organization
The Heart of Medicine Inc. is a non-profit 501(c)3 organization (EIN 81-1725481) dedicated to delivering primary care to poor and underserved communities by planning and coordinating volunteer medical trips for healthcare professionals. Our team collaborates with established organizations in the US and in developing countries to connect healthcare providers with communities that need primary care services. The team facilitates annual trips to Haiti to staff clinics and makeshift spaces to bring healthcare and medicine to the people.
Our Beginning
Heart of Medicine emerged from an impromptu trip to Haiti. After 8 years of providing primary care, founder Beth Smolko was burnt out. Was practicing medicine really all about endless computer screens, insurance forms and 10 minutes per patient? She traveled to rural Haiti to staff a medical clinic and rediscovered the true heart of medicine. Beth launched the non-profit organization to enable other healthcare providers and underserved patient communities to reconnect with healing.
founder Profile
Dr. Beth Smolko is a certified PA with experience in primary care, internal medicine and occupational health and wellness. Beth is a recognized leader in the PA profession with roles that have included:
President-Elect, American Academy of PAs (AAPA)
Director-at-Large, American Academy of PAs (AAPA)
Founding Director, PA Program at Frostburg State University
Past President of the Association of Family Practice Physician Assistants (AFPPA)
PA Representative at the 2013 and 2014 World Hepatitis Day meetings held at the White House
PA Representative at HCV Testing Recommendations Implementation Panel meetings at the Centers for Disease Control