what we do
HHI meets health needs when the unthinkable happens.
Heart to Heart International (HHI) seeks to improve healthcare access in the U.S. and worldwide by ensuring quality care is provided equitably in medically under-resourced communities and disaster situations. Since 1992, HHI has responded to hurricanes, flooding, tornadoes, wildfires, earthquakes and humanitarian and health crises in more than 25 countries.
Our responses include shipping hygiene kits, medical supplies and aid, deploying staff and medical volunteers, equipping and sending portable container clinics, and supporting existing clinics.
HHI is committed to the highest standards of organizational responsibility. It has received recognition from Charity Navigator for efficiency, the Better Business Bureau for management, and the World Health Organization for quality of work. HHI is a founding Partnership for Quality Medical Donations (PQMD) member.
World Health Organization Certification
HHI is one of only four organizations in the United States to achieve the World Health Organization’s (WHO) certification as an Emergency Medical Team (EMT) Type 1 Mobile. To obtain this certification, HHI had to undergo rigorous evaluation by a panel of experts from the WHO to demonstrate our ability to conduct assessment and triage, treatment, and provide medicine to 50 patients a day in austere settings in a fully self-sufficient manner.
Volunteers
HHI has a highly trained roster of volunteer physicians, nurses, drivers, and logistics/admin support. To be considered deployable, volunteers undergo a full background and license check, an interview process, and a week-long virtual workshop. They also have access to a variety of focal point training sessions.
Fleet
HHI maintains a fleet of vehicles and mobile medical units to provide quality care immediately after disasters. This fleet includes a fully contained mobile medical unit that features two patient treatment areas, a triage station, a fully stocked pharmacy, and private counseling spaces. It is also wheelchair accessible. HHI also has a smaller sprinter van that provides patient care in harder-to-reach areas.
Warehouse
Due to our warehouse capacity, HHI can deploy rapidly with a fully stocked pharmacy. HHI is a licensed pharmaceutical wholesaler with an 83,000-square-foot warehouse in Lenexa, KS. It also includes 320 square feet of walk-in cold chain storage. In 2023 alone, HHI shipped nearly $400 million of products to 183 partners in 37 countries and 35 U.S. States and Territories.
Heart to Heart International achieved its EMT Type 1 Mobile verification by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2023. To be verified, a team must be operational in the field within 72 hours of a disaster and have a clinic that can…
Heart to Heart International achieved its EMT Type 1 Mobile verification by the World Health Organization (WHO) in 2023.
To be verified, a team must be operational in the field within 72 hours of a disaster and have a clinic that can be dismantled and moved daily. A team must be able to care for at least 50 patients per day for at least 14 days, including providing all necessary medications and supplies. It also must be completely self-sufficient for food, power, potable water and waste management.
The EMT Initiative
- The initiative was created after the 2010 Haiti earthquake and propelled the publication of minimum standards for foreign medical teams in sudden onset disasters in 2013.
- Health services provided in emergency response should be safe, people-centered, timely, equitable, integrated and efficient.
- The goal is improved coordination mechanisms and health outcomes for beneficiary populations.
- EMT Type 1 Mobile teams provide daylight-hours care for stabilization of acute trauma and non-trauma presentations, referrals for further investigation or inpatient care and community-based primary care with the ability to work in multiple locations over the deployment period.
Contact the Disaster Response Team at disasterresponseteam@hearttoheart.org.
These retrofitted 20-foot shipping containers are fully equipped and ready to immediately operate as a medical facility in disaster areas, regardless of the surrounding area’s infrastructure. The portable container clinics have been crucial for medical relief efforts where damaged clinics have shut…
These retrofitted 20-foot shipping containers are fully equipped and ready to immediately operate as a medical facility in disaster areas, regardless of the surrounding area’s infrastructure. The portable container clinics have been crucial for medical relief efforts where damaged clinics have shut down or hospitals are at capacity.
Clinic Specifications
- Made from steel shipping containers, the sturdy construction allows the clinics to withstand extreme weather conditions.
- Clinics can be shipped anywhere in the world but do not have to stay in the same place after installation. They can be moved by tow truck, crane, forklift, or even helicopter.
- Floor plans emphasize the importance of free-flowing workspace. Structural walls are strong enough to mount medical equipment and storage cabinets.
- Well-insulated with heating and cooling systems, clinics are a cost-effective, temperature-controlled work environment.
- Interior materials meet or exceed EU and U.S. health code standards.
- Clinics can be installed on foundation or cinder block footings and connect to existing utilities or be self-contained.
- The total exterior size of a clinic is equivalent to about three standard parking lot spaces.
Contact the Disaster Response Team at disasterresponseteam@hearttoheart.org.
DOWNLOAD CONTAINER CLINIC INFO PDF
“We have been very pleased with Heart to Heart International and the incredible help during our time of need. This on-site portable clinic gives us the opportunity to bring the care directly to the people in who need it, in the place they need it, and in a timely fashion.”
—Trey F., a healthcare worker in Florida following Hurricane Ian
HHI currently owns and operates a custom fleet consisting of our Mobile Medical Unit, Mobile Medical Van, and Disaster Response Trailer that can be deployed anywhere in the contiguous United States to support emergency response initiatives as well as community health events.…
HHI currently owns and operates a custom fleet consisting of our Mobile Medical Unit, Mobile Medical Van, and Disaster Response Trailer that can be deployed anywhere in the contiguous United States to support emergency response initiatives as well as community health events.
Mobile Medical Unit (MMU)
- Our 45-foot MMU features enhanced safety and accessibility, including a wheelchair lift.
- Patients receive quick and efficient on-the-spot medical exams and treatment.
- The MMU offers two patient treatment areas as well as pharmacy and counseling spaces.
Mobile Medical Van
- The 2021 van has been modified as a mobile clinic to serve one patient at a time.
- The van’s smaller size allows HHI to deploy it to areas too difficult for the MMU to reach.
- The MMU and the van can be deployed together.
Disaster Response Trailer
- The 2019 trailer offers a versatile mobile space.
- Personnel can provide health services and use it as an administrative office.
- The trailer can be powered by a portable generator, shore power, solar panels, or an on-board marine battery.
Contact the Disaster Response Team at disasterresponseteam@hearttoheart.org.
DOWNLOAD MEDICAL FLEET INFO PDF
Get Involved!
GIVE THE GIFT OF HEALTH WHEN YOU DONATE to Heart to Heart International. We are committed to improving healthcare access in Kansas City and the entire world. Click below and your donation will send ripples of health into the world that will improve multiple lives.
VOLUNTEERS ARE INVOLVED IN EVERYTHING WE DO, from sorting supplies in the warehouse to helping to start community laboratories, answering phones or joining a medical deployment. Click below more about volunteer opportunities with HHI.
About
A history of healthcare access success
We have provided humanitarian service in more than 130 countries, have shipped over $3 billion in aid, and have logged more than 1 million volunteer hours.
