Perspectives Winter/Spring-2017

COLLEGE OF HEALTH CARE SCIENCES • 15 Left: Andrew Geers and his wife, Alisa Geers, A.R.N.P., stand at the front gate of Hospital Loma de Luz in Honduras. duras The mission-minded couple is in the midst of selling their belongings and preparing to move to Honduras to realize the dream God planted in their hearts many years ago. Honduras is one of the poorest countries in Latin America, which is evidenced by the fact that more than half of the population lives in poverty and the per capita income is one of the lowest in the region. The not-for-profit hospital, which opened in 2000, has seven full-time U.S. physicians, along with their families, volunteering their services. Patients are charged a small fee that accounts for 10 percent of the hospital’s operating costs, but no one who requires care is turned away. The remaining 90 percent is raised through donations and grants. The Geers plan to volunteer at Hospital Loma de Luz while living on the hospital compound after completing six months of language school to become fluent in Spanish. Geers is excited to use the knowledge and skills he learned as a physician assistant to care for the people of Honduras who would otherwise lack access to quality and timely health care. Those interested in obtaining information or following the Geers’ journey can do so by visiting geersinhonduras.wordpress.com/ . n