above: Dr. Michler on his first mission trip to Guatemala City in 1994 with many of his patients
Cardiothoracic surgeon Dr. Robert Michler was invited on a mission to China in 1993, where he lectured and operated on a half dozen complicated heart surgery cases. Michler quickly found himself wondering how he could use his skills to reach a wider group of those in the most dire need.
“What struck me were the questions asked by senior Chinese surgeons related to what I considered to be standard technical maneuvers that I performed during the operation. These maneuvers were, for them, novel, helpful and very much appreciated. In that moment of helping them, I realized the importance of training and communication irrespective of my own preconception of someone else’s skill set,” says Michler.
Upon his return to the U.S., Michler lectured around the country on his experience, and during one of his speaking engagements he was approached by a colleague asking whether he’d consider operating on children in Guatemala. The timing was just right, as Michler’s passion for expanding his ability to help others in a global way had been piqued. He sought the advice of his minister, Rev. Ron Allison at The Second Congregational Church in Greenwich, and upon sharing his idea, Rev. Allison said “without hesitation, that I had to do this program,” says Michler.
ON A MISSION
Michler held a meeting at Columbia University, where he was on the faculty, to detail his pursuit, and 30 doctors and nurses attended. “I explained that in addition to performing life-saving heart surgeries in Guatemala, we also wanted to teach and train the host countries’ medical teams,” says Michler. “One nurse said she’d love to be part of the initiative but couldn’t afford the airfare, at which moment, Rev. Allison leapt to his feet and said, ‘I’ll make sure we can cover the airfare for everyone.’”
Rev. Allison not only delivered on his promise, but thanks to an incredible pool of donors, over 30 years later, every volunteer’s airfare and hotel has been covered for every mission trip to date.
The team, including Michler’s wife Sally and nurse Betsy Tirado, took its maiden trip to Guatemala City in October of 1994. They traveled with thousands of pounds of donated equipment and saved the lives of nearly 40 children. When asked about Sally’s role in those early days, Michler says, “She was the CEO, COO and CFO. She took care of everything from storing equipment in our garage to doing the bills.” Sally adds, “As we started to grow, we realized that we needed a board and an office, so we officially became a 501c3 nonprofit.” Heart Care International was born.
In the ensuing years, the organization expanded its reach to El Salvador, the Dominican Republic, Peru and Chiapas, Mexico. Every country that HCI partners with receives a minimum five-year commitment that the team will return annually to perform screenings and surgeries and teach. HCI’s surgical results match the best pediatric heart surgery programs in the U.S., and the native doctors in each country are able to communicate on a daily basis with the U.S.-based doctors whenever needs arise. They can share information, images and videos for second opinions and input.
With 350-plus volunteers, Heart Care International has cared for more than 3,000 children worldwide.
“We have heart surgeons from the finest medical institutions from all over the country working with us. The nurses and doctors volunteering are the cream of the crop and super-specialized in this area of healthcare. It’s just such a pure way of sharing skills and saving children’s lives who wouldn’t be here otherwise,” says Michler.
The other key component that Michler hopes to instill in each partner country is how critically important it is to create a strong team culture. “All egos are checked at the door,” he says. “Doctors pick up mops and clean operating rooms. We all do whatever it takes to get the job done.”
WHAT’S NEXT
Heart Care International is working to create a 24-7 consultation service accessible to any doctor, anywhere in the world, where clinical information and imaging could be used to communicate with the team in real time. “We have such wonderful expertise, and we want to be able to continue to share our knowledge and experience,” says Michler.
LIFE-SAVING STATS
HCI comprises 350 active volunteers from 81 hospitals in the U.S. and seven other countries.
The pro bono work of HCI and its donors allows doctors to perform life-saving surgeries for around $3,000, roughly 1/20 of the cost for the same surgery here in the U.S.
Five to six two-week mission trips are taken annually.
In a five-to-six-day period, HCI performs 20 to 30 heart surgeries, with the most being 64 surgeries in six days.
Interested in learning more or donating? Visit heartcareintl.org.