VCOM View Magazine Vol. 14 | No. 1

the collaboration of many, including JWAC; the Baxter Institute; volunteer drivers across U.S., Mexico, and Central America; permits and clearances by each country; the Ministry of Health in Honduras; and others, along with VCOM sponsorship.” Training Tomorrow’s Physicians Through Service Today Mobile medical outreach is not only about delivering care—it’s about preparing osteopathic physicians who are ready to lead in rural and underserved areas. By embedding mobile outreach into the educational experience, VCOM ensures that students are not only clinically prepared, but also community-focused and compassionate. This hands-on training is central to the College’s mission. “ “These mobile medical units are a powerful tool for fulfilling our mission. They allow our students to learn while making a tangible difference in the lives of others.” — Ray L. Morrison, DO, FACOS, DFACOS , Dean of VCOM-Louisiana

finally made it to Tegucigalpa, Honduras, on Nov. 13. This required significant coordination, approvals, and arrangements to cross Mexico and Central America. The MMU will increase the amount and scope of care that can be provided via outreach around Tegucigalpa. In January 2025, a VCOM medical mission team of students, physicians and staff from VCOM-Virginia and VCOM-Carolinas utilized the unit for the first time. On its first day in action, more than a dozen women were seen for well-women exams and pap smear testing in the privacy of the onboard exam room and air-conditioned exam area. Melba Zuniga, MD, director of Baxter Institute Clinic, observed: “Women in remote villages are receiving pap smears and related care they would not otherwise receive in the prevention and treatment of cancer.” The mobile unit will be used in remote villages and public schools by VCOM students on rotations and one-week medical outreach trips, providing women’s health care including pap smears, ultrasounds, and other medical procedures requiring the privacy and equipment that would not be available otherwise. When necessary, patients will receive follow-up care at the Baxter Clinic and referrals to hospitals in Honduras. “The MMU offers a new level of care to remote villages, referrals to hospital, and follow up continuous care at Baxter Clinic,” says VCOM’s Vice Provost for International and Appalachian Outreach Dean Sutphin, who facilitated the donor connections that made the unit possible. “It was made possible through

Mobile units at VCOM-Louisiana (left page) and in Honduras (right page).

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