International Medical Relief (IMR) is a 501(c)3 nonprofit organization that provides health care to under-served and vulnerable people around the world and is the world’s leading independent doctors without borders organization. International Medical Relief provides sustainable capacity-building and direct relief efforts. Everyone plays a vital role in saving and changing lives. Our international medical corps of volunteers provides long-term comprehensive large and small scale clinics offering life-saving interventions and high impact training to vulnerable communities around the globe. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 5.3 million children die of preventable diseases each year that could be saved through access to focused, scaleable education, treatment, and diagnoses. With careful integration of the United Nations Sustainable Development Goals, our work create a blueprint for communities to reach their greatest level of success. We invite you to be the good.
IMR recruits qualified medical, dental, and surgical teams and offers short-term assignments for volunteer doctors, dentists, and other health care professionals as well as non-medical volunteers to conduct medical clinics in areas where medical care is limited or difficult to obtain. IMR was founded on the belief that knowledge of basic health facts and access to health care should not be the prerogative of select nations, regions, or classes, but should be shared by as many people as possible. While IMR operates sustainable, long-term solutions in our communities, global health volunteers often participate for one to two weeks beyond our borders.
Our work is undertaken to include some of the millions of people who have been excluded from today’s healthcare systems worldwide. Through partnerships with local medical professionals and the entire community with regard to education, diagnosis, and treatment a valuable sharing of knowledge occurs. This empowers people in limited resource settings to provide for their own health and for each other.
IMR contributes to the world’s communities by improving the overall health and wellness of the people via medical diagnosis and treatment, partnerships with local medical designees, community training, and fostering the principles of prevention.
The success of our trips is fully dependent on our partnerships in the countries we serve. Our goal is to establish long-term relationships that allow us to revisit each of the communities in which we work every year.
We partner with in-country hosts willing to make a multi-year commitment for the benefit of the communities that we serve. With our medical team, support staff, and the health care supplies and medicines that we will bring with us, we will be able to see hundreds of patients each clinic day.
Our Mission
To provide access to sustainable health education and medical services in underserved and vulnerable communities around the world to improve the health, wellness, and quality of life of those populations most in need.
Our Vision
To be the preeminent global nonprofit health provider that will create, sustain, and enhance global community health status by providing compassionate, responsive, and high quality services.
Our History
International Medical Relief was founded in 2002 on the belief that knowledge of basic health facts and access to healthcare should not be the prerogative of select nations, regions, or classes, but should be shared by as many people as possible. We undertake our work to include some of the millions of people who have been excluded from today’s healthcare systems worldwide.
During our clinics, we partner with local medical and dental professionals to share knowledge about diagnoses and treatment. We also provide community health education so that people are empowered to provide for their own health, as well as for the health of other community members.
Operations
International Medical Relief promotes the well-being of underdeveloped communities through a comprehensive continuum of services provided in collaboration with partners. These services are accomplished through four main functions of the organization:
Medical & Dental Services
IMR provides free global health care and dental care services, treatment and diagnosis, and medicines. We care for entire communities whether members are getting well-checks or are sick or frail, or at great risk of ill health and disease. To foster community interaction and development, we begin each clinic with team members’ introduction to community leaders and members and proceed through pre-arranged logistics. Locations for clinic can vary from community hospitals to small clinics, health posts, temporary areas set up in a village, or even in individual homes reached by trekking from village to village for house calls.
Sustainable Community Health Education
IMR provides basic health education according to the specialties and skills of the volunteers, as well as the needs of the local people. When communities become empowered to take health and wellness issues into their own hands, they become self-sufficient. Our global education programs build a better and more sustainable response towards the communities we serve through training and partnerships with several health modules. We strengthen global health capacities and increase well-being and health outcomes through these classes conducted by certified trainers. Partnerships and training initiatives help strengthen the community’s overall health.
Training & Partnership Initiatives
International Medical Relief builds a better and more sustainable response towards the communities we serve through training and partnerships with several health modules. We strengthen global health capacities and increase the well-being and health outcomes through these thorough classes conducted by certified trainers on a variety of medical topics. Partnerships and training initiatives help strengthen the community’s overall health thorough Helping Babies Breathe, Cervical Cancer Identification and Treatment, Basic Health, and complex Disaster Response Initiatives. Partnering and training with community leaders helps increase the resilience of the impact on each community and provides them a more stable and reliable health care foundation.
Disaster Response
IMR is a first responder where our DARTs (Disaster Area Response Teams) put their compassion into action by helping survivors impacted by disasters around the world. IMR meets the critical urgent needs in the immediate aftermath of a disaster is essential to ease the suffering. IMR’s philosophy is First In – Last Out. On average, our teams hit the ground within the first week of a disaster. We continue to run operations well beyond when most NGOs have left to ensure that the community’s needs are met. In our response, we reach those most in need no matter where they are located or what the surrounding conditions are.
Values & Principles
Showing honor and respect are of utmost importance for our organization and medical mission teams.
Our organization holds resources and people at a high value, and as such, practices discernment with finances.
Our staff and volunteers are competent and knowledgeable — real experts in their trade and provide excellent service.
Our organization honors and respects every individual whether they are a team member or patient, and treat them according to their needs without discrimination of ethnicity, region, gender, or religion.
Our organization responds to those in need and works to meet their needs with sincerity.
Global Impact — Why IMR
Conflict of Interest: Policies and Procedures
At International Medical Relief, we take our responsibility for accountability and transparency as a nonprofit organization very seriously. Please feel free to review our policies and procedures and contact us if you have questions or concerns.
Whistleblower Policy | Donor Privacy Policy | Document Retention and Destruction Policy
Diversity Initiatives
The diversity initiatives for International Medical Relief (IMR) involve ensuring inclusivity, diverse representation, and cultural sensitivity on volunteer teams and within the communities we serve.
