WE ARE CURRENTLY RAISING FUNDS TO BUILD A CANCER CENTER FOR WOMEN IN liberia WHO WOULD OTHERWISE BE UNABLE TO RECEIVE TREATMENT.
Since December 2007 Drs. Dottino and Beddoe have had multiple visits to Liberia where they have been involved in various aspects of capacity building in health care services. Following their initial visit they worked in conjunction with local health workers to train them to administer chemotherapy to women with cervical cancer. They were instrumental in setting up the first chemotherapy center at JFK hospital in Monrovia which was subsequently moved to its new home at Hope for Women International in Paynesville, Liberia.
Hope for Women International, was founded by Dr. Wilhemenia Jallah a local physician who has worked closely with the doctors in bringing awareness of cancers that affect women. Since 2008, all chemotherapy drugs have been provided to the center by Drs. Dottino and Beddoe who travel to Liberia every 4-6 months to examine patients, determine responses to treatment, and perform surgery for management of cervical cancer.
In July 2012, as co-founder of TheWomen.org, Dr. Beddoe held a 4-day intensive workshop for 14 volunteer nurses, teaching them to perform cervical cancer and STD screening for women. In October 2012 along with volunteer staff from Mt Sinai Medical Center and Hope for Women International, and TheWomen.org board members, Dr. Dottino, Dr. Beddoe and Eileen Solomon, launched a pilot cervical cancer and STD screening program , the first of its kind in the country. Over the course of 6 months 1,000 women were screened by volunteers who were trained by members of TheWomen.org,. Screening for cervical cancer, hpv, gonorrhea, Chlamydia, syphilis and HIV were performed. The results of this study are currently being analyzed. These costs for these tests are being paid for from contributions made to TheWomen.org.
In addition to their work with cervical cancer patients, Drs. Dottino and Beddoe have worked with the fistula program at JFK hospital, performing continent urinary diversion on patients who have had recurrences following previous multiple attempts at fistula repair.