The Flying Samaritans

The Flying Samaritans is a group of professionals from many different walks of life interested in helping provide healthcare services at no charge to the people in Baja California, Mexico who otherwise have no access to medical care. They are physicians, nurses, dentists, pilots, translators and many other people. They are a non-sectarian organization and their bylaws clearly establish that their purpose is to offer medical assistance and education to the people in rural areas of Mexico. All Flying Samaritan Clinics are operated free of charge to patients. The Flying Sams, as they are often called, have four basic missions - primary care, specialty care, education and emergency care. In their primary care role, the Sams fly (and drive) to clinics where they provide non-emergency services, such as family medicine, optometry, audiology, dentistry and dental hygiene, and preventative health care. Most patients are the 60% of the Mexican population who are not eligible for Mexican Social Security medical care. Unless the Sams are working with Mexican doctors, they can only practice in areas where there are no doctors. Their physicians usually perform surgery only when another doctor is present to provide follow up care. The second mission, specialty care, is a cooperative effort to provide specialty care such as surgery and treatment that requires medical follow up. Specialty care is provided only at locations such as the Buen Pastor Hospital in San Quintin where follow up care is available.  The Flying Sams are working at the invitation and with close collaboration with UABC. Their third mission is to assist in the training of pasantes, medical and dental graduates interested in gaining practical experience and enhancing their skills working in close cooperation with their providers at the clinics. Lastly, to meet medical emergencies, their professionals assist with disaster relief and other critical medical needs of their clinic local communities. The Flying Samaritans currently has over 1500 members and is governed by an International Board of Directors with representatives from all ten chapters. The Flying Samaritans is an organization recognized as exempt under Section 501 (c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code.