A shipment of millions of dollars worth of donated pharmaceuticals and medical supplies for the Physicians With Heart Airlift arrived today in Novosibirsk, Russia.
Unloading the Cargo Plane
October 7, 1998
A Russian cargo plane, chartered for the Physicians With Heart Airlift by the U.S. State Department, landed at the Tolmachova Airport in Novosibirsk and was met by the delegation of family physicians and other participants from the American Academy of Family Physicians, AAFP Foundation, and Heart to Heart International. The shipment included 59 pallets of supplies destined for seven local hospitals.
The Physicians With Heart delegation was at the airport in Novosibirsk to verify the arrival of the shipment and to supervise the unloading and distribution of the medical supplies. AAFP members in the delegation include: AAFP Board Chair Neil Brooks, M.D., of Rockville, Conn.; AAFP Foundation President Gerald Keller, M.D., of Mandeville, La.; Ron Christensen, M.D., of Anchorage, Alaska, a past AAFP director; Sheila Cook, M.D., of Manteno, Ill.; Maria Gbur, M.D., of New York, N.Y.; Gary Graham, M.D., of Provo, Utah; Joseph Hess, M.D., of Farmington, Utah; Mary Lynass, M.D., of Glendale, Ariz.; Dwarika Mukerjea, M.D., of Suffern, N.Y.; Barbara Troupin, M.D., of San Diego; Dan Van Durme, M.D., of Tampa, Fla.; Dick Westerman, M.D., of Kalamazoo, Mich.; and Earl William, M.D., of Tustin, Mich. Also on hand in Novosibirsk to assist with the airlift are Daniel Ostergaard, M.D., vice president of education and scientific affairs; Sandy Panther, AAFP Foundation executive vice president; and Gary Morsh, M.D., founder and chair of Heart to Heart International.
AAFP leaders Daniel Ostergaard, M.D., AAFP vice president for education and scientific affairs; Ron Christensen, M.D., past AAFP director; Neil Brooks, M.D., AAFP Board Chair; Linda Christensen; Sandy Brooks; and Ruth Ostergaard gather under the wing of the cargo plane as it is readied for unloading.
As the donated pharmaceuticals and medical supplies are distributed, teams of delegation members will visit recipient hospitals to document that it arrived safely. Physicians With Heart delegates will also use the opportunity to interact with local health care providers and answer questions about the medical specialty of family practice.
Novosibirsk 1998
Unloading the Plane
