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.

Ashley takes the helm on May 1, 2024!

WELCOME ASHLEY !!!

April 16, 2024 - Update

Dr. Carson Harris will step down as MELA Director on April 30, 2024, but will continue to serve as an emeritus board member of the organization he founded and nurtured for 17 years. He plans to spend more time pursuing an adventurous lifestyle by traveling the globe.

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.

The Doctor's course still needs a complete topic and station list. Suggested topics include Sepsis, Neonatal Resuscitation, Shock, Evaluation of Head-injured Patients, and Management of Status Epilepticus. 

April 30, 2024 - Update

San Antonio Clinic Opens!

Our fundraiser was a success! We attended Mano a Mano Bolivia’s inauguration ceremony for the new San Antonio, Bolivia health center.

Thanks to the generosity of our donors, the community now has a new clinic to provide timely and efficient healthcare. The people no longer have to walk several miles to receive primary healthcare.

The clinic has a nurse and a volunteer doctor until a designated doctor is assigned by the municipality. The structure comprises a delivery room, an observation room, as well as bathrooms for both patients and staff.

The program for the inauguration ceremony lists our donors' names, and a plaque containing these names is on the wall of this new clinic. So, the contributors to making this community’s dream a reality are on display for all to see.

April 28, 2024 - 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

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 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.

April 28, 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)

MELA-CDA - Gordy Hannigan-Luther and Matt Dill

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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