru, Inc. provides an annual cataract surgical and medical mission to the remote villages of the Sacred Valley of Peru and other regions in need. Physicians and other health professionals from across the U.S. along with medical, optometry, pharmacology and public health students and undergraduate students volunteer their time towards this effort.
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August 5, 2014
JetBlue has generously provided the air transportation for 45 out of the 55 participants from Boston, New York and Chicago to Lima, Peru. As a result of JetBlue’s commitment to this project, the transport of the medical and surgical equipment, instruments, medications and supplies has also been included. “This mission is another great example of our longstanding partnership with Airlink, a non-profit organization that connects NGOs (non-profit organizations) with airlines,” said Icema Gibbs, JetBlue Airways, Director, Corporate Social Responsibility. “This effort will help a medical team provide much-needed care in a previously underserved area. We felt it was important to contribute to these efforts.
Read more here.
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MAY 29, 2014
Source: northshoreoflongisland.com
From June 28 to July 5, Drs. Jack Oats and Anzhelika Vaccaro of Ophthalmic Consultants of Long Island will participate in A Promise to Peru Inc., a cataract surgical and medical mission to the Sacred Valley region of Peru.
Oats will be doing cataract surgery with Dr. Mike Sable, secretary for A Promise to Peru Inc. and Vaccaro will be working in the clinic with Dr. Debra Messina, co-founder and president of A Promise to Peru Inc.
The doctors are asking for postoperative protective surgical eyeglasses to be donated.
Founded in 2011, A Promise to Peru Inc. has delivered cataract surgery and medical care to almost 7,000 residents of remote Peruvian villages. The missions are designed to make a meaningful difference not just in the lives of the patients served, but for those volunteering as well.
The donated postoperative protective surgical eyeglasses will be distributed to people undergoing surgery as part of the mission.
The donations may be dropped off at two ophthalmic offices: North Shore Professional Center, 125 Oakland Ave., Suite 101 in Port Jefferson and 4 Technology Drive, Suite 150 in East Setauket by May 15.
This is Oats’ second medical mission trip; his first trip was to Ecuador in February 2014. This is Vaccaro’s first medical mission trip. Both doctors serve the East Setauket and Port Jefferson communities.
For questions regarding donating postoperative eyeglasses, please contact OCLI’s Port Jefferson office at 828-7100 or OCLI’s East Setauket office at 941-1400. For more information about A Promise to Peru, please visit www.apromisetoperu.com.
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MAY 29, 2014
Consul General Of Peru and Maria Julia Colmenares
A Promise to Peru’s Director of Clinic Operations, Julia Colmenares received an Award of Appreciation from the Peru Agribusiness Association (PAA) September 18, 2014. Peruvian Ambassador to the United Nations, Maria Theresa de Hart officiated the evening ceremonies. The PAA recognize Peruvians for their talent, professionalism and dedication. The 2014 Cataract Surgical and Medical Mission to the Sacred Valley is a source of pride to the Peruvian American community.
A Promise to Peru – Patient Acount from A Promise to Peru on Vimeo.
Get in touch with us at Sights on Health to learn more about our programs, services, or how you can support our mission to provide quality healthcare to underserved communities. Email us, click here!