New MELA Director Named

Meet Ashley Jacobson, MD.

Dr. Jacobson is an assistant professor of emergency medicine at Mayo Clinic Health System. She is actively involved in global health work with a focus on medical education. Dr. Jacobson has served as an advisory member of the IFEM Core Curriculum and Education Committee, as well as a member of the Emergency Medicine Global Literature Review Group. In addition to these roles, she was the Resident Representative for Bolivia on the ACEP International Medicine committee from 2019-2021. Dr. Jacobson created a social media group for Bolivian women in medicine, which provides a space for networking and connection.

She comes highly recommended for the position of Medical Director of MELA and was recently voted in by the Board of Directors at our last meeting. We are confident that she will do an outstanding job leading the organization forward and achieving our mission of building partnerships through medical education.

WELCOME ASHLEY !!!

April 16, 2024 - Update

MELA NEWS

Update: The International Conference on Acute Care XV is Coming in November

MELA’s International Conference on Acute Care XV, originally set for March 2024, has been rescheduled for the first week of November 2024. The Nursing Section will focus on PALS during the conference, and the course schedule for the Physician Section is still in the planning stages. Stay tuned for further updates as we work to finalize the new dates and ensure a successful event.

April 16, 2024 - Update

Advanced Trauma Management Course November 3-5, 2023

Our recent trip to Cochabamba was a great success! We were able to provide advanced trauma management education to 44 local physicians, and the feedback we received was overwhelmingly positive. Our sponsor, MMB, and their on-site coordinators, Dr. Ivan Perez, Dr. Sergio Zegarra, and Dr. Jose Velasquez, showed a unique ability to adjust, troubleshoot, and solve logistical problems encountered.

We were fortunate to have the support of several local Bolivian specialists in Emergency Medicine, Obstetrics, Neurosurgery, and Anesthesiology who helped teach the course. We extend our heartfelt thanks to our Bolivian educators and MELA volunteers, Patty Telgener, RN; Dr. Peter Tanghe; Dr. Rebecca Leff; Dr. Daniel Fiterman-Molinari; and Paul Bartz, EMT-P. We couldn't have done it without our exceptional interpreters, who did a fantastic job during the didactic and practical sessions. It was a genuinely collaborative effort, and we are grateful to everyone who made it possible.

November 10, 2023 - Update

Idaho MELA Group Plans Another PHTLS Course in April

The MELA-CDA Chapter is heading for Cochabamba to present a PreHospital Trauma Life Support Course on April 19-21, 2024. This course enhances prehospital trauma care in Bolivia and makes a real impact in emergency medical situations. Our CDA team brings a track record of excellence in delivering this high-impact training program and is making a tangible difference in prehospital care in Bolivia.

April 16, 2024 - Update

Fundraiser for San Antonio, Bolivia Health Center 11-29-23

We had a successful event at Topgolf - Minneapolis, located in Brooklyn Center. This year’s event was as entertaining as last year’s. To put it another way, “A good time was had by all!” Our goal was to assist Mano a Mano Bolivia (MMB) in constructing a medical clinic in San Antonio, located in rural Bolivia, where the inhabitants have to walk several miles to receive primary healthcare due to the lack of health centers. We raised almost $20,000 for the community but fell short of our $34,000 goal. Nonetheless, MMB and the San Antonio community were extremely grateful for the generous donations by our TopGolf guests and other donors. We can’t thank you enough!

The inauguration of Centro de Salud - San Antonio will occur on April 23rd. I will be in attendance to capture photos of the event to share. The program for the inauguration ceremony will list the names of our donors, and a plaque containing these names will be placed on the wall of this new clinic.

April 16, 2024 - Update

MELA Board Meeting Update

Next Meeting: July 16, 2024 at 6 pm.

Our current Board consists of Carson Harris (Director), Jessica Sandberg, W. Brooks Donald (Treasurer), Paul Bartz (Secretary), Peter Tanghe and Sally Larsen, Ashley Jacobson (Director-Elect)

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About

Find out about our organization, mission, our methods, and the results of our efforts in Latin America.

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We build partnerships through medical education

MELA is dedicated to the continuing education and the teaching of life-saving skills to providers in Latin America.  Our teams of medical professionals develop meaningful and strong  relationships with NGOs having healthcare interests. We partner with those organizations having a commitment to improving the healthcare of their communities and country. Please join one of our teams and contribute to global health education.

All photography provided by MELA Team Members