Mercy Ships Names American Nurse as Hospital Director of the Africa Mercy
LINDALE, Texas (PRWEB) March 28, 2018 -- Mercy Ships, a global nonprofit that provides life-saving surgeries in some of the world’s poorest countries, announced today that Nathan Claus has been appointed hospital director of the Africa Mercy, effective April 1, 2018. In his new position, he will lead the Mercy Ships team of hospital volunteers including surgeons, nurses and other medical professionals, who provide free surgical services and training to support the local healthcare systems in the countries they serve.
Claus, a licensed nurse born and raised in River Forest, Illinois, began volunteering with Mercy Ships in 2003, when the organization’s hospital ship, the Anastasis, was docked in Sierra Leone. Since then, he has participated in numerous field service programs on the Anastasis and the Africa Mercy in countries including Benin, Cameroon, Madagascar, Togo, Guinea, the Republic of Congo and Liberia. In 2016, he was appointed as the screening supervisor, overseeing the team that recruits and selects the patients who will receive surgical care onboard the hospital ship.
“For the past 15 years, I have been immensely passionate about caring for the needs of each person that comes to the ship hoping for a free, life-changing surgery,” Claus said. “I look forward to continuing my work with this amazing team of volunteers that makes the work of Mercy Ships possible.”
Claus brings with him a wealth of knowledge and personal experience working closely with surgical patients in nations across Africa. Having recently completed a postgraduate degree in global health and currently working on his Master of Science, Claus is well equipped to lead the internationally based medical staff. The Africa Mercy has been docked in Cameroon, Africa, since August 2017 and it will sail to Guinea later this year.
Claus was preceded in this position by Corné Blom, who has been promoted to vice president of international programs.
Individuals interested in learning more about Claus’ experience can read his blog at http://www.nateclaus.com/. Claus was also featured in National Geographic’s series, “The Surgery Ship,” which aired in Australia and the United Kingdom last year and highlighted the work of Mercy Ships.
About Mercy Ships
Mercy Ships uses hospital ships to deliver free, world-class healthcare services, capacity building and sustainable development to those without access in the developing world. Founded in 1978 by Don and Deyon Stephens, Mercy Ships has worked in more than 70 countries providing services valued at more than $1.3 billion, treating more than 2.56 million direct beneficiaries. Each year Mercy Ships has an average of 1,000 volunteer crew from up to 40 nations, serving onboard the Africa Mercy. Professionals including surgeons, dentists, nurses, healthcare trainers, teachers, cooks, seamen, engineers and agriculturalists donate their time and skills to the effort. Mercy Ships seeks to transform individuals and serve nations one at a time. For more information, visit http://www.mercyships.org.
Patellen Corr, Bravo Group, +1 (610) 291-7825, [email protected]
Share this article