A group of Ukrainian men holding their children wait to cross the border into Slovakia. CREDIT: Jana Čavojská

(Portland, OR) March 1, 2022 –Medical Teams International, the global health and humanitarian organization dedicated to serving people in crisis, is offering two opportunities to the press this week to learn more about its response to the war in Ukraine.  

The war has resulted in over 500,000 refugees fleeing to neighboring countries, over half of whom have entered Poland. The majority are women and children in need of basic supplies and medical care. The total number of refugees leaving Ukraine is expected to grow to over three million in the coming weeks.  

Please join us this week for the following media opportunities: 

 

Medical Supplies Shipment, March 2nd  

WHEN: Wednesday, March 2nd, 8:00 am-10:00 am 

WHERE: Medical Teams International, 14150 SW Milton Court, Tigard, OR 97224 

WHO: Joe DiCarlo, Medical Teams Global Ambassador, will be available for interviews 

WHAT: The shipment will include 26 pallets of mixed medical supplies, such as sutures, surgical kits, and medical drapes. These supplies have been donated by our generous partners including Providence Health Systems, Becton Dickson, and Medline. They will be distributed to health centers in Ukraine and equip medical professionals to care for people in need. Medical Teams has been sending supplies into Ukraine since 2015 through partnership with the Ukrainian American Cultural Association of Oregon and SW Washington. 

CONTACT:  To arrange an interview, email Victoria Wilson at [email protected].

About Joe DiCarlo: 

When Hurricane Mitch barreled through Central America in 1998, Joe mobilized a team of medical professionals to help suffering families recover. This was his first assignment – responding to the second-deadliest hurricane in recorded history. Over the course of his 20 years at Medical Teams International, Joe’s led dozens of disaster responses. Seeing the suffering on a mother’s face is what drives him to help Medical Teams International implement programs that provide for the whole person. He currently serves as Medical Teams’ Global Ambassador, where he builds faith partnerships both domestically and internationally. Prior to working for Medical Teams, he served with pastors in the Ukraine for several years, including at Donetsk Christian University (Donetsk, Ukraine) located in the disputed Donbas region in eastern Ukraine. 

 

 

 

Field Staff Departure from PDX to Poland, March 3rd  

WHEN: Thursday, March 3rd, 11:00 am-12:30 pm 

WHERE: Alaska Airlines Terminal 2, Portland International Airport, Portland, OR 97218 

WHO: Roger Sandberg, Medical Teams Vice President, Field Operations will be available for interviews 

WHAT: Roger will be departing for Warsaw, Poland to assess how Medical Teams can provide medical care to displaced Ukrainians in the coming weeks.  

CONTACT: To arrange an interview, email Victoria Wilson at [email protected].

About Roger Sandberg:  

With more than 20 years of experience leading humanitarian relief operations, Roger has aided suffering families and hurting communities around the globe. He has long believed in striking a balance between responding to urgent crises and empowering people to reclaim their futures. He joined Medical Teams International in 2014 as the Director of Disaster Relief, before becoming Vice President of International Field Operations in 2017. Between stints managing relief efforts in Haiti, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of Congo, he has served as an adjunct professor at his alma mater, Wheaton College. 

 

 

About Medical Teams International 

Founded in 1979, Medical Teams International provides life-saving medical care for people in crisis, such as survivors of natural disasters and refugees. We care for the whole person— physical, emotional, social and spiritual. Daring to love like Jesus, we serve all people—regardless of religion, nationality, sex or race. Learn more at medicalteams.org and on social media using @medicalteams.  

  

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