2023
A WORD FROM ART
CEO REPORT
It’s been a challenging few years for all of us as we thankfully now see the pandemic in the rearview mirror. In many ways, it felt we were starting from scratch. Luckily, Team Broken Earth has been blessed with some of the most dedicated volunteers, true believers, and the most loyal supporters who are always there to champion the important work we do. That energizes our teams across the country, and we are determined to do more, travel farther, and help all we can.
More flights are being booked; more big supply bags are being packed. In the time after the pandemic, we’ve organized and conducted over 10 missions throughout Central America, increasing our reach
to areas we haven’t been before. Need is need, so we answer it with medical outreach in places like Guatemala and the Dominican Republic. We’ve even included missions that are closer to home. With great help from our friends at the Northpine Foundation, we are addressing challenges in delivering health care for remote and Indigenous communities in Newfoundland and Labrador, providing education and training seminars that focus on women’s and children’s health care. Education is still a pillar of our work abroad. And we’ve been expanding it not only through our missions but also virtually by creating opportunities for fellowships and observerships in global orthopedic surgery through the University of Saskatchewan.
And Haiti is always on our minds. The news out of Port au Prince has been heartbreaking and our thoughts are with our friends and colleagues there as well as the people of Haiti who always seem to get caught in the middle of struggles beyond their control. Believe me, when it is safe to return, we will be the first ones booking those flights.
I’d be remiss if didn’t mention my good friend and colleague, Dr. Gill, who passed away suddenly this year. His absence has been a big void for us all. But we try and fill it in a way that he would want. A way that would make him proud. The Dr. Atamjit Gill Women’s Health Legacy Fund was started so we could continue his important work.
Need never stops. There is still so much work to do. But on teams across the country, we have big hearts and strong hands to get it done. What’s the first thing we look for in a Team Broken Earth volunteer? Someone who doesn’t dwell in “what now?” but is actively working towards what’s next. Is that you? Pack a bag and get ready to change some lives.
Cheers, Dr. Art Rideout
WHO WE ARE
We are a network of volunteer medical specialists who are committed to help change and uplift communities across the globe. Through our commitment to sustainable and quality health care, our teams work together to meet the unique needs of our partner organizations, communities, and patients everywhere we go.
There are billions of people who lack access to safe, high-quality health care. There are people who need immediate medical services, but are forced to go without. They are close to where we live, they are in neglected rural areas, they are in countries you might not have heard of, they may even be where you take your vacations. We must not look away. We must do our part.
Team Broken Earth exists to address the challenges in delivering health care, both here at home and abroad. We offer a helping hand wherever we are needed most –providing primary care, surgeries, education, nutrition, and so much more. Our goal is to be a strong community partner for those we work with and those we serve, because we believe in a future where health care is not a privilege, but a right for us all.
RECONCILIATION REQUIRES ACTION
At Team Broken Earth, we have the unique ability to reach rural areas that are often deemed too difficult to reach. Remote communities usually have high maternal morbidity rates, lower health outcomes, and gender-specific barriers to care. The Indigenous populations in Labrador face specific challenges related to social determinants of health (e.g., housing, food security, education), due to a long history of colonialism. We have completed several educational programs in Labrador, providing training focused on women’s and children’s health care, as well as education courses and training seminars for health care providers and first responders to help improve health outcomes for the long-term. We understand true reconciliation is a shared responsibility, and have worked hard to help identify the needs that are unique to local communities, collaborating with them to drive lasting change.
MISSION, VISION, AND VALUES
MISSION
VISION
Facilitate lasting and sustainable change by delivering vital clinical care, education, and training to communities that need our support. To be a partner for change, improving health care and wellbeing in the communities that we serve.
VALUES
• Serving communities that need our medical expertise and support.
• Working efficiently as a team to deliver what is needed.
• Showing respect for the people and communities we serve.
• Working towards sustainability through education and training in everything we do.
• Being a transparent and accountable organization.
• Enhancing our impact through collaboration and partnerships.
• Upholding best practices and medical ethics throughout the delivery of our work.
WE ARE A NETWORK OF 1,200 VOLUNTEERS ACROSS CANADA!
Our teams are broad, diverse, and united by a mutual passion to provide critical care to those who would otherwise go without. Without the dedication of every professional who helps us fundraise, raise awareness, and volunteers their personal and professional time, we could not do what we do.
PATIENT STORIES
MAGDALENA AND DR. GILL
53-year-old Magdalena from Panzos, Guatemala travelled 10 hours to Antigua for a surgery that would change her life. A mother of eight children, she endured 15 years of pain, unaware she could have surgery to ease her discomfort. The significant lapse of time resulted in a stage 4 uterine prolapse. Our dear friend, the late Dr. Atamjit Gill, a urogynecologist from St. John’s, and his incredible team performed a hysterectomy that ultimately changed Magdalena’s life for the better. Dr. Gill was a gentle man with a passion for women’s health, who changed the lives of many women around the globe, and the impact of his work will be felt through the communities he served for generations!
5-month-old Jason was born in a small village in Guatemala with a cleft lip and palate. Many babies born with cleft lips are isolated, and kept home out of embarrassment and fear. Jason never knew a life where he could eat, speak, or smile freely. But thanks to our generous donors and volunteers, Team NL was able to perform two life-altering surgeries, repairing his cleft lip in February 2023 and repairing his palate in November 2023. Now Jason is able to go to school, grow up much more comfortably, and look towards a brighter future!
BABY JASON
PATIENT STORIES
EDWARDO
12-year-old Edwardo came to us with a large growth on his left arm that was slowly growing and inhibiting his ability to use his arm. Our ortho surgeon from Team Vancouver recognized the growth as a tumor, and performed a long and difficult surgery to remove the tumor while preserving Edwardo’s neurovascular function. When he awoke, he had complete function of his arm and hand. Edwardo was a little champion and required very little pain meds, even bouncing back from severe post-surgical anemia. On follow-up, we were told he is doing well and back to playing with the other kids in his village!
Rock Op is our biggest annual charity event, combining food fare, live entertainment, and dazzling auction items – all in a single night for a great cause. In 2023, the event raised a total of $112,000, which goes directly towards future missions. The generosity and compassion of our guests enables us to deliver topquality care long into the future.
EDUCATION UPDATE
COLLEGE OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC (CNA)
Members of our team spent a week on an exploratory mission in Kenya, thanks to CNA! Together, we are exploring medical education and relief efforts, pursuing potential partnerships with local and Canadian colleges on joint initiatives in Kenya, and we’ve brought CNA Respiratory Technology students to Guatemala for hands-on learning!
FELLOWSHIP IN SASKATOON
Our University of Saskatchewan Training Program in Global Orthopedic Surgery and our Observership Program in Global Orthopedic Surgery each welcomed one new candidate from Haiti in 2023. These programs are directed toward orthopedic surgeons and senior orthopedic residents training in under-resourced areas. While we cannot currently travel to Haiti due to political unrest and gang-related violence, we’ve made it a priority to do everything we can from afar. By connecting physicians of Haiti with the training they need, they can return home to help their country. Together, we are creating lasting change and healthier lives!
DR. DAVID LACEY’S MEMORIAL SCHOLARSHIP
Established by the incredibly kind family of our late friend Dr. Lacey, this scholarship annually funds select Memorial University Medical students to join support missions in Guatemala. In 2023, a second year MUN medical student was awarded the scholarship and joined a surgical mission with Team Newfoundland. She provided hands-on support to our surgical teams, honed their collaborative skills, and saw first-hand the importance of helping
others outside our own communities. We hope students will carry the lessons and experiences they have gained into their prosperous health care careers!
DR. GILL’S MEMORIAL FUND
In 2023, we lost a beloved colleague and friend, Dr. Atamjit Gill. A compassionate and skilled obstetrician and gynaecologist, Dr. Gill was a legend in his field and his legacy will continue to inspire us all. In honour of his memory, the Dr. Atamjit Gill Women’s Health Legacy Fund was established to ensure his passion for women’s health care continues in our province and around the world.
LABRADOR WOMEN’S HEALTH EDUCATION PROGRAM
In 2023, we were incredibly humbled to receive support from the TELUS Atlantic Community Board in the form of a $20,000 donation, and funding from the Northpine Foundation through a $250,000 donation! Their support will be a monumental asset moving forward with this program, which delivers vital health care, education, and training to remote Indigenous communities in Newfoundland and Labrador. Discussions are currently ongoing to make the most significant, positive impact possible with these funds over the next four years. We are eager to get started!
PARTNERSHIPS
Without the aid of our partners, we couldn’t do what we do. Their generosity funds our missions, saves lives, and help us change the world for the better. We are incredibly grateful for their ongoing support!
COLLEGE OF THE NORTH ATLANTIC (CNA)
COMMUNITY EMPOWERMENT (DOMINICAN REPUBLIC)
THE GATHERING PLACE
LIONS CLUB INTERNATIONAL
LILLIAN VIOLA POTTLE ESTATE
THE NORTHPINE FOUNDATION
O’NEILL AUTO GROUP / O’NEILL NISSAN
PARTNER FOR SURGERY (GUATEMALA)
TELUS
“THE SENSE OF FULFILLMENT THAT COMES WITH SERVING THE MOST VULNERABLE AND SOCIALLY MARGINALIZED IS DIFFICULT TO DESCRIBE. PATIENTS AND THEIR FAMILIES EXPRESS SUCH GRATITUDE FOR THE CARE THEY RECEIVE THAT IT CAN BE ALMOST OVERWHELMING. I LOOK FORWARD TO PARTICIPATING IN THESE INVALUABLE MISSIONS, AND I FEEL IMMENSELY GRATEFUL I AM ABLE TO DO SO.”
-DR. CINDY SKLAR, TEAM BARRIE
LION’S CLUB VISION CLINIC
In 2015, we began working with the Lions Club to provide complimentary Eye Clinics to people in need, including optometric exams, prescriptions, eyeglasses, and sunglasses. The Lions Club even began recycling and producing their own eyeglass stocks, utilizing over 30,000 pairs of used eyeglasses their Clubs collect across the province.
Together, the Lions and Team Broken Earth have since delivered 27 domestic and foreign clinics, bringing quality, detailed optometric exams to 8,877 patients in four countries, distributing over 12,000 pairs of eyeglasses and sunglasses to vulnerable people. Plus, over 500,000 pairs of eyeglasses have been recycled and diverted from our landfills for shipment to over 90 countries!
2023 HIGHLIGHTS
2023 was brimming with care, heartwarming moments, and so many achievements for us to celebrate. As we reflect on the year that has passed us by, we are filled with renewed energy, determination, and hope for the future.
1,000+ INTERNATIONAL PATIENTS HELPED
364 PATIENTS RECEIVED SURGERY
475 SURGICAL PROCEDURES PERFORMED
1,256 PATIENTS SEEN THROUGH OUR VISION PROGRAM
82% OF VISION PROGRAM PATIENTS WERE INTERNATIONAL
300+ PATIENTS TRIAGED FOR SURGERY IN THE COMING MONTHS
1,302 GLASSES DISPENSED THROUGH OUR VISION PROGRAM
2023 HIGHLIGHTS
TYPES OF SURGERIES
SOURCES OF REVENUE
*Data based on all 2023 revenue.
Full 2023 audited financial statements available upon request. Please contact admin@brokenearth.ca
*Excludes a $250,000 donation from the Northpine Foundation in support of the Labrador + Rural NL Women and Children’s Health Education Program which requires revenue to be recorded as the project expenses are incurred.
*Excludes any allocation of corporate overhead or other indirect costs associated with medical relief missions such as advertising and promotion, fundraising expenses, and bank charges.
*Data reflects surgical missions only as rural missions consist primarily of smaller teams with a different overall cost structure.
