After a two-year hiatus imposed by pandemic-related travel restrictions, the Foundation’s Global Initiative for Volunteerism and Education (GIVE) is again offering $2,500 stipends to OMS residents seeking the opportunity to travel, learn and serve with international humanitarian healthcare teams.
Resources for the program increased substantially in 2022, thanks to successful fundraising events hosted by the OMS Foundation Alliance and a tribute gift appeal honoring a beloved OMS and long-serving healthcare volunteer, Dr. James E. Bertz.
Foundation Directors Dr. James Baker and Dr. Thomas Williams enlisted Drs. Kirby Bunel, Jonathon Jundt, Douglas Sinn and Clark Taylor, to help spearhead the effort. The appeal invited donors to honor Dr. James E. Bertz’s contributions as a surgeon, educator, speaker and humanitarian healthcare team leader over the course of his 58-year career. During that time, he impacted countless lives including thousands of children with cleft lip and palate deformities.
With support from the Texas and Houston Societies of OMS, the appeal raised nearly $60,000 for GIVE. Dr. Taylor accompanied his gift with a heartfelt testimonial to Dr. Bertz’s continued influence as a colleague and a friend.
“Jim and I have always had a special friendship,” Dr. Taylor wrote. “He leads by example and sacrifice. Our lengthy conversations usually end with me admonishing him, ‘As long as I see the *ss end of your horse on the trail ahead, I know there is trail left for me.’ He is still the inspiration that keeps me on the trail.”