Volunteer: Pediatric, Oncology and Cardiology Professionals for Macedonia and Kosovo

Macedonia and Kosovo

Recruiting US physicians and nurse volunteers to teach, mentor, and build capacity, targeting:

• Macedonia: Pediatrics and Cardiology (adults and pediatric)

• Kosovo: Oncology (Radiation and Medical for adults and pediatric) 

Background: In 1992, Project HOPE became the first health organization to provide humanitarian assistance to Macedonia, with the delivery to the Ministry of Health (MOH) of medicines and medical supplies, valued at approximately $1.9 million, and airlifted with the cooperation of the U.S. Military under the auspices of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID). Since then Project HOPE expanded its mission to cover Kosovo, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Albania, Montenegro, and Serbia, and programs ranging from community interventions to provision of training for hospital based health care providers were implemented with one ultimate goal, to support the development of the health systems in the region. In 2007, HOPE began implementing the Strategic Medical Resupply Program, a program designed to improve the quality of care for patients in the Balkans region by providing targeted donations of medicines and medical supplies. This humanitarian assistance program is demonstrably improving health services in the region during its difficult transition of the health systems to meet global health care standards. By providing medicine and medical supplies valued at over $60 million, Project HOPE is helping the Ministries of Health and hospitals increase budget savings and improve the availability of appropriate medicines and medical supplies for the people in the region.

Overview of the Project HOPE Macedonia-Kosovo Volunteer Component: Project HOPE is now looking to expand on the current Strategic Medical Resupply Program by including a health professional volunteer component that can deploy to each country to target the specific training and experiential needs of the local caregivers. This improvement in local capacity will help the Ministry of Health and hospitals by allowing for more services to be completed within the country and thus increase cost savings. These savings can then be used to target other areas of need within the healthcare system and ultimately positively impact the primary beneficiary – the patient.

Mission: You will be assigned to either Macedonia or Kosovo, depending on both the desire of the volunteer and the current needs of each hospital setting. In either location, you will be assigned to your designated specialty area. The Scope of Work will vary and be dependent on the department. You will be able to speak with your department chief prior to arrival to discuss the details of your work plan.

You will have a variety of opportunities, from participating in counterpart educational exchange; to side-by-side mentoring in practical, clinical setting; to teaching pre-determined, specific training programs.

Location: Skopje, Macedonia or Pristina, Kosovo

Needs and Requirements: Project HOPE is looking for 3-4 volunteers per rotation for both locations.

1) Macedonia:

• Hospital administrator or manager

• Pediatric team: Pediatricians, pediatric nurses, pediatric nurse practitioners

• Cardiology team: Focusing on cardiac surgery training, interventional cardiology, electrophysiology, stress echocardiography, and trans-esophageal echocardiography – for adults and children.


2) Kosovo:

• Radiation Oncology team: Radiation oncologists, physicists, and nurses

• Medical Oncology team: Oncologists and oncology nurses (pediatric and adult)


3) Funded Global Health Volunteer Service Corps Program: We are also accepting applications for volunteers interested in volunteering, with a home base in Skopje, Macedonia for longer periods (6 months or longer) to provide continuity in volunteer operations over the course of the deployment; to work in technical areas within the program; to assist the program with identifying new opportunities for growth and development; to help measure impacts and effectiveness; and to act as the lead agent for managing and overseeing volunteer team deployments throughout the year. Applicants will be focused on the Balkan region, and should have experience in public/community health, or clinical experience in pediatrics or oncology. If interested in this opportunity, please go to the Global Health Volunteer Service Corps link and apply for Macedonia/Kosovo!

** Team Rotations for 2013/14: When applying, please select one of the below rotations and comment whether you are applying for Macedonia, Kosovo, or the long-term volunteer coordinator position!

1) Rotation 2013: 30 November-15 December 2013

2) Rotation One: 18 January -1 February 2014

3) Rotation Two: 22 March-5 April 2014

4) Rotation Three: 17-31 May 2014

5) Rotation Four: 19 July-2 August 2014

6) Rotation Five: 1-15 November 2014


Applicants must have, at a minimum:

• US citizenship

• Required licensure and proof of diplomas, certifications, and letter of good standing/competency

• At least one year of experience in current specialty area

• Possess excellent oral and written English abilities

• Ability to fund deployment (see Expenses below)

• Agree to deploy for a minimum of two weeks (longer can also be approved)

Applicants are recommended to have:

• A passion for helping others

• Strong interest in Eastern Europe and the Balkans


Additional Information:

1) No language fluency requirements beyond English required.

2) All positions will have an immediate supervisor and will ultimately report to the Project HOPE-Macedonia Country Director, Ms. Katerina Takovska.

3) Room and board will be at selected rental apartments. All rooms will have A/C and wireless Internet connectivity.

4) Each volunteer team will be assigned a previous volunteer as a Mentor. Contact information will be given to the team, once applied and approved. Current Mentor: Ms. Kenly Flanigan


Visa Requirement: No

Malaria Prophylaxis Requirement: No

Vaccine Recommendations: MMR, DPT, Polio, Hep A, Hep B, and Typhoid


Expenses:

1) The volunteer must cover the cost of international airfare.

2) The volunteer must cover the cost of room and board. Room and board will be coordinated by our Macedonia office at a cost of approximately $50 USD/day.

3) The volunteer is responsible for obtaining temporary traveler’s health insurance.

4) Airport transfers to/from airport and the program site will be provided by Project HOPE at no cost to the volunteer.

5) Project HOPE will provide free office space, with Internet connectivity and printers.

6) Project HOPE will provide worker’s compensation, medical malpractice insurance, and medical evacuation insurance.


Application Deadline: Continuous

Apply now