Raising the standard of healthcare worldwide is a team effort that transcends country, company and career. To fulfill TRIMEDX Foundation’s mission of supporting medical equipment and facility maintenance and repair in the communities we serve, the Foundation relies on a deep bench of volunteers with a variety of talents to meet the unique needs of our global hospital systems and clinic partners. Medxcel team member Michael Newton understands first-hand the critical need for facilities maintenance volunteers working alongside biomedical equipment technicians (BMET) volunteers to support the holistic demands of a healthcare system. An electrician by trade, Newton will soon complete his fourth international short-term medical mission trip with the Foundation providing essential systems work.

Newton connected to the Foundation at the suggestion of another Medxcel team member who had volunteered for previous mission trips. A volunteer at heart, Newton shared, “I have always been one to help others and volunteer for various organizations throughout my life; in my community as a student, during my career with the Navy, and I continue to help others as a civilian. But TRIMEDX Foundation opened my eyes to help me see how I could help others in ways I would have never imagined before.” Newton’s first mission trip was to Santiago, Dominican Republic to support Pediatric Orthopedic Project (POP). There, Newton conducted critical electrical systems maintenance at Arturo Grullón Children’s Hospital and Hospital Metropolitano de Santiago (HOMS), where POP provides free surgeries to correct orthopedic conditions, including scoliosis surgeries. “This was my introduction to international mission work, and emphasized how good we have it in the United States, not only from a healthcare standpoint, but also in my daily work as an electrician,” Newton remarked (pictured below with Team Dominican Republic 2023, far-left in the gray T-Shirt).

“However, that experience paled in comparison to my second and third mission trips when I went to Liberia in East Africa.” Newton lent his electrical support to the Richard and Helen DeVos Medical Center, a stalwart clinic which serves the communities of Western Liberia and Eastern Sierra Leone. “The clinic serves one of the most impoverished places I have ever seen. But as rough as the conditions were, I saw an opportunity to help.” Newton visited the clinic in March 2023 and again a year later in 2024. “On my first trip I was able to assess the clinic’s needs, get an understanding of their electrical systems and distributions, and make various repairs. My trip partners, Kevin Collazo and Tim Nagel, did all the biomedical equipment assessments and repairs. Being able to return the next year was a huge success for me – it allowed for continuity with the needed electrical work. I still think there is more to do, and I will always be the first one to step forward and volunteer to return to Liberia.”

Newton will answer the call to service again in the fall as he travels to the Tebow CURE Children’s Hospital in Davao, Philippines. He shared ahead of his trip, “I have grown pretty fond of the TRIMEDX Foundation, its mission, and what it stands for. Working alongside other Foundation volunteers and different people around the world has been an amazing experience. Learning new and different ways to do things, or seeing things from a different, international perspective, is invaluable.” Newton highlights how volunteering with the Foundation has brought more alignment with his daily work. “At the hospital where I work, there is a heavy emphasis on serving the poor. Working for Medxcel allows me to carry out that mission every day, and I feel the same about traveling on mission trips representing TRIMEDX Foundation.” Newton shares a call to action with his fellow electricians and anyone with a spirit of service. “I would recommend volunteering to anyone who likes to help others. It doesn’t matter what your skillset is or what you think you can do; you can make a difference.” 

If you are interested in working with TRIMEDX Foundation to serve hospitals, clinics, and patients around the world to further the vision of raising the standard of healthcare, contact TRIMEDX Foundation at 317-275-1558 or by email here. 

Thanks to the generosity of so many, the TRIMEDX Foundation continues to make a global impact by raising the standard of healthcare for communities we serve worldwide. The TRIMEDX Foundation is a nonprofit organization dedicated to ingenuity, integrity, collaboration, and dignity. We support medical equipment and facility maintenance and repair in underserved communities by developing sustainable and equitable partnerships through innovation, education, and engagement. For more information on volunteer opportunities, please visit our website, www.trimedxfoundation.org.