Medical Teams International is a faith-based, humanitarian aid organization that was established in 1979. Our mission is “Daring to love like Jesus, we boldly break barriers to health and restore wholeness in a hurting world.” Because every person matters, to God and to us.
We care for the hurting in frontline clinics, refugee camps, and remote villages. From delivering community-based health care for displaced Syrians in Lebanon, to strengthening community and health systems in rural Guatemala, to conducting screenings of new arrivals at country border crossings and in refugee camps during the COVID-19 pandemic, Medical Teams provides life-saving health care services and other support in emergency and refugee contexts. We also have a domestic program providing urgent dental care and other health services to our neighbors in need in Washington and Oregon.
We use both international and local volunteers to extend the impact of our staff and programs. We also leverage the strengths and capacities of others through a broad network of corporate, government, and non-profit partners. We work alongside volunteers to sort, pack, and ship donated medical supplies to those in need both here in the U.S. and across the globe.
What We Do
Direct Medical Care – We provide direct health services (primary and emergency) to people who live in difficult circumstances, have limited resources, and lack access to care, primarily refugees or those affected by disasters. These services are provided by professionally trained staff or volunteers. In the U.S. Pacific Northwest, we provide free oral health services to people with no access to dental care through our mobile health program, as well as COVID-19 testing, vaccinations, and other medical screenings.
Health System Strengthening – Health systems are those organizations, people, and actions whose primary intent is to promote, restore, or maintain health for local populations. We strengthen health systems by supporting the promotion, restoration, or maintenance of service delivery, health workforce training, information services, access to medical products (vaccines, technologies, and other supplies), and leadership/governance. We work directly with health care providers, facilities, and agencies to provide this support effectively.
Community Empowerment – We work in partnership with communities to ensure our interventions have sustainable long-term impacts. Rather than relying solely on health systems, we empower communities with knowledge and practices to take charge of their own health, reduce preventable illnesses, and improve their quality of life.
Where We Work
Bangladesh, Colombia, Ethiopia, Guatemala, Lebanon, Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda and the United States (Oregon and Washington)
Website: http://www.medicalteams.org/