Called to Serve (CTS) is a nonprofit organization dedicated to delivering medical care and hope to cross-cultural, underserved populations around the globe. After leading medical mission trips for almost a decade CTS founder, Dr. Jennifer Harrington, DMS, PA-C, DFAAPA, wanted to create an organization with the distinct focus of connecting practicing PAs and other licensed medical providers, to PA students during medical outreach trips to create the opportunity to both engage in short-term medical missions and mentor and equip students to begin a life-long journey of serving others through medicine.

 

CTS Mission:

Connect health care teams of PAs, students, and other clinicians with underserved and cross-cultural populations to bring healing and hope.

 

CTS Goals:

-Pair licensed clinicians with students to provide mentoring.

-Share the gospel message with those whom we are serving.

-Bring care to those in need through short term medical outreach trips.

-Partner with community leaders/churches in the locations where we serve.

-Provide health promotion and disease prevention education to those we serve.

-Deliver preparation/training, team building activities, and debrief for participants.

-Ensure responsible, evidence-based medical care and safety for everyone we serve. 

 

Who We Serve:

CTS partners with community stakeholders in various locations to bring medical care to those in need. A typical team serves anywhere from 500 to 1000 patients during the week. The patients we serve do not have access to or the ability to afford health care service. The partnerships we establish in each community are long-term enabling us to provide continuity of care within that community. Past locations have included Peru, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Honduras, and rural Appalachia. 

 

Scope of Service:

During a typical CTS trip, a team travels to a community of need and sets up pop-up clinics.The clinics may be located in a tent, a school, a church, or a community building. Each clinic has a station for (1) patient education, (2) triage, (3) several clinic rooms, (4) a pharmacy and lab, (5) a prayer area, and on some trips we have an ultrasound room, eye clinic, dental clinic, or physical therapy room depending on the participants and space available. Medical providers are placed in their preferred area and paired with student(s) and a translator to care for the patients who rotate through their station. Most of the medical care provided is for acute care, minor chronic health conditions, and diagnostic services with referral for more serious conditions.