Objective: To establish an ongoing mechanism to collect medical supplies and pharmaceutical products from doctors, hospitals and industry to be shipped to healthcare counterparts in developing nations.

Commitment: Doc to Dock, Inc. is a newly incorporated entity which will establish collection drives at the dozens of annual medical conventions held each year in the United States. Tens of thousands of physicians attend these conventions (in aggregate). Each convention will have a targeted resource identified in advance, such as stethoscopes at a cardiology convention, or splint material and plaster (for casts) at an orthopedic convention. These resources will be collected and shipped overseas. Additionally, hospitals around the United States will be asked to donate equipment; and pharmaceutical and medical product companies will likewise be asked to donate supplies, and money. Additionally, in consultation with the Food and Drug Administration, as well as the pharmaceutical industry, consideration will be given to shipping on an expedited manner, antibiotics and other medications that have officially past their expiration date, but still maintain bio-availability. Doc to Dock will work with the World Health Organization for guidance and advice as to which resources are needed, and where.

Background: The idea for Doc to Dock was conceived at the Clinton Global Initiative, and was in part inspired by many of the participants at the conference last September.

Partnership Opportunity: In addition to seeking funding to support the establishment of the organization, Doc to Dock is seeking to partner with hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and industry convention leaders to collect the medical supplies so needed in Africa.

Update:
February 2006:
“Doc to Dock” became a newly incorporated non-profit entity in February 2006. Fund-raising efforts are underway, with several major medical-equipment and pharmaceutical companies, including Boston Scientific, Johnson and Johnson, and Pfizer are being approached for funding.

The World Health Organization has offered the aid of its ground personnel in Africa to liaise with the appropriate Ministries of Health.

Doc to Dock is actively engaging medical associations to launch fundraising drives at their upcoming conventions. The Cardiovascular Research Foundation has already agreed to support Doc to Dock through a supply drive this fall, when it will host over 12,000 participants at its annual meeting.

March 2006:
”Doc to Dock” was contacted by Janine Jagger, M.D., at the University of Virginia, in order to offer assistance and collaboration after learning about “Doc to Dock” on the CGI web page. UVA has a local program, called MERCI - a model program that recovers discarded but reusable supplies from their hospital’s operating rooms, which can help serve as a template for “Doc to Dock”. Mount Sinai Medical Center in NY, and Duke Medical Center, in North Carolina have also expressed interest in collaborating with the “Doc to Dock” program.