The October 3 conversation will explore a vision to train African surgeons for underserved communities and strengthen the hospitals where they will serve, with early candidates connected to the Democratic Republic of Congo and Sudan’s Nuba Mountains.
New York, NY September 22, 2026 –(PR.com)– African Mission Healthcare (AMH) will host “From Surgical Deserts to Centers of Hope: A Conversation with Dr. William Rhodes” on Saturday, October 3, 2026, at 12pm U.S. Eastern Time via Zoom. The conversation will explore how training African surgeons and supporting the hospitals where they serve can bring surgical care closer to communities with few options for treatment.
Registration is available on Zoom here.
Dr. William “Bill” Rhodes, a general and reconstructive surgeon, began serving at Kapsowar Hospital in rural western Kenya more than two decades ago. He helped develop the hospital into a regional surgical center while extending his work to patients with advanced tumors, burns, and other complex conditions in remote regions. Those experiences exposed him to vast areas with little or no access to modern surgical care, places he came to describe as “surgical deserts.”
From that work grew a vision: train African surgeons and surgical teams who could return to underserved communities, bringing the skills and commitment needed to build lasting access to care. This vision earned Rhodes the 2021 African Mission Healthcare Gerson L’Chaim Prize for Outstanding Christian Medical Missionary Service.
“And we decided maybe you can use a place like Kapsowar to offer hope and help to other places … by bringing people in from there to train here,” Rhodes said in an AMH profile. “That’s our intention. That’s our vision.”
The October 3 webinar will offer a firsthand look at how that vision is taking shape. The first candidates include surgeons from the Democratic Republic of Congo, as well as a candidate expected to return to the Nuba Mountains of Sudan to serve alongside Dr. Tom Catena at Mother of Mercy Referral Teaching Hospital (MMRTH).
Preparing a surgeon for this work requires an investment of $30,000 annually for five years. It also requires planning for what happens after training. AMH is seeking support to strengthen the hospitals around returning surgeons with the teams, equipment, systems, and resources they need to provide excellent care for years to come.
Participants will hear about progress to date, the work ahead, and how philanthropic support can help connect surgical training with long-term service. The conversation offers individuals, foundations, healthcare professionals, and community and faith leaders an opportunity to understand the effort and consider how they might support it or introduce others to the work.
Those interested in helping expand access to surgical care are invited to attend and share the invitation with their networks.
To register for the October 3 webinar at 9am PT/12pm ET, visit: https://us06web.zoom.us/webinar/register/WN_fL7k2r0sSiaXdOdddODDmA#/registration
About African Mission Healthcare
African Mission Healthcare strengthens African mission hospitals to serve people in greatest need. Working alongside hospitals rooted in their communities, AMH supports patient care, trains African healthcare professionals, and invests in the facilities, equipment, and systems needed to provide quality, compassionate care over the long term. Its work brings together three commitments: treating patients today, training healthcare workers for tomorrow, and transforming hospitals for the future.
If you would like to support our initiative to expand surgical access, please click here.
Contact Information:
African Mission Healthcare
Dené Marcello
+1 614-325-3965
Contact via Email
https://africanmissionhealthcare.org
Read the full story here: https://www.pr.com/press-release/979433
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