About Heartbeat Mission

History and Formation

 

Heartbeat Mission was founded to facilitate faith-based healthcare in a whole-person (mind, body, spirit) approach to at-risk people - related to being underserved or having gone through a disaster.  Here’s the founding timeline:

 

• 2004 Tsunami in the Indian Ocean

Founders of Heartbeat Mission collected 700 pounds of medical supplies and had a team of healthcare providers in Sri Lanka in 5 days.

 

• 2005 Hurricane Katrina 

 A similar response was facilitated once again by the eventual Heartbeat Mission founders, 

 cementing the need and desire to create a 501(c)(3) organization to continue this type of work 

 and to allow proper processing of support and donations.

 

• 2008 Andaman Islands 

A 13-member medical team returned to the area left in ruin by the 2004 Tsunami to offer free treatment and the love of Christ to people in remote villages.  800 patients were seen in 10 days by the team.

 

Many other mission trips, domestic and abroad, have followed since the formation of Heartbeat Mission as a not-for-profit organization.   Supplies have since been donated to assist non-profits working in Mexico, Honduras, India, Africa, and the US and have also been shipped to medical members of the US Military who used the donated supplies as a way to convey friendship to Iraqi civilians through free medical clinics.

 

Mission and Vision

 

The Mission and Vision of Heartbeat Mission are:

 

• Educational

We will participate in ongoing educational efforts intended to impart the vision and skills for an integrated, whole-person approach to healthcare.  We will host medical residents and allied

professional students who desire to devote a portion of their academia to learn about and practice in an environment where a faith-based approach to healthcare is taken.  When

invited, Board Officers will accept speaking and/or preaching opportunities - both domestic and international - to share the vision and implementation of an integrated, faith-based approach to healthcare.

 

• Medical

We will organize and lead medical missions teams to take integrated, whole-person faith-based healthcare to people who need it either because they are underserved or are victims of a disaster.  There will be times that we will participate in similar teams that are being led by others.

 

• Supply

We will maintain a warehouse of donated medical supplies and equipment which can be readily made available to people or groups whose focus is charitable and not-for-profit.

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Board Members

Sherry O'Donnell - President/Founder

Sandi Lemley - Vice President

Manfred Walgram - Secretary/Treasurer 

Pastor Erik Gustafson - Biblical Advisor

Leslie Tate - Advisor

Lori Fulbright- Advisor