Bruce is the Chief Executive Officer of the Pan-African Academy of Christian Surgeons.  PAACS is a strategic rural-based healthcare initiative in repsonse to the huge manpower needs in Africa, especially in the area of general surgery.   We train Africans in Africa for the realities of Africa for service for a lifetime - all for the glory of God.  It is cost-effective in that we can train and disciple a surgeon for five years for the same amount that it costs to have an American surgeon on the mission field for one year - and the newly trained surgeon will stay for a lifetime, speak the language and avoid culture shock.  If you would like to read a one-page brochure about PAACS, click here.  If you would like to read a four-page article (from 2007), click here.

A member of the Christian Medical and Dental Associations for over 30 years, he is active in other ministries of the CMDA. He is a member of the Continuing Medical and Dental Education Committee of the Christian Medical and Dental Association and serves as their assistant financial officer.  He has been involved with the CME conferences since 2003.  Additionally, he has taught trauma resuscitation courses with Medical Education International, another Commission of the CMDA and was elected to the PAACS Commission in 2003, taking over the CEO position in 2006.

When home during the fall semester, Bruce serves as the faculty advisor for the Student Fellowship of Christian Physician Assistants at the Methodist University Physician Assistant Program in Fayetteville, NC.

The Mercy Ships is a ministry with which we are increasingly involved.  In 2003, we had the occasion to serve for a couple of days on the ship Anastasis when in port in Lome, Togo.   That taste of the service on the ship has led to service on the ship in Sierra Leone and four times in Liberia.  In 2008, we spent two six-weeks stents on the ship.  In 2009, we spent a total of five months on the ship in Benin, serving as a general surgeon, mentoring a PAACS resident and helping to promote pediatric general surgery and the outpatient surgery program. We will be serving for one month in July 2010 and perhaps longer again in 2011.

Medical Conferences:

We can strongly recommend the following conferences to any phsyician or healthcare provider interested in medical missions:

• Global Health Missions Conference - Hosted by the Southeastern Christian Church, the CMDA and related organizations and TECH, several thousand attend each year.  It is great for the neophyte and the experienced, giving tremendous opportunities for networking, for CME, for encouragement and for lectures in all aspects of serving in medical missions (including tropical medicine).  It is open to all professionals (including nursing, PAs, therapists, pharmacists and biomedical engineers) as well as laymen.   It is held the second weekend each November.
• Prescription for Renewal - A popular conference held the second weekend each October, it focuses on physicians who are interested in short-term missions.  It is held in beautiful grounds of Billy Graham's training center, The Cove, and is designed for physicians.   It is sponsored by World Medical Mission, the medical arm of Franklin Graham's Samaritan's Purse.
• Korean-American Missions Health Conference -  Held every other year, it is scheduled to be held this year for March 26 and 27, 2010 in Irvine, California.
• INMED Exploring Medical Missions Conference - This is a secular organization but run by Christians. The Institute for International Medicine is a non-profit, educational corporation founded in 2003. INMED's mission is to equip health professionals with the skills needed to serve in medical missions. They have several training programs including the conference held each year in Kansas City.

We can also strongly recommend the Tropical Medicine and Traveler's Health Course run for 8 weeks this summer by the International Medicine Department of the Unversity of West Virigina.   Completion of the course allows you to sit for the exam which certifies you in tropical medicine from the American Society of Tropical Medicine and Hygiene.

Updated Jan 26, 2010