To improve the quality of medical care in developing countries, ASH has partnered with Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO), a nonprofit organization dedicated to improving global health through education. Currently, HVO has more than 60 programs in 25 nations in partnership with other medical, dental, and nursing societies. ASH is the first partner that supports programs dedicated solely to hematology.

ASH member volunteers travel to countries in need of education and training for health-care providers on the treatment of patients with blood disorders. This unique program covers the management of a full range of blood disorders, from the many forms of anemia (including those associated with malaria, pregnancy, iron deficiency, thalassemia, and sickle cell disease), to disorders that lead to abnormal bleeding and clotting, to malignant disorders such as leukemia and lymphoma. Methods designed to enhance the purity of the blood supply in these counties is also taught.

HVO training programs focus on local diseases and health conditions, and the procedures and skills taught are relevant, realistic, and sustainable, with the goal that the indigenous population will continue to benefit from the experience long after the volunteer has departed. In addition to teaching, volunteers may also shape curriculum design, influence national health policy, and promote realistic health interventions.

Throughout the program, volunteers will be provided with a clean, safe place to live. Travel costs to and from the site are the responsibility of the volunteer. (These expenses are tax deductible.) All volunteers will also receive detailed orientation materials from both HVO and the program director in advance of their departure.

One- to four-week assignments are available for either pediatric or adult hematology/oncology clinicians or laboratory-based scientists. To be considered, applicants must be members of ASH and HVO (apply for ASH membership; apply for HVO membership). Volunteers from outside the United States are encouraged to apply.

Volunteers Needed!

NEW: Peru

HVO is recruiting ASH members to volunteer for assignments with thePeruvian Social Security Health System, Empresa De Seguros De Salud (EsSalud), which provides health care for almost 10 million Peruvians (approximately 30-40 percent of the population). The goals of the program are to develop protocols and standardize treatment guidelines to improve patient management, improve or develop diagnostic procedures, and to improve resident education through formal training in the EsSalud hospitals. Training will take place at hospitals in Lima, Arequipa, and Cusco.

HVO volunteers work with the onsite physicians and the HVO program directors to identify and monitor the needs of each of the sites, implement improved training measures, and provide education to residents, physicians, and lab scientists. By working in multiple hospitals, HVO volunteers foster greater communication between the hospitals, while at the same time ensuring that each site becomes equally able to provide state-of-the-art hematologic care. The physicians based at these hospitals are highly trained, specialized professionals; thus, volunteers will not teach basic clinical concepts and skills, but complement and supplement existing knowledge.

Both pediatric or adult hematology/oncology clinicians or laboratory-based scientists are suitable for assignments of one to four weeks. Volunteers must be board certified in hematology and/or blood banking. Individuals with a PhD must be certified in hematopathology or pathology with demonstrated experience in hematopathology. Although a working knowledge of Spanish is very helpful, it is not a requirement for this program. This site is not suitable for trainees.

Cambodia

Pediatric hematologists are needed at the Angkor Hospital for Children in Siem Reap, Cambodia. Opportunities are available for both pediatric hematologists with a clinical or lab specialty and individuals with an advanced non-medical degree with appropriate experience in clinical pathology and hematology. Adult hematologists may also be considered for the site.

Uganda

Volunteers are currently being recruited for the hematology program at Mulago Hospital and Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. Volunteers will spend two weeks to one month teaching and training local health-care providers, arming them with the knowledge and skills they need to make a difference in their own communities. Volunteers lecture, conduct ward rounds, and demonstrate various techniques in classrooms, clinics, and operating rooms. They may also be involved in training teachers, developing curricula, and mentoring students.

Eligible volunteers must be board-certified/eligible in hematology (volunteers with two years of training in a subspecialty fellowship and board-certified in internal medicine or pediatrics may be considered at the discretion of the program director), have some prior experience working in a remote environment, and suitably flexible to adjust to the local situation. Clinicians must have a current medical license and register with the local medical council prior to the trip. The site needs volunteers in all areas of hematology, including both clinicians and laboratory scientists as well as adult and pediatric hematologists.

Questions?

To learn more, read about ASH's site visit  to Uganda or about a volunteer's experience in Cambodia. You may also contact Clare Kelley, ASH International Programs Specialist, at pckelley@hematology.org.

To apply for any of the HVO programs, please contact Jennifer Kelley, HVO Recruitment Coordinator, at j.kelley@hematology.org.

back to top