By Eunice Jeong
Last week, we kicked off a series about medical missions that some of our amazing Mid-Atlantic Permanente Medical Group physicians have taken to provide care for those in need well beyond the Mid-Atlantic States. This week’s story comes from Matthew Werner, MD, a MAPMG OB/GYN who practices at our Fredericksburg Medical Center. Read about his mission below.
Dr. Werner completed a medical mission trip to Honduras this past May. The trip was hosted by Solanus Missions, an organization that first started its service work in Honduras after seasonal hurricanes heavily impacted the country’s most underserved communities. Dr. Werner was first introduced to the Solanus group and the mission by fellow physician Dr. Carrie Klett, a widely involved member of the Solanus team who has been on the mission several times in previous years.
Along with the team, Dr. Werner worked on 18 patient surgeries in a five-day period. These obstetric surgeries primarily involved biopsies, hysterectomies, repairs, and fibroid removal. These procedures could drastically change a patient’s quality of life by stopping bleeding, reducing pain, restoring an ability to work, and even restoring full fertility in some patients.
Dr. Werner reflected on his experience positively, describing the rewarding value of bringing better health to an underserved community. He greatly admired the values and bravery of the people in the community, and described that the patients’ “faith, patience, and cooperation despite not knowing us showed great courage and tolerance.”
Be on the lookout for another physician’s journey next week!
