ENCare 2025               

by NCENA in partnership with the Foundation for Peace (FFP)

We are excited to announce ENCare (Emergency Nurses Care) 2025 providing an opportunity for emergency nurses, as well as friends, family, and interdisciplinary colleagues, to participate in an international humanitarian mission trip in the underserved communities of the Dominican Republic.  While the Dominican Republic is home to plenty of resorts and areas many of you may be familiar with, tucked into sugar cane fields and out of sight of the traditional tourists are 400+ batayes, home to an estimated 500,000+ people living in extreme poverty.  These people are in need of health assessments, medical care, health education, and HOPE.  That's where we come in and I hope you will join us!

Last year for ENCare 2024, we had an amazing team of 18 and are looking continue to grow our team to maximize our impact!  Our team has the blessing to organize 3 medical clinics caring for over 500 patients!  We even had the opportunity to visit a special needs orphanage to give the beautiful kids some much needed love and play time!  You don't want to miss this if you can make it down with us this year!!

• Who:  Emergency nurses and their friends, family, and interdisciplinary colleagues
  • All ages are welcome
  • Strong need for independent practitioners including APRNs, PAs, and physicians
  • NURSING STUDENTS are welcome!
       
• What:  International Humanitarian Mission Trip
  • Medical clinics (3-4 days of clinics)
  • Health education (both formal/informal)
  • Healthcare engagement tour of local hospital
  • Self care time (Day trips planned including the beach, colonial area of Santo Domingo, and more)
    
    
• Where:  Dominican Republic
  • Service locations will be determined shortly, but likely in/around Santo Domingo
    
    
• When:  May 2-9, 2025
  
  • All flights will need to be booked in/out of Santo Domingo (SDQ).
  • Flights must arrive between 1-3pm (local) and depart after 2pm (local) to utilize group transportation to/from the airport.
  • Arriving outside the above windows will incur additional trip costs to arrange private transportation.
    
    
• Cost:  $1400 plus airfare, which includes:
  • food, lodging, purified water, in-country transportation, full-time FFP staff, security, construction materials, medicines, pre-trip planning and post-trip follow-up
    
    
• Registration/Payment Deadlines:
  • Registration:
    • Applications are due by January 31, 2025 (trip may reach capacity sooner)
    • To apply, click HERE and select "ENCare 2025  5/25"
  • Payments:
    • Payment 1:  $250 non-refundable deposit due within 14 days of approved application;
    • Payment 2:  $550 due by January 31. 2025 ($800 total)
    • Payment 4:  $600 due by February 28, 2025 ($1400 total)
    • Donations made by friends/family in your name will be applied to the above payment schedule.  Donations can be made to trip applicants directly through FFP by clicking HERE.
      
      
• Trip Leader:  David McDonald -- Click HERE to email the trip leader
  
  
• Additional Information/Questions:
  • We will have 4 team meetings -- First week of Feb/March/April and last week of April via Zoom for planning, training, and team building.
  • All trip participants are STRONGLY ENCOURAGED to get all CDC recommended immunizations for travel to the Dominican Republic.
  • Accommodations -- FFP has several properties/mission houses we use for volunteer groups that include air conditioning, running water (sometimes hot), and kitchen facilities.  FFP provides trained staff to prepare all meals safely for the team.
  • Medical Clinics -- The medical clinics are offered in multiple formats from mobile clinic teams walking around the villages to setting up in a centralized location such as a church/school.  Teams will be joined by FFP medical staff/volunteers to help diagnose and treat the local families.  The team will have imbedded translators to get from English to Spanish/Haitian Creole and vice versa, but any language skills will be tremendously helpful!
  • Health Education -- The team will plan and conduct health education at elementary/middle schools in the local area.
  • Funding/Trip Costs -- While this trip is endorsed and facilitated by the NCENA in partnership with FFP, no funding is provided by NCENA for trip volunteers.  Volunteers must either self-fund or fundraise for their trip costs.
    
    
• Cancellation Policy:
  • There is a non-refundable $250 per person deposit.
  • For cancellations 60+ days before trip, FFP will refund payments above the non-refundable deposit.
  • For cancellations within 2 weeks of the trip, refunds of donations, not including the non-refundable deposit will depend what has already been spent on medicines, trip materials, etc.  Most likely all the funds will have been spent to pre-position medical supplies and materials.

If you are interested, but have questions before applying to to volunteer on this trip, please click HERE to email the trip leader directly!

DONATIONS/SPONSORS

• The team will be in need of medical supply donations including vitamins (adult, prenatal, and children), OTC pain/allergy medications, wound care supplies, hygiene kits, and more.  Donations can be dropped off to the trip leader at any of our in-person meetings.
• Sponsors/monetary donations -- if you're unable to volunteer, but would like to financially support the team, please click HERE to email the trip leader directly for additional details on how to make donations directly to this team.