A summary from John Lohnes, Physicians Assistant, Duke Hospital

I coordinate "REMEDY at Duke", a volunteer program at Duke Hospital that collects usable surplus medical supplies for donation to global health projects. Working at the medical center, I was shocked to see the volume of usable supplies that gets thrown away. Having also volunteered on several medical mission trips in rural Nicaragua, I knew that clinics and hospitals in developing countries lack even the most basic supplies. Therefore, with the help of student volunteers and the cooperation of Duke Hospital administrators, we developed a process where many of these surplus supplies could be recovered and donated to charitable organizations. I hope that REMEDY at Duke can help raise awareness among Duke employees and students about global health disparities and issues of resource distribution and waste in our local community.

For more information about REMEDY visit their website:
http://www.duke.edu/web/remedy