FIENS ANNUAL REPORT

Dear Friends,

The Foundation for International Education in Neurological Surgery mission statement is: To sustainably improve neurosurgical education and patient care in the developing world.  The ultimate goal is the creation of neurosurgical residency programs at our sites in Central America, South America, Africa, and Asia.

When FIENS was established in 1969, it was an action of North American neurosurgeons.  Now, forty years later, the Board of Trustees reflects the FIENS goal in neurosurgical education and includes three international trustees representing both Europe and Africa.  FIENS continues to be active in Central and South America, Africa, and Asia with eighteen active sites.

In 2009, twenty-one volunteers went to nine different countries. They were in Belize, Peru, Ethiopia, Kenya, Tanzania, Uganda, Nepal, Vietnam, and Korea, (DPR). Three of the volunteers were from Europe or Asia.  The usual situation is for the neurosurgeon to spend one month abroad and, in return, FIENS provides roundtrip travel expenses and the host site provides living accommodations.  We need the expertise of those active in clinical practice or in recent retirement as we continue to expand the number of sites and improve neurosurgery in developing countries.

FIENS is grateful to Integra, Medtronic, Mizuho, and Stryker for their donations of equipment and supplies that were taken abroad by volunteers.

Sincerely yours,

Merwyn Bagan, MD, MPH, FACS