World Spine Care Trip to Moca, Dominican Republic : March 2 – April 6, 2016

World Spine Care (WSC) is a global charity on a mission to improve lives in under-served communities.  The aim of WSC is to create a world in which everyone has access to highest quality spine care possible.  Dr. Lopes had been wanting to do such a volunteer trip since she graduated in 2005, and finally made it a reality!  She volunteered for 5 weeks at a clinic in Moca, Dominican Republic providing care to a variety of patients.  It was a fantastic experience where Dr. Lopes got to be immersed in the Dominican culture with lots of hands-on experience and was able to use her Spanish speaking skills.

(http://www.worldspinecare.org/clinics/dominican-republic/)(http://www.worldspinecare.org/team/clinical-volunteers/)

 Picture of Dr. Lopes with a patient celebrating that he was able to move his shoulder after having very limited range of motion for months.  He had undergone surgery but did not have the money or services to receive the therapy needed to regain his mobility, so he had to stop working.