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Contact: Steven Vulpis
(631) 548-6891
svulpis@northwell.edu
RIVERHEAD, NY – Peconic Bay Medical Center (PBMC) is excited to welcome back its team of clinicians, led by PBMC's Director of General Robotic Surgery Dr. Agostino Cervone, who spent nine days in the rural countryside of eastern El Salvador providing much needed services for underserved patients who have little to no access to advanced medical care. Throughout the trip, the team of seven clinicians performed 102 procedures on 80 patients at the David V. King Medical Center in Jucuapa, in coordination with Northwell’s Center for Global Health's worldwide efforts.
“When we come to Jucuapa to provide much-needed medical care, we understand that for these people living in a developing nation, sometimes it is necessary to make the difficult choice between food and medical treatment,” said Dr. Cervone. “They won’t seek out medical treatment unless it’s a life-or-death situation. It’s unfortunate because here in the states, we do a lot of preventative medicine. There, unless residents have access to a clinic like this where it’s low cost, and the clinic only asks for $4 for an evaluation, they’re not going to get health care.”
Dr. Cervone first led a trip to the clinic in El Salvador in 2018 in partnership with Medical Mission International and the Board of the clinic in El Salvador. This was his third visit to the clinic after taking a hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. For their 2023 trip, Dr. Cervone and his highly skilled team performed needed operations for hernias, varicose, hemorrhoids, lipomas, synovial cysts, and other out-patient ailments with all patients going home the same day. PBMC supplied the team with equipment and sutures to help make this initiative a success. In addition, the hospital and the team ensured the clinic had a surplus of surgical and medical supplies to help support residents in need of treatment.
“Here at PBMC we do not take for granted the quality of health care we are able to provide with our program, technology and staffing,” said Peconic Bay Medical Center Executive Director Amy Loeb, EdD, MBA, RN. “I’m blown away by the commitment of our team to helping others not just here on Long Island, but also outside of the country. As we continue to expand access to much-needed health care back at home, we’re privileged to be able to send out doctors abroad to also tackle healthcare disparities.”
Dr. Cervone plans to return to the David V. King Medical Center in 2024 to continue his goal of increasing health care for those in desperate need.
For more information about Peconic Bay Medical Center, visit www.pbmchealth.org.
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About Peconic Bay Medical Center
Located in Riverhead, NY, Peconic Bay Medical Center is a 144-bed nonprofit hospital committed to providing exceptional care and improving the health of the communities it serves. Peconic Bay Medical Center offers wide-ranging, full-scope services and programs, including advanced surgical, cardiac, orthopedic and women’s health care, comprehensive inpatient medical care, palliative care and an extensive range of outpatient services, along with state-of-the-art technology. Peconic Bay Medical Center joined Northwell Health in 2016. For more information, visit PBMCHealth.org and follow us on Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.