Doc to Dock
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Doc to Dock is a Brooklyn, New York-based 501(c)(3) non-profit organization that sends donated medical supplies and equipment to hospitals and clinics in Africa and Haiti. It was founded in 2005 by cardiologist and medical professor Bruce Charash.[1]
Thousands of tons of medical supplies are discarded in the United States every day.[2] This occurs largely because U.S. government regulations force hospitals to discard any unused medical supplies in an opened outer package, even if the remaining items are individually wrapped and sterile.[3] These supplies are either incinerated or deposited in landfills.[4] Meanwhile, in developing nations, thousands of patients are turned away from hospitals and medical centers due to a lack of supplies.[5] Charash created Doc to Dock to rectify this imbalance. The organization also benefits the U.S. environment by reducing the strain on landfills.
Doc to Dock was born as the result of an appeal made by former U.S. president Bill Clinton at the first summit meeting of the Clinton Foundation’s Clinton Global Initiative in late 2005.[6] The corporate, political, and other leaders who make up the Initiative’s membership are required to commit to projects that benefit humankind and to report on their progress each year.[7] Charash conceived of his commitment at the inaugural meeting and founded Doc to Dock soon afterward. Doc to Dock helped inspire Danielle Butin to create the Afya Foundation, after meeting with Doc to Dock founder Dr. Charash. After he explained the model of operations of Doc to Dock, Ms. Butin founded Afya, which is likewise a inspired foundation that does remarkable work in Africa and Haiti.