Jason Mehling, MD, Interventional Radiologist at Saint Vincent, and his wife Melissa Buchner-Mehling, MD, internal medicine recently completed their second 2-week medical mission to Kijabe Hospital in Kijabe, Kenya. Dr. Mehling staffed radiology services and Dr. Buchner-Mehling attended on the men’s and women’s adult wards at the hospital.

During his time there, Dr. Mehling read well over 100 CTs and consulted daily with the medical and surgical service on his rounds. His wife rounded on several dozen patients a day and staffed on-call nights and weekends including teaching the medicine residents, admitting patients to the hospital through the outpatient clinic or ER, and taking care of postoperative patients. The hospital is nearly 110 years old. It has a 16-slice CT scanner, PACS, two Ultrasound machines, radiography, and multiple operating rooms. There are outpatient clinics, oncology services, and a very busy Emergency Room.

The trip and equipment were 100% funded by donations and came from his own pocket. However, Dr. Mehling’s 15-year-old daughter started a GoFundMe page as well as coordinated a bake sale at her school. In total, she raised more than $6,000 for her parent’s mission to purchase items like fetal monitors (2), infusion pumps, and other surgical and medical equipment based on the hospital’s requested needs.

Dr. Mehling’s trip was coordinated through the Africa Inland Mission (AIM)/Africa Inland Church (AIC) as part of Samaritan’s Purse World Medical Mission.