2014 Offshore Technology Conference being held May 5-8 in Houston, TX
HOUSTON, May 5, 2014 /PRNewswire/ — Medical Bridges is honored to be the 2014 beneficiary of the prestigious OTC Dinner Award. The net proceeds from the Annual OTC Dinner are donated to a charitable organization that is connected to the offshore energy industry or to the communities where the industry has a presence. Since the event was initiated 3 years ago, approximately $675,000 has been donated to worthy organizations. This year's dinner was held on May 4 at Reliant Stadium.
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140505/84057)
(Logo: http://photos.prnewswire.com/prnh/20140505/84058)
In the early 1990s a Houston surgeon, Dr. Patricia Brock Howard, and a pediatrician colleague and friend, Dr. Margaret Goetz, traveled to El Salvador on a medical mission. They were distressed by the conditions under which the local healthcare providers had to work. Upon returning to Houston, Texas, she and Dr. Goetz, along with a group of other concerned individuals, established a recycling program that would channel unused medical equipment and supplies, everything from X-ray machines to band-aids, to qualified healthcare providers who desperately needed them. Medical Bridges was formally established in July 1997.
Where surplus finds a purpose
It is estimated that more than $9 billion worth of surplus medical products is generated each year across the United States. Developing nations are in constant, urgent need of basic medical equipment and supplies. The Medical Bridges Donation Program connects those who have with those who hope by recovering medical surplus and redistributing it to healthcare providers serving the medically indigent around the globe.
During 2013, Medical Bridges shipped a total of forty-two 40-foot ocean freight containers to partners in Africa, Asia and Latin America. The offshore energy industry has deep water operations located in many of these same regions and routinely supports and improves the infrastructure of those communities. For this reason industry members are proud to contribute their support to this creative and worthwhile organization.
Medical Bridges, Inc. is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization dedicated to procuring medical and surgical supplies and equipment for donation to qualified providers of charitable medical care in less developed countries. Since its founding in 1997, Medical Bridges has served 81 countries in need, distributed over $60 million in supplies and equipment, assisted in supplying over 900 shipments to mission teams and individuals and set up donation programs in hospitals throughout the Houston area. Local volunteers contribute over 1,200 hours a month packing and sorting products for distribution. To find out how you can support our work of connecting those who have with those who hope, contact Dorothy Bolettieri, Email or 713-748-8131.