Dr. Patrick A. DeHeer

President & Founder

A medical missionary with over 25 trips worldwide, Dr. DeHeer won the 2014 International Federation of Podiatrist Humanitarian Award and the 2011 APMA Humanitarian of the Year Award.  Dr. DeHeer serves as a Trustee on the APMA Board of Trustees and is currently serving as Legislative Committee Chair for APMA. Dr. DeHeer is past President of the Indiana Podiatric Medical Association and serves as continuing education chairperson. Dr. DeHeer has served on several committees for the APMA and as a delegate to the APMA House of Delegates. Dr. DeHeer has served on the APMA PAC Board of Directors, the American Society of Podiatric Surgeons Board of Directors and the American College of Foot and Ankle Pediatrics Board of Directors.

Rami Basatneh

Executive Director

Rami is a fourth year medical student at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine with an interest in Global Health and Health Policy.
Andrea Batra

Director of Education and Funding

Andrea is currently a medical student at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine. Before returning to school, Andrea worked as a recruiter in the technology sector and volunteered with an international children's medical charity in their outcomes and data department. Her interests include global health, sports medicine, nutrition, and preventative medicine.

Stephanie Golding

Director of Project Management

Stephanie is a medical student at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine with an interest in Global Health and Podiatric Surgery.  As a previous volunteer on medical missions, she is excited to help expand foot and ankle care globally. 

Maddie Barbe

Director of Outreach

Maddie is a first year student at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine. She hopes to continue her volunteer work through podiatry. Her interests include global health and public health. ​

Dr. Nicholas Pagano

Board Member
Dr. Pagano is a professor and course director in Pediatrics Foot and Ankle Orthopedics and Surgery at Temple University School of Podiatric Medicine. Dr. Pagano is also a contributing reviewer in the Compendium of Podiatric Medicine. Most recently, Dr. Pagano was elected Vice President of the American College of Foot and Ankle Pediatrics and was honored as the “Rising Star” by the Pennsylvania Podiatric Medical Association. 

Dr. Louis DeCaro

Board Member

Dr. DeCaro is an international lecturer on the topics of podopediatrics and biomechanics, and serves as President and fellow of the American College of Foot & Ankle Pediatrics (ACFAP). Dr. DeCaro is the Director and originator of the Adult & Pediatric Gait Labs Biomechanics Clinic, which takes place biweekly at his West Hatfield office. It is a multidisciplinary clinic, which evaluates the most challenging of biomechanics patients, and helps to find them answers through orthoses and therapy.

Susan DeHeer

Board Member

Susan is Practice Manager for Hoosier Foot and Ankle. Responsible for all administrative functions of a medical office including developing and implementing policies and procedures, compliance with regulations, managing the revenue cycle, Human Resource issues, overseeing medical billers and coders. Contract negotiations, credentialing/reappointments, advertising  and oversight of 4 medical offices. 
Medical Malpractice Concerns

For those providers who are forced to face malpractice concerns in their practice in the United states a few things should be understood:
  1. “No malpractice claim has ever been filed against any American health care worker providing humanitarian services without charge in the developing world.”(1) The malpractice risk is almost nonexistent as long as the practice is limited to the indigenous population and that care is provided free or at minimal charge.
  2. The only documented malpractice against american physicians in the developing world is the care of “western” patients in “for profit” health centers and hospitals.
  3. There is a small civil liability noted in the developing world. This only involves traffic accidents and accidental injury and death when American health care workers are involved in an incident in a non-medical capacity.
  4. In 2003 a study was done that found that not one volunteer or missionary agency provides malpractice insurance, as coverage of this type in simply not available.
“To summarize, Americans travel and carry their malpractice mentality with them even though malpractice is not an issue in the country where they are traveling. The malpractice liability is in providing care for Americans traveling or living overseas, and charging for those services. There appears to be minimal to no risk in providing free medical care to the indigenous population in poor countries while doing “voluntary” or “humanitarian” service.” (1)
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1. W. “Ted” Kuhn: Medical Malpractice in the Developing World. Global Medical Missions, Winepress Publishing, 2007 
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