New Port Richey podiatrist Dr. James Stelnicki has practiced podiatry for around 50 years and traveled the world on medical missions. He recently traveled to Guyana and was shocked at the medical need in the South American country.

“I’ve travelled a lot,” said Stelnicki. “The medical need [in Guyana] was a surprise.”

  • CHARM -- Children's Health and Rehabilitative Mission -- traveled to Guyana in March
  • Group saw more than 100 patients, performed around 35 surgeries

Dr. Stelnicki traveled to Guyana at the end of March with 15 other medical professionals. The trip was organized by his son, Dr. Eric Stelnicki’s, new group called CHARM – Children’s Health and Rehabilitative Mission – though the group isn’t limited to just children. Stelnicki traveled on behalf of Barry University, where he is a board member.

The group was there about a week, and had planned to make it simply a fact-finding mission to evaluate the needs of the area. But plans changed upon their arrival.

“Once word got out that we were there, people started coming from all over,” said Stelnicki. “People were walking, people who took buses for two days who came to see us because they were in the back country.”

The group ended up seeing more than 100 patients and performed around 35 surgeries. One patient’s foot was so injured that she was unable to stand on it for around three years. The group was able to operate on her foot and put a cage around it so she could walk again.

“We operated on the most acute patients,” Stelnicki said.

Unlike treating for chronic illnesses or viral epidemics, these medical professionals were able to treat and fix immediate issues – such as ulcers and bone infections.

“That’s the beauty of it," said Stelnicki. "This is stuff we can actually do.”

The group’s long term goal is to form partnerships with Guyanese hospitals and universities, so that the country’s own doctors will have access to better training, resources, and technology.

“The doctors there do a tremendous job with very little,” he said. “They don’t even have the supplies.”

Stelnicki and his group were able to ship supplies to Guyana ahead of time. Anything they didn’t use they left at the Guyanese facilities.

The group hopes to return in September and perform even more surgeries.