Community Empowerment provides access to quality, community-owned, sustainable healthcare to underserved communities in Haiti and the Dominican Republic.
Steven J. Charous, MD, on behalf of the Humanitarian Efforts Committee
Steven J. Charous, MDCommunity Empowerment (CE) is a Chicago-based, not-for-profit organization with satellite teams in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic and Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Its mission is to save lives and protect health by providing access to quality, community-owned, sustainable healthcare including primary care, surgical care, and public health in chronically underserved and under-resourced communities in the Dominican Republic and Haiti. CE works in tandem with local leadership to provide essential healthcare and create a self-sustaining system.
Multiple teams visit each year. Primary care teams, including audiology, family medicine, internal medicine, pediatrics, dentistry, and physical therapy, work in partnership with local medical trainees to provide medical consultations, training, and chronic disease management. Surgical teams including craniofacial plastics, otolaryngology, gynecology/pelvic reconstruction, general surgery, orthopedics, urology, and pediatric urology, operate alongside local trainees to provide specialty care that is otherwise unavailable to patients.
In addition, CE works with university students, Engineers Without Borders, and community leaders to identify service projects that impact public health. Projects have included providing new flooring, roofs, and homes to community members in need, as well as addressing issues of standing water due to improper drainage. Participants work with local masons, carpenters, and more to complete the project(s).
CE has created partnerships with U.S. government agencies, NGOs, private companies, and the Dominican Ministry of Health to provide resources and finance medical care. Our otolaryngology team based at Loyola University Medical Center created its own not-for-profit organization, Operation Human Spirit, which volunteers for CE to furnish supplies and equipment and make a yearly surgical trip to San Juan Province.
Location and Need
The southwestern section of the Dominican Republic is, in general, a poor and medically under-served section of the country. There is little access to specialty care including otolaryngology and the care available is often not affordable to the population. In addition, being close to the Haitian border, it is home to a large population of mostly undocumented Haitian immigrants who lack many basic life necessities including healthcare.
Personal Reflections: Embracing “Lights Out!”
“Lights Out!” was the theme for our 2025 otolaryngology surgical team who traveled to the Dominican Republic on a Saturday in March. Three attendings, a resident, a medical student, and four nurses each brought two large suitcases of supplies, medications, and instruments. Partnering closely with Dominican anesthesiologists, nurses, and medical students, the team worked seamlessly with each member doing whatever it took to provide much-needed care.
Over the course of a week, the team saw more than 250 patients in clinic, and performed over 60 surgeries, including tonsillectomies and adenoidectomies, nasal and sinus surgeries, and thyroidectomies, along with other otolaryngology and head and neck procedures.
Our Lights Out! theme was not only an expression of our appreciation for having the opportunity and experience to provide safe, effective care to many disadvantaged people in a short period of time, but also as a reminder of the number of times the electricity failed, and we hoped that the backup generator would take over yet again. Flexibility, adaptability, patience, and resilience are necessary attributes on these trips.
Building Lasting Relationships
Our core surgical team returns annually with members being drawn back by the profound sense of fulfillment and reward that comes from donating their time, energy, and expertise. Each year our relationship and appreciation for the core Dominican team grows and strengthens. Our trip is not only about delivering care but also about building relationships and sharing knowledge. Our team gains valuable cultural insight, deepens their appreciation for the strength and resilience of this community, and realizes that this community is a microcosm of how a large segment of the rest of the world lives.
Financial Aspects: All meals, hotel, and transportation are included for $1500/physician for a Saturday to Saturday trip. Airfare is not included. Our fundraising may lower the cost. Nurses and students can inquire about varied costs.
Language Skills: English, Spanish a plus Global Region: Caribbean
Steven J. Charous, MD
