New Team of Volunteers Join Continuing Promise 2010

A new team of Project HOPE volunteers joins the Continuing Promise 2010 mission aboard the USS Iwo Jima and ashore, offering their medical expertise in Guyana and Suriname during their one-month service.

In partnership with the U.S. Navy, nearly 50 Project HOPE volunteers, along with their military counterparts, have provided care and health education to children and families in Haiti, Colombia, Costa Rica, Guatemala, Nicaragua, Panama and now Guyana and Suriname.

Since partnering with the Navy in early 2005 to provide tsunami relief, Project HOPE has participated in 20 humanitarian assistance and health education missions with nearly 1,000 HOPE volunteers. These missions have provided care to more than 400,000 people, offered health education to more than 100,000 and delivered $33 million in donated medicines and medical supplies.

Meet the Volunteers Serving in Guyana and Suriname

Corinne Bragg-Muir, a nurse from Cocoa Beach, Florida, is participating in her first mission as a Project HOPE volunteer. She is volunteering as a women’s health nurse onboard the USS Iwo Jima and ashore in Guyana and Suriname.

Kerry Decker, a nurse from Cambridge, Massachusetts, is volunteering on her first mission with Project HOPE. She is working as an adult nurse practitioner onboard the USS Iwo Jima and ashore in Guyana and Suriname.



Dr. Ruth Hart, a physician from Manlius, New York, is a first-time volunteer for HOPE. Dr. Hart is board certified in both family medicine and emergency medicine and brings 27 years of experience in emergency medicine to her volunteer work onboard the USS Iwo Jima and ashore in Guyana and Suriname.

Nora Hussey, a family nurse practitioner recently retired from the US Army is a first-time volunteer with Project HOPE. From Summerton, South Carolina, Nora is using her primary care and preventive medicine experience onboard the USS Iwo Jima and ashore in Guyana and Suriname.

Pasquale Iannino is a self-employed videographer from Lombard, Illinois. The first-time HOPE volunteer is documenting the medical care provided by Project HOPE volunteers onboard the USS Iwo Jima and ashore in Guyana and Suriname.

Brenda Jones, a first-time Project HOPE volunteer from Valparaiso, Indiana, is working as a women’s health nurse practitioner onboard the USS Iwo Jima and ashore in Guyana and Suriname.



Dr. Mona Khanna, a physician from Chicago, Illinois, brings 12 years of disaster relief experience to her first volunteer mission with Project HOPE. Specializing in internal medicine and public health, Dr. Khanna is serving as HOPE’s Medical Director onboard the USS Iwo Jima and ashore in Guyana and Suriname.

Dr. Janet Kinney is a pediatrician from Southlake, Texas. She is a first-time Project HOPE volunteer and will use her pediatric skills to care for children onboard the USS Iwo Jima and ashore in Guyana and Suriname.



Dr. Atashi Mandal, a pediatrician from Huntington Beach, California, is a first-time Project HOPE Volunteer. Dr. Mandal is working as a pediatrician onboard the USS Iwo Jima and ashore in Guyana and Suriname.


Dr. Melissa Moore, a pediatrician from Eugene, Oregon is on her second volunteer mission with Project HOPE as she returns for her second rotation on Continuing Promise 2010. In July and August of this year, she served on the USS Iwo Jima in Haiti and Colombia. In Guyana and Suriname, she is again using her pediatric skills as well as serving as the Operations Officer. She has previously done medical work in India, Ecuador, Nicaragua, and Saipan.

Dr. Colin Muir a physician from Cocoa Beach, Florida, is a first-time Project HOPE volunteer. He is serving as an OB/GYN onboard the USS Iwo Jima and ashore in Guyana and Suriname.



Kristopher Radder, a photographer from Horseheads, New York, is on his first mission as a Project HOPE volunteer. Kris is serving as the Public Affairs Officer, photographing and blogging about the work of the HOPE medical volunteers in Guyana and Suriname.

Dr. Steven Saris from Ardmore, Pennsylvania, brings 25 years of primary care medicine experience to his first mission as a Project HOPE volunteer. Onboard the USS Iwo Jima and ashore in Guyana and Suriname, Dr. Saris is volunteering as an internal medicine doctor.

Nancy Stockman, a certified nurse midwife and family nurse practitioner from Billings, Montana, brings 20 years of experience in obstetrics & women’s health to her first volunteer mission with Project HOPE. Nancy is working with childbearing women and families onboard the USS Iwo Jima and ashore in Guyana and Suriname.

Jeanine Trethewey, a registered nurse from State College, Pennsylvania, brings more than 30 years nursing experience to her first volunteer mission with Project HOPE. With experience in childbirth education, Jeanine will also be working with childbearing women and families aboard the USS Iwo Jima and ashore in Guyana and Suriname.