Maine Foundation for Cardiac Surgery
The principles of healing and helping are the heart of Maine Heart Surgical Associates. To further those principles, MHSA formed the Maine Foundation for Cardiac Surgery.

The nonprofit Maine Foundation for Cardiac Surgery supports pediatric cardiovascular surgical care around the world through its sponsorship of American surgical team visits to foreign children's hospitals, donations of vitally needed surgical and medical equipment, and advancement of cardiovascular surgical knowledge among medical professionals of other countries. The Foundation also sponsors cardiovascular surgery education for both physician assistants and nurses in Maine. The programs funded and supported by Maine Foundation for Cardiac Surgery include:

The China Journey for Pediatric Cardiac Care
Every three years, a comprehensive team of medical professionals -- including physicians from MHSA and Maine Medical Center, Portland, physician assistants, anesthesiologists and other cardiac surgical specialists -- fly with a planeload of donated medical equipment and supplies to the Children's Hospital Medical Center of Fudan University in Shanghai, China. There, the team performs life-saving pediatric surgery on infants and children desperately in need of such specialized cardiac care. While in China, the team also provides conferences for local medical professionals to advance the knowledge and science of cardiac surgical care. The Maine Foundation for Cardiac Surgery has provided funding and support for three prior flights to China, and a fourth is planned for October of 2008.

The Pediatric Fund
In addition to its support of the China Journey for Pediatric Cardiac Care, the Pediatric Fund promotes the donation of medical equipment and supplies needed for pediatric cardiovascular surgery in foreign countries. The Pediatric Fund also sponsors the transportation and care of children from abroad who vitally need specialized cardiovascular surgical intervention that may be unavailable in their own country. To promote advancement of the knowledge needed for improved cardiovascular surgical care for children, the Pediatric Fund also hosts visiting physicians from foreign programs and provides grants for educational conferences.

The Sandy Christman Educational Endowment for Physician Assistants
The Foundation provides funding for physician assistant education in cardiovascular surgery through the Sandy Christman Educational Endowment. The endowment was established in memory of Sandy Christman, a physician assistant and vital member of the MHSA staff who passed away following a ten-year battle with breast cancer, but whose vibrancy and dedication to healing continue to inspire her patients and all who knew her. The endowment provides funding and support for an annual visiting lecture program in Portland for the continuing education of physician assistants in cardiovascular surgery.

Nurse Education
To promote the advancement of cardiovascular surgical care in the local community, the Foundation provides educational grants for nurses in cardiac surgical services at Maine Medical Center, Portland.

Donations and Administration
Donations to the Maine Foundation for Cardiac Surgery typically are tax deductible. The Foundation strictly limits its administrative expenses to necessary legal and accounting expenses, postage, supplies and stationery. No salaries are provided. For more information about contributing to the Foundation, contact Rick Morrone at Maine Heart Surgical Associates by calling 207-773-8161 or via e-mail at morror@mmc.org.

To contribute please make your check payable to:
Maine Foundation for Cardiac Surgery
and indicate which program you are interested in sponsoring.

Mail to:
Maine Foundation for Cardiac Surgery
Maine Heart Surgical Associates
818 Congress Street
Portland, ME 04102 USA

Thank you.

Maine Heart Surgical Associates and the Maine Foundation for Cardiac Surgery extend heartfelt thanks to the following contributors of medical equipment and supplies:

The China Journey for Pediatric Cardiac Care
Boss Instruments, Ltd.
Boston Scientific Medi-Tech
COBE Cardiovascular, Inc.
CryoLife, Inc.
Edwards Life Sciences Corporation
Ethicon, Inc.
W.C. Gore & Associates, Inc.
Isolyser Health Care
Meadox Medical Inc.
Medtronic
Pfizer Hospital Products
St. Jude Medical
Sulzer Carbomedics, Inc.
Tuzik