Loyola Medicine ophthalmologists travel to Guatemala to provide advanced eye care

MAYWOOD, IL — As part of the partnership between Loyola Medicine and HF Healthcare Services, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Humanity First USA to advance eye care, a team of specialists recently completed a mission trip to Nasir Hospital in Guatemala to provide essential surgical eye care to underserved communities.

The 14-member team was comprised of faculty from Loyola Medicine’s department of ophthalmology, as well as faculty and residents from other academic medical centers. Loyola Medicine’s Thomas A. Stamm Endowment, Surgical Eye Expeditions (SEE), Alcon Cares and individual donors supported the mission. The team brought containers of essential equipment and supplies to Guatemala, which enabled them to carry out 60 cataract and pterygium surgeries. Loyola's ophthalmology team has collaborated with Humanity First since 2012 to provide critical eye care to those in need in Guatemala; this mission marked the department's 20th trip. 

"Each trip to Nasir Hospital is gratifying in its own way," said Charles Bouchard, MD, chair of ophthalmology at Loyola Medicine and team lead. "This milestone mission allowed us to perform 60 surgeries with the same compassionate care we provide to our patients back home."

The opening of Nasir Hospital in 2018 marked a significant advancement in the region's availability of quality medical care. In the summer of 2023, a new partnership between Humanity First USA and Loyola Medicine was forged to develop a state-of-the-art ophthalmology department at Nasir Hospital, where visiting doctors serve patients 3-4 times per year. These trips include faculty, residents, medical students and surgical staff from multiple Chicago medical centers, further establishing a collaborative Chicago commitment to global eye care.

The partnership between Humanity First USA and Loyola Medicine marks a critical milestone in providing comprehensive diagnostic and surgical eye care to thousands in need. It aims to elevate the standard of eye care in Guatemala and serves as a model for international health collaboration.

To learn more about Nasir Hospital, visit https://hospitalnasir.com/.