History
Pathologists Overseas was founded in the spring of 1991 by Dr. Heinz Hoenecke. As the organization and its activities grew, it became evident that this mission would be better served by incorporating as a nonprofit charitable organization. On July 2, 1992, Pathologists Overseas was incorporated in the State of California. Subsequently we have obtained an Internal Revenue Service ruling as a tax-exempt organization under sections 501(a) and 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.
Our first target area of service was Kenya, East Africa. In the summer of 1991, we established a histopathology laboratory in Nairobi to serve the mission hospitals in rural Kenya. In March 1995, we transferred this laboratory to Kijabe Medical Center, turning this project into a locally administered, self-sustaining service. As a result of this project, affordable histopathology service has been available to the mission hospitals of East Africa for the past decade.
Our project in Eritrea was initiated in 1994. Working with the National Health Laboratory, we are assisting the Ministry of Health in rebuilding the clinical laboratory system in this war-torn country. This includes installation of new equipment, establishing new technology, initiating a comprehensive quality control program and upgrading their School of Medical Technology. Through the sponsorship of Dr. Jack Ladenson, the Barnes-Jewish Hospital of the Washington University School of Medicine at St. Louis is donating its services as a reference laboratory for Eritrea. This project has been greatly aided by the efforts of long-term medical technology volunteers, including Susan Morin, Gwen Williams, Robin Flieg, Derryck Klarkowski and Jackie Klarkowski.
A project was established at Patan Hospital, Nepal, in 1995. This started as some clinical consultation on various laboratory issues and professional support for Dr. Yuji Kimula, the sole missionary pathologist at that hospital. When Dr. Kimula took a year of sabbatical in 1996-97, twenty-five volunteer pathologists rotated through Patan Hospital and provided continuous coverage during his absence. After his return, we continued our support by providing short-term vacation relief. Our volunteers have also participated in the pathology-training program at the Tribuvan University Teaching Hospital. It is gratifying that this program has graduated a number of locally trained pathologists to service the needs of Nepal.
The project in Madagascar officially took shape in February 1996, when Heinz and Alice Hoenecke visited the SALFA headquarters in Antananarivo. In collaboration with SALFA, a histopathology laboratory was established to provide diagnostic surgical pathology services and to train two SALFA physicians in the field of Pathology. Volunteer pathologists rotated through the lab from January 1999 to December 2001. In 2002, our trainees took over the service and the lab continues to provide pathology services for the people of Madagascar. Dr. and Mrs. Frank Kiel, our project director, continue to visit them annually to monitor the activities and help improve their services.
Since 1999, we have been developing a relationship with the Ministry of Health in Bhutan. The Los Angeles Society of Pathologists sponsored fifteen months of postgraduate training for a Bhutanese pathologist, Dr. Krishna Sharma, in Los Angeles area hospitals. We are also advising the Health Department on issues such as quality assurance, laboratory improvement, manpower needs, staff training and retraining, gynecologic Pap smear screening, etc. Since 2006, we have sent four medical technologists and one cytotechnologist there on long term assignments on site. This is still an active project.
Most recently, under the direction of Dr. Thomas Coppin, efforts to help establish pathology services and training at the Komfo Anokye Teaching Hospital in Kumasi, Ghana have begun. Volunteers have started going to Ghana on a regular basis.
In 2005, we visited El Salvador upon an invitation from the Minister of Health and Public Assistance. We have worked with the Rotary Club International to help provide some needed pathology equipment for them.
In 2006 we made contact with Dr. Arturo Rafael Heredia, the solo surgical pathologist at Hospital Amazonico de Yarinacocha in Pucallpa, Peru. We have sent him some equipment he needed to establish pathology services at this hospital as well as a teaching microscope for the local medical school. The LASOP will sponsor a six-month sabbatical for Arturo in 2008. We plan to send volunteers there to help with the service work in his absence.
Since 1995, our volunteer pathologists and affiliates have been providing periodic coverage at St. Jude Hospital, a 114-bed charity hospital in St. Lucia.