Doc to Dock
Encyclopedia
Doc to Dock is a Brooklyn
, New York
-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that sends donated medical supplies and equipment to hospitals and clinics in Africa
and Haiti
. It was founded in 2005 by cardiologist and medical professor Bruce Charash.
Thousands of tons of medical supplies
are discarded in the United States every day. This occurs largely because U.S. government regulations force hospitals to discard any unused medical supplies in an opened outer package, even if the remaining items are individually wrapped and sterile. These supplies are either incinerated or deposited in landfills
. Meanwhile, in developing nations, thousands of patients are turned away from hospitals and medical centers due to a lack of supplies. Charash created Doc to Dock to rectify this imbalance. The organization also benefits the U.S. environment by reducing the strain on landfills.
’s Clinton Global Initiative in late 2005. The corporate, political, and other leaders who make up the Initiative’s membership are required to commit to projects that benefit humankind and to report on their progress each year. Charash conceived of his commitment at the inaugural meeting and founded Doc to Dock soon afterward.
in operating rooms and other areas. Doc to Dock also accepts donations from pharmaceutical and medical product companies, as well as from individual donors. For example, some individuals who have purchased hospital beds for home use have donated them once they are no longer needed.
After sorting the supplies and testing the equipment, volunteers store the materials in warehouses. They ship supplies only when specific requests are made, and the materials go directly to the recipient hospital or clinic. It costs about $25,000 to ship a 40-foot container containing supplies with an average wholesale value of $500,000. Doc to Dock depends on financial donations and grants to fund such shipments. Recipient institutions have included hospitals and clinics in Haiti
, Senegal
, Benin
, Ethiopia
, Kenya
, Lesotho
, Liberia
, Uganda
, Malawi
, Mali
, and Ghana
.
, MedShare
, the REMEDY program at Yale-New Haven Hospital
, the MERCI program at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, the James Jordan Foundation, the Doctors Choice Community Health Network, Gleaning for the World, the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative, Project C.U.R.E.
, and the Sanam Vaziri Quraishi Foundation.
Brooklyn
Brooklyn is the most populous of New York City's five boroughs, with nearly 2.6 million residents, and the second-largest in area. Since 1896, Brooklyn has had the same boundaries as Kings County, which is now the most populous county in New York State and the second-most densely populated...
, New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that sends donated medical supplies and equipment to hospitals and clinics in Africa
Africa
Africa is the world's second largest and second most populous continent, after Asia. At about 30.2 million km² including adjacent islands, it covers 6% of the Earth's total surface area and 20.4% of the total land area...
and Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
. It was founded in 2005 by cardiologist and medical professor Bruce Charash.
Thousands of tons of medical supplies
Medical equipment
Medical equipment is designed to aid in the diagnosis, monitoring or treatment of medical conditions.-Types:There are several basic types:* Diagnostic equipment includes medical imaging machines, used to aid in diagnosis...
are discarded in the United States every day. This occurs largely because U.S. government regulations force hospitals to discard any unused medical supplies in an opened outer package, even if the remaining items are individually wrapped and sterile. These supplies are either incinerated or deposited in landfills
Landfill
A landfill site , is a site for the disposal of waste materials by burial and is the oldest form of waste treatment...
. Meanwhile, in developing nations, thousands of patients are turned away from hospitals and medical centers due to a lack of supplies. Charash created Doc to Dock to rectify this imbalance. The organization also benefits the U.S. environment by reducing the strain on landfills.
Founding
Doc to Dock was born as the result of an appeal made by former U.S. president Bill Clinton at the first summit meeting of the Clinton FoundationClinton Foundation
The William J. Clinton Foundation is a foundation established by former President of the United States Bill Clinton with the stated mission to "strengthen the capacity of people throughout the world to meet the challenges of global interdependence." The Foundation focuses on four critical areas:...
’s Clinton Global Initiative in late 2005. The corporate, political, and other leaders who make up the Initiative’s membership are required to commit to projects that benefit humankind and to report on their progress each year. Charash conceived of his commitment at the inaugural meeting and founded Doc to Dock soon afterward.
Model
The organization accepts almost any type of medical supplies, including catheters, IV lines, and walkers. It also accepts capital equipment such as ultrasound machines and operating tables. It works with a number of hospitals, mainly in the U.S. Northeast, that place recycling binsRecycling bin
A recycling bin is a container used to hold recyclables before they are taken to recycling centers. Recycling bins exist in various sizes for use in homes, offices, and large public facilities...
in operating rooms and other areas. Doc to Dock also accepts donations from pharmaceutical and medical product companies, as well as from individual donors. For example, some individuals who have purchased hospital beds for home use have donated them once they are no longer needed.
After sorting the supplies and testing the equipment, volunteers store the materials in warehouses. They ship supplies only when specific requests are made, and the materials go directly to the recipient hospital or clinic. It costs about $25,000 to ship a 40-foot container containing supplies with an average wholesale value of $500,000. Doc to Dock depends on financial donations and grants to fund such shipments. Recipient institutions have included hospitals and clinics in Haiti
Haiti
Haiti , officially the Republic of Haiti , is a Caribbean country. It occupies the western, smaller portion of the island of Hispaniola, in the Greater Antillean archipelago, which it shares with the Dominican Republic. Ayiti was the indigenous Taíno or Amerindian name for the island...
, Senegal
Senegal
Senegal , officially the Republic of Senegal , is a country in western Africa. It owes its name to the Sénégal River that borders it to the east and north...
, Benin
Benin
Benin , officially the Republic of Benin, is a country in West Africa. It borders Togo to the west, Nigeria to the east and Burkina Faso and Niger to the north. Its small southern coastline on the Bight of Benin is where a majority of the population is located...
, Ethiopia
Ethiopia
Ethiopia , officially known as the Federal Democratic Republic of Ethiopia, is a country located in the Horn of Africa. It is the second-most populous nation in Africa, with over 82 million inhabitants, and the tenth-largest by area, occupying 1,100,000 km2...
, Kenya
Kenya
Kenya , officially known as the Republic of Kenya, is a country in East Africa that lies on the equator, with the Indian Ocean to its south-east...
, Lesotho
Lesotho
Lesotho , officially the Kingdom of Lesotho, is a landlocked country and enclave, surrounded by the Republic of South Africa. It is just over in size with a population of approximately 2,067,000. Its capital and largest city is Maseru. Lesotho is a member of the Commonwealth of Nations. The name...
, Liberia
Liberia
Liberia , officially the Republic of Liberia, is a country in West Africa. It is bordered by Sierra Leone on the west, Guinea on the north and Côte d'Ivoire on the east. Liberia's coastline is composed of mostly mangrove forests while the more sparsely populated inland consists of forests that open...
, Uganda
Uganda
Uganda , officially the Republic of Uganda, is a landlocked country in East Africa. Uganda is also known as the "Pearl of Africa". It is bordered on the east by Kenya, on the north by South Sudan, on the west by the Democratic Republic of the Congo, on the southwest by Rwanda, and on the south by...
, Malawi
Malawi
The Republic of Malawi is a landlocked country in southeast Africa that was formerly known as Nyasaland. It is bordered by Zambia to the northwest, Tanzania to the northeast, and Mozambique on the east, south and west. The country is separated from Tanzania and Mozambique by Lake Malawi. Its size...
, Mali
Mali
Mali , officially the Republic of Mali , is a landlocked country in Western Africa. Mali borders Algeria on the north, Niger on the east, Burkina Faso and the Côte d'Ivoire on the south, Guinea on the south-west, and Senegal and Mauritania on the west. Its size is just over 1,240,000 km² with...
, and Ghana
Ghana
Ghana , officially the Republic of Ghana, is a country located in West Africa. It is bordered by Côte d'Ivoire to the west, Burkina Faso to the north, Togo to the east, and the Gulf of Guinea to the south...
.
Partner Organizations
Doc to Dock collaborates with a number of other organizations, which recommend medical facilities in developing nations and provide contacts. Partners have included the Earth Institute at Columbia University, the American Friends of Kenya, the United NationsUnited Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
, MedShare
MedShare
MedShare is a national non-profit organization that recovers surplus medical supplies and equipment from U.S. hospitals and medical companies, and redistributes them to needy hospitals in developing countries.-About:...
, the REMEDY program at Yale-New Haven Hospital
Yale-New Haven Hospital
Yale-New Haven Hospital , Connecticut's largest hospital with 966 beds, is located in New Haven, Connecticut.The hospital is owned and operated by the Yale New Haven Health System, Inc...
, the MERCI program at the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center, the James Jordan Foundation, the Doctors Choice Community Health Network, Gleaning for the World, the Clinton HIV/AIDS Initiative, Project C.U.R.E.
Project C.U.R.E.
PROJECT C.U.R.E. is the registered trademark of the Benevolent Healthcare Foundation, a 501 non-profit, humanitarian relief organization based in Denver, CO. It is one of the largest nonprofit organizations in the world that delivers medical supplies and equipment to developing countries...
, and the Sanam Vaziri Quraishi Foundation.