Return to Virginia Business - May 2001

Minding Your Business
Hospital jet for the needy

It’s next to impossible to find a doctor who makes house calls in the 21st century, let alone a whole medical team. But a Newport News-based organization has gone one step further. Not only does this group recruit medical volunteers for missions to underdeveloped countries, it brings along the whole hospital.

The Flying Hospital Inc.’s L1011-50 jumbo jet is the world’s only fully equipped airborne medical and surgical facility. The $20 million plane has all hospital amenities, including an examination room, trauma area, dental and ophthalmology areas, pharmacy, operating room and recovery area. It even has a training center where health care workers from the host country can sit and watch surgeries via a closed circuit TV. The Flying Hospital’s mission is to help countries where medical treatment is unavailable or unaffordable. Missions typically last between two and three weeks, with the medical staff of more than 120 working 16-hour days. An average two-week mission costs about $2 million.

The Flying Hospital, which made its maiden voyage in 1996, has been on 12 missions from Africa to South America. It was originally started as part of Pat Robertson’s Christian Broadcasting Network, but was later spun off on its own. Ideally, it would like to go out on six major medical missions every year, says Terryl Dickinson, vice president of operations. However, it still lacks funding. "Right now we have to live by the amount of money we have," he says. Part of its cost is offset by the host country. It also partners with other organizations such as Norfolk-based Operation Smile that sponsor medical missions.

On its off time, the plane is housed in Arizona, where the climate is dryer than the East Coast. The climate is better for the equipment, says Jeff Ruffolo, public relations director. Although the plane is 10 years old, it’s in tip-top shape and still has another  decade of use left.

— Leila Marija Ugincius

Return to Virginia Business - May 2001