Dear PHL Friends,
As the holiday season fades away, I’m reminded of how fortunate we are to have your support. Your generosity—through your time, skills, and donations—has kept our medical missions to Nicaragua thriving and growing. For that, I am deeply grateful.
2025: A Year of Progress
Thanks to you, 2025 was a year of remarkable progress:
February Mission – Clinic & Patient Care
We began the year with a robust clinic-based mission in the old HEODRA in Leon, where our team saw 243 patients. This trip laid the groundwork for our expanded outreach and helped us reconnect with many patients from prior surgical missions.
August Mission – Electrophysiology & Cardiology
Led by Dr. Jeff Brumfield, the team cared for 127 patients, including 38 advanced procedures:
- 14 diagnostic cardiac electrophysiology studies, and 9 abnormal rhythm ablations
- 6 ICD implants, 3 permanent pacemaker implants, and 3 implantable cardiac monitors
- 3 miscellaneous diagnostic procedures
We thank Dr. Brumfield, Dr. Cohen, and the entire team for their continued leadership and innovation in bringing advanced cardiac care to Nicaragua.
Fall Mission – Surgical & Clinic
In our final trip of the year, we saw 115 patients in clinic, including 16 open-heart surgeries and several more diagnostic procedures. This mission was especially meaningful as we worked in the new hospital in León, which offered state-of-the-art facilities that significantly enhanced our ability to deliver high-quality care. We are deeply grateful to MINSA and the Government of Nicaragua for their strong support and collaboration throughout the mission.
Dr. Yeung, Dr. Weickert, and Dr. Sivak continued their dedicated work in the clinic, providing essential care and diagnostics. Their commitment remains strong, and they plan to return in February 2026 alongside other colleagues from Chapel Hill, who will bring additional expertise to our team. Together, they will perform catheter-based interventions for both acquired and congenital heart conditions.
The surgical team, led by Dr. Elisa Lopez and joined by Dr. Miha Weiss, performed several complex operations—including a first-of-its-kind ascending aorta repair in the new facility. U.S. volunteers worked hand in hand with our Portuguese, Spanish, and Slovenian colleagues, combining expertise and dedication to care for some of the most vulnerable patients. Their teamwork and shared commitment were a powerful reminder of what international collaboration can achieve. Our special gratitude also goes to
Healing Little Hearts, a nonprofit organization based in the UK that has been sponsoring volunteers from Europe to join us to treat congenital cardiac conditions in young adults and children.
Supplies & Equipment – $258,000 in 2025 Donations
This year, PHL delivered and carried medical supplies and equipment to Nicaragua with a total estimated value of $258,000 USD. Here’s how that breaks down:
- Container shipment for February mission: Included essential medical supplies and equipment valued at $87,000, supporting clinic operations and diagnostics.
- August mission (Dr. Brumfield’s team): Supplies hand-carried by the team were valued at approximately $100,000, enabling advanced electrophysiology procedures.
- Fall surgical mission: Supplies hand-carried by the team and used for open-heart surgeries and catheter-based interventions were valued at $71,000.
We remain deeply grateful to our partners—Medtronic, Abbott, Edwards, Teleflex, Ethicon, Zoll, and MAP International—for their continued support in making these donations possible.
Education & Training – Investing in the Future
Education remains a cornerstone of our mission. This year, we co-sponsored the training of a cardiac perfusionist at UNICAR in Guatemala City, helping build local capacity for advanced cardiac care. We’re grateful to our partners at UNICAR and remain committed to supporting the development of Nicaraguan health professionals. Dr. Brumfield’s family also sponsored the training of a Nicaraguan cardiologist who is about to finish training in Mexico City. We thank them for their support.
PHL Awarded a New Grant – Strengthening Our Mission for 2026 and Beyond
We are thrilled to share that Project Health for Leon has been awarded the grant “Every Heartbeat Matters Award 2026” sponsored by the Thoracic Surgery Foundation. This is marking an exciting milestone for our organization. This funding will play a vital role in expanding our ability to deliver high-quality medical care, strengthen local healthcare capacity, and support our growing footprint in Nicaragua.
The grant will directly support several key initiatives, including:
– Enhancing the scope and impact of our 2026 clinical and surgical missions
– Expanding community outreach in regions such as Estelí
– Supporting education and training opportunities for Nicaraguan health professionals
– Increasing our ability to deliver essential medical supplies and advanced technology
We are deeply grateful to our grantor for recognizing the importance of our mission and believing in the life-changing work our volunteers carry out each year. This support helps ensure that PHL can continue building sustainable, high-impact healthcare opportunities for the communities we serve.
Looking Ahead to 2026
We’re excited to announce that our February 2026 mission will expand to Estelí, where we’ll spend one-third of our time running clinics and reaching new communities that are far away from the hospital in Leon.
- Dr. Brumfield plans to return in May to continue his work dealing with heart rhythm disorders.
- Our surgical team will travel in early fall (dates TBA).
- The interventional team will return in February and possibly again in September, continuing our rhythm of high-impact care.
How You Can Help
PHL receives no government funding. Our work depends entirely on private donations. Medical equipment, supplies, and shipping are costly, and your contributions make our missions possible.
Ways to give:
- By checks payable to PHL, mailed to the address on our letterhead
- Online via our website using the QR code
We also welcome new volunteers. If you’re interested, please submit the volunteer form on our website. Documented volunteer expenses are considered tax-deductible donations. For more information, reach out to us at:
projecthealthforleon@gmail.com
Thanks for your support. Together, we’ve changed lives, built bridges, and laid the foundation for even greater impact in the year ahead.
Warmest wishes,
Carlos A. Espinoza, MD, FACP, FACC
PHL President
