Because the United States experiences a surplus, and developing nations suffer a shortage of medical supplies, Medical Bridges ® was created to help bridge the healthcare gap worldwide.
Mission
Medical Bridges ®, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to procuring medical and surgical supplies and equipment for donation to qualified providers of charitable medical care in less developed countries.
History
Dr. Patricia Brock started Medical Bridges ® in 1997 after a trip to El Salvador where she witnessed an incredible lack of basic medical supplies. Accompanied by founding board member, Dr. Peggy Goetz, Dr. Brock returned from this journey determined to address this shortage all too prevalent in the developing world. Armed with the knowledge that an estimated $9 billion in medical surplus is produced annually in the United States, Dr. Brock, along with Dr. Goetz and three other board members established Medical Bridges ® to give this surplus a new purpose.
Medical Bridges ® has:
- Served 81 countries in need
- Distributed over $60 million in supplies and equipment
- Assisted in supplying over nine hundred shipments to mission teams and individuals
- Set up donation programs in hospitals throughout the Houston area
- Guided thousands of volunteers and groups; on average, local volunteers contribute over 1,200 hours a month packing and sorting products for distribution.
Contact Information
Distribution Center:
2706 Magnet
Houston, Texas 77054
(v.) 713-748-8131
(f.) 713-748-0118
Mailing Address:
P.O. Box 300245
Houston, Texas 77230-0245
www.medicalbridges.org
Staff
President & CEO: Dorothy Bolettieri
Director of Operations: Alvaro Carrasco
Director of Finance & Administration: Aida Alard
Business Development Manager: Email Sales
Inventory Control Manager: Steve Bolfing
Procurement Manager: Jeremiah Judkins
Receptionist: Front Desk
Sort Room Coordinator: Jo Anne Williams
HC Mission Assistant: Norm Beris
Distribution Center Assistant: George Balderas
Distribution Center Assistant and Transporation: Anderson Wright
How Shipments Are Sent
MBI distributes material in a variety of ways and records this allocation as a “container shipment” or a “hand-carried shipment.” Container shipments are sent via ocean freight using a commercial freight forwarder. This type of distribution allows for a larger volume to be moved and often carries up to 650-750 pieces of material. Hand-carried shipments are typically transported in anything other than an ocean freight container. Most often they are packed in luggage or trunks that are physically carried into the countries by the requesting group or individual.