Rockville, MD, June 07, 2023 – Today the Inteleos Foundation and the POCUS Certification Academy under Inteleos announced Compañeros En Salud (CES) a sister organization of Partners in Health (PIH) as the selection for their MissionPOCUS™ collaboration for 2023. As the sixth MissionPOCUS project since the initiative’s inception in 2018, the Mexican-based organization will drive an innovative education program aimed to remove patient barriers to accessing life-saving medical imaging in the Chiapas region. As one of the states with vulnerable rural communities in Mexico, the closest imaging facilities to the population resides anywhere from two to six hours away, heavily impacting their quality of care and patient outcomes.

Through this grant, Compañeros En Salud will conduct monthly trainings over the period of six months with a team of physicians, nurses, midwives, pediatricians, and medical interns, across the Primary Care and Sexual and Reproductive Health programs. Dr. Bruno Raul Vargas García, a clinical supervisor at Compañeros En Salud, shares that “This grant is giving us the opportunity to build capacity and train the next generation of POCUS users with a focus on health equity.”

The Inteleos Foundation is proud to sponsor the 2023 MissionPOCUS award. Sam Forcum, Director of the Foundation, reports, “This collaboration is not the historical “mission project.” Rather than driving non-native plans for development, we rely on the vision of local healthcare leaders and the in-region host organization [CES]. By offering funding and technical support, we are able to foster community-led, culturally conscious, and clinically relevant programs that will impact healthcare systems at the local level.”

This year’s project aims to increase ultrasound access and availability throughout 12 facilities, including community clinics and a birthing center, impacting around 23,000 people in Chiapas, Mexico.

For more information about MissionPOCUS or the 2023 pilot program, visit www.pocus.org/MissionPOCUS

About Inteleos

Inteleos is a non-profit certification organization that delivers rigorous assessments and cultivates a community of clinical professionals dedicated to the highest standards in healthcare and patient safety, representing over 117,000 certified medical professionals worldwide. The POCUS Certification Academy, under Inteleos, offers rigorous clinical certification, POCUS education and training packages, and community building opportunities for clinicians around the world. The Inteleos Foundation is a 501(c)3 non-profit organization focused on driving access and equity in medical imaging through grants, scholarships, and global community programs.

Compañeros en Salud (CES) is a non-profit organization that fights injustice in access to healthcare. Founded in 2011, they operate a team of more than 200 staff in Chiapas, Mexico, strengthening the Ministry of Health in 10 primary care clinics, a community hospital, and a birthing center.