The Mission is Critical. Your Help is Imperative.


Since 1969, FIENS has participated in the training of neurosurgeons and the development of residency programs on three continents. Our volunteers have visited 27 countries around the world and have helped to treat thousands. Volunteers perform surgeries, teach residents in neurosurgical training programs and train nurses who care for neurosurgical patients.


You Can Help with Financial Assistance

In order to continue in our mission, we need financial support so that we can send volunteers abroad. Please visit www.fiens.org, or send your tax-deductible* contribution to:

FIENS, c/o Frank Culicchia, MD
Attn.: Administrator, 1111 Medical Center Blvd., Suite S-750, Marrero, LA 70072


Phone: 504-349-6985

Email: culicchia@aol.com

 

You Can Help as a Volunteer

FIENS volunteers are some of the best neurosurgeons in the world. They have to be. They work in extreme conditions, teach with whatever materials they have at their disposal, and improvise on the spot. All are generous and compassionate individuals who bring hope to those who need it most. There are more people in need than neurosurgeons available. If you are a neurosurgeon who has the unique qualities to join us, consider volunteering.

 

For more information, contact Ravneet Kaur or visit www.fiens.org.

 

Jose Piquer, MD will be teaching the following 
courses at the new hospital.


Lectures

Neuroanatomy Review
 

Functional Anatomy of the Cortex
 

Cranial Nerves and Brainstem
 

Basal Ganglia and Limbic System
 

Motor System
 

Brain Tumors - Clinical Syndromes
 

Cerebrovascular
 

Anatomy of the Cranial Nerves
 

Neurological Assessment
 

CSF Pathway
 

Cervical Spine Anatomy
 

Embryology of the Nervous System
 

Traumatic Brain Injury
 

Headaches
 

Herniation Syndromes
 

Lumbar Anatomy
 

Spinal Cord Injury 


 

Demos

 

Brain Dissection
 

Cervical Spine Approaches
 

Lumbar Spine Approaches 
FIENS board members will be meeting in Chicago
on March 7, 2015 for the
annual meeting.
Photo of new hospital taken during construction

Jose Piquer, MD (striped cap) performs surgery at new hospital

Zanzibar's New Neurosurgery Hospital

How You Can Help

by Paul Young, MD
 

The new neurosurgery hospital in Zanzibar has opened and the first surgeries have been performed! FIENS has played a critical role in getting this hospital built. 

 

A container of equipment and supplies will be sent via the Denton Air Force Program within the next month. We still need ICU monitors and ventilation equipment.

 

Please Consider Volunteering

It is more important than ever to keep FIENS volunteers flowing so this hospital can function 365 days a year without interruption.

 

To see more photos, go to NED Fundacion's Facebook page.

  
Dr. Robert Dempsey (center) with Dr. Ling Feng, Dr. Guodong Gao and associates at neurosurgery department in Xi'an, China


FIENS Work in Africa Catches China's Eye

Neurosurgical Education Reform in China

by Robert Dempsey, MD

 

While working in Africa the Chinese neurosurgeons and politicians became interested in the work FIENS has been doing on educational reform, especially as it related to the education and credentialing of its residents. They asked me to visit and lay out plans for potential reform of the Chinese educational system - starting with neurosurgery. This has been an intriguing aspect for FIENS and has greatly expanded our reach.

 

I made the trip in September, 2014 and presented to their Congress of Neurological Surgeons, plans for selecting, treating, and standardizing education and instituting standardized evaluation and credentialing throughout the country. It was very well received.

 

With 1.3 billion people, China is the largest population in the world. They have both very high and very low levels of medical care, which are not equally distributed. The determination to help them reform their curriculum and certification is completely consistent with responsibilities of FIENS and we are happy to be started. 

 

I have been asked to serve as an honorary co-chair of this initiative in their country. We are very hopeful that this initiative may be able to deliver high quality neurosurgical care to a large population and be a model for reform of their other educational components as well.  
Mohan Narayanan (right) with Leland Albright M.D
(second from left) and his team.

 

Selections from "A Medical Student's Perspective on Neurosurgery in the Developing World"

Pediatric Neurosurgery in Kenya

by Mohan Narayanan, MD

 

In February of 2014, I was fortunate enough to rotate on a pediatric neurosurgical service in Kijabe, Kenya with Dr. A. Leland Albright at the AIC Kijabe Hospital. The hospital is located in a small village along one of the escarpments of the Great Rift Valley. The patient population in Kijabe was mostly made up of rural Kenyans and refugees who traveled by minibus or bus from hundreds of kilometers away. Some patients come from as far as the DRC, Somalia, South Sudan, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda, and Burundi to obtain neurosurgical care at AIC Kijabe.

 

I was part of a very busy service. At any given time, our team carried a patient load of approximately 30 patients including 4-6 surgical cases per day.  On average 60% of surgeries performed in Kijabe are done to treat hydrocephalus or spina bifida, and the remaining 40% treat a vast assortment of pediatric neurosurgical disorders.

 

Dr. Albright has dedicated a major portion of his life and efforts to serving this population in Kijabe, but in addition to his clinical practice, one of his goals is to train surgeons in Kenya (and from other parts of Africa) so that they can effectively treat patients in their own countries. Those who volunteer their time are greatly appreciated, and met by dedicated, local and international physicians, nurses, social workers, technicians, and other staff. As a volunteer, I gained firsthand experience with disease processes that one may not see commonly in the US, as well as patients who would otherwise not have had access to neurosurgical care for long periods of time.

 

I found myself interacting closely with the families of the patients and looked forward to my encounters with the members of the community in Kijabe. The combination of clinical, surgical, and social experiences that ­I had in Kijabe reminded me every day, of why I initially decided to pursue a career in medicine.

*FIENS is a 501(c)(3) organization.

Donations are tax-deductible to the extent allowed by law.

 

 
 Visit our website at www.fiens.org