November 2022

OBGYN
woman giving ultrasound with smartphone
Melanie Silos, RN, Princess Urbina, MD, Agnes Teodoro, RN, and Magdy Milad, MD, MS, spent two weeks in the Philippines providing lifesaving care for women with gynecologic conditions.

MAGDY MILAD, MD, MS, PRINCESS URBINA AND NM NURSES PROVIDE LIFESAVING CARE IN THE PHILIPPINES

Featuring: Magdy Milad, MD, MS, Princess Urbina, MD
Magdy Milad, MD, MS, Princess Urbina, MD, Agnes Teodoro, RN, and Melanie Silos, RN, recently spent two weeks in the rural town of Salcedo in the Philippines, performing lifesaving surgeries, procedures and medical care for patients with various gynecologic conditions. During the trip, the group volunteered at Salcedo Doctors’ Hospital, where they saw more than 150 clinical patients ranging in age from 19 to 72. They performed 39 surgeries for fibroids, endometriosis, ovarian cysts, polyps and hysterectomies, including the first laparoscopic hysterectomy on the island.

The hospital is very remote, making access to care difficult. Several patients traveled more than eight hours to see the team, and all were grateful for the care they received.
“The Filipino culture is very based on gratitude,” says Dr. Urbina, who was born in the Philippines. One patient was so thankful for the care she received during her C-section that she named her daughter Princess after Dr. Urbina. 

The Northwestern Medicine team brought most of their supplies from the United States. They also taught local OB-GYN specialists and surgical residents techniques for ongoing care.  

The services provided were not only medically needed but financially meaningful to the patients, who on average make 3,600 pesos per month ($62). The team even crowdfunded air-conditioned vans to transport patients, who otherwise would have had to take a bus or a tricycle for hours post-surgery.
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‘Truly amazing’

Despite their selfless acts of service, the NM team agrees that their giving doesn’t compare to what they received.

“The Filipino people are truly amazing,” says Dr. Milad, whose wife, Ellen Milad, RN, also made the trip. “From the patients to the staff and those who hosted us, this experience was incredibly fulfilling.”

Dr. Urbina adds, “I’ve never felt a deeper sense of responsibility to care for patients than when I was there. My hope is that one day we can bring all the technology and advances we have at NM to these remote areas.”

All patients from the NM trip have been discharged from the hospital, and post-op care continues with telehealth visits and collaborative care from the Salcedo Doctors’ Hospital staff.  
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The NM group plans to make another trip back to the Philippines in 2023.
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Watch WGN 9 Chicago’s coverage of the story here.  ​
This article was originally published in the Northwestern Medicine Physician Forum on November 23, 2022. ​
Magdy Milad, MD, MS, the chief of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery and the Albert B. Gerbie, MD, Professor of Obstetrics and Gynecology at Northwestern Medicine.
Princess Urbina, MD, instructor of Minimally Invasive Gynecologic Surgery in the department of Obstetrics and Gynecology 

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