A Note from Project HOPE volunteer Kenneth V. Iserson, M.D.

Dr. Iserson is serving as Project HOPE's Chief Medical Officer onboard the USNS Comfort


Project HOPE's dedicated and experienced volunteer healthcare professionals have fully integrated into the complex workings of the USNS Comfort. We are helping to provide primary health care, surgical services, professional healthcare education, and the necessary administration for the project. The last involved helping other senior officers prepare the materials so that our healthcare professionals could have temporary Antigua licensed.

Our Project HOPE team has become a well-liked and well-respected part of the Comfort's community. Yesterday, for example, we provided 2/3 of the pediatric care at the Multicultural Center, the site of our major on-land ("beach") activities in Antigua.

On a personal note, everyone has been extraordinarily helpful, not only in making us a part of the team at every level (I, for example, am in the Division Head's briefing every morning that I am on the ship), but also helping all of us orient to this enormous ship. While seemingly simple, just figuring out whether you are going forward or aft can be a challenge, until you get oriented.


We're all looking forward enthusiastically to the additional sites we'll visit and, of course, the liberty port, Cartegena, Columbia.

Best wishes, Ken