Honduran Doctor Serves Low Resource Population

My name is Tecie. I am a nurse in the US and I am privileged to help a Honduran physician, Dr. Natan Webster further his education in International Health. Dr Natan currently serves a low resource population of people on the island of Roatan specializing in diabetes management for over 1000 patients. This is Dr. Natan story in his words:

I am the eldest son of a single mother of four in Honduras. Also, I am a general doctor providing healthcare to low resource people. My story is truly impossible without people who care about those less fortunate than themselves. In 2011 while working at the local hospital during the day and paying my own way thru high school at night, I developed a passion for healthcare and for helping the sick and needy. At a place called Esperanza I meet Miss Peggy, a special lady who clearly shared my passion and was willing to help me. On Facebook, and all around the island, there were people and family and even strangers in faraway places, who also shared my passion for the sick and needy and were willing to chip in. Today I am the primary healthcare provider for over 1000 patients involved in a diabetes program at Clinica Esperanza. I have diabetes and have a long family history of diabetes, so caring for diabetics is something I am very excited to be a part of.

The patients I am serving during this time. Cannot afford their own healthcare.

I see patients who are grandmas, mothers, dads, grandpas. I see patients like the 70-year-old grandma who said doctor, I’m praying for you because that’s all I can do, for all you do for us, or the young 35-year-old farmworker who brought a couple oranges and said doc thank you so much for what you do.

This patients cannot afford their own healthcare, much less to pay for my continuing education. I still believe and I know you do as well that low resource people deserve quality healthcare. The next step in this journey is a master’s in international health that will equip me “to lead comprehensive disease intervention and health promotion efforts in low-resource and cross-cultural communities.” Such as the patient population I serve now.

MIH learners acquire advanced academic expertise and field experience in epidemiology, diseases of poverty, maternal newborn health, international public health, cross-cultural skills, disaster management, health leadership, healthcare education, research, and quality improvement.

Thanks to Miss Peggy and the clinic’s help, I have paid for, and already completed the epidemiology component of the program with a 97% average final score. Which has led to direct improvement in the way I serve my patients and manage the program. But the cost of the complete program is 10,000 dollars. Working with poor needy people does not cover this. Again, I must call on people who care about the poor and needy, on people who believe that all people should have access to well trained professionals, on people who care about quality healthcare for low resource communities to help assist me in continuing the next phase of my education.

No, there are not a lot of people like us out there, who care and are willing to chip in to advance quality healthcare for all people, but I do believe there is enough of us to make a difference. One of the best things you can do to have a fundamental impact is train and equip the providers in these communities. This allows you to have an impact for a long time and the ripple effect is so great in so many ways. Friends we can and must make a difference.

Now the next step of the MIH is the Professional Certificate Course in International Medicine, International Nursing, or & International Public Health – 10 Credit Hours: $2,720

which means I have to raise this amount to start the next component. Please help me with anything you can to reach this.

Any support given would be greatly appreciated. This is how we make a difference.

Thank you