Surgeon Grace Lepis, M.D., is shown front row right with a surgical team from MMC and MMCSC in a Guatemalan hospital operating room.
Long Branch, N.J., March 20, 2026 – In February, a volunteer team of 17 healthcare professionals led by general surgeon Grace Lepis, M.D., set out on a surgical mission to Nuevo Progresso, Guatemala, serving patients at Hospital de la Familia.
Dr. Lepis, an RWJBarnabas Health Medical Group surgeon who volunteered with a prior medial mission to Guatemala in 2024, guided a multidisciplinary surgical team that included scrub technicians, nursing staff, and certified registered nurse anesthetists (CRNAs) from both Monmouth Medical Center (MMC) and Monmouth Medical Center Southern Campus (MMCSC).
Dr. Lepis said that throughout the mission, the team performed numerous surgical procedures for both children and adults from surrounding villages, providing much-needed care to patients who often have limited access to surgical services.
The 70-bed facility Hospital de la Familia serves the primarily indigenous community of the western highlands of Guatemala, characterized as the second poorest area in the western hemisphere. Children in the region suffer from chronic malnutrition, with the CDC reporting that basic health and nutrition services only meet 54 percent of the needs of the population located there.
Dr. Lepis said that beyond the operating room, the team also focused on education and capacity-building. “During downtime between cases, nursing staff worked closely with local nurses, providing instruction on sterile technique and first assisting, and even facilitated Basic Life Support (BLS) certification for several members of the local team,” she said.
The mission also included two pediatricians who conducted community outreach, expanding access to pediatric care, as well as a retired surgeon who supported the surgical clinic and patient evaluations.
“Overall, the mission was a meaningful and successful effort that strengthened partnerships, delivered essential care, and supported the ongoing development of local healthcare providers,” Dr. Lepis said. “The team looks forward to continuing this work and returning to serve the community in the years ahead.”
Kathy Horan
732-546-6317
kathy.horan@rwjbh.org