Thanks to HRH and community

To the editor:
    It is with deep gratitude that we write this letter to thank you for your love and generosity for the Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE in Cambodia.
    We are fortunate to be connected with your community through Dr. Ted Sussman and his wife Iva. For the past four years, Ted and Iva’s annual trip to Phnom Penh has brought us not only their skills and knowledge but also great encouragement from all of you. Whether you’re an event organizer or a donor, we thank you for your many efforts to support our work.
    For the past 12 years, the Sihanouk Hospital Center of HOPE has provided quality medical care to the poor of Cambodia, free of charge. By the end of 2008, the hospital had given over 944,000 outpatient consultations and treated over 14,000 patients in its medical and surgical wards. In 2009, we will reach and surpass one million outpatient consultations-a significant milestone!
    Another mission of the hospital is to provide a center for further education and training for Cambodian medical professionals. Thanks to training by expatriate medical professionals over a number of years, the professional growth and development of Khmer nationals has been tremendous. Among the clinical staff all but one are Khmer nationals. The hospital now has its own internal medicine residency training program, where they receive teaching and training from the hospital’s senior medical staff. International medical volunteers, like Dr. Sussman, also continue to provide their expertise, experience and first-world perspective. In 2005, the program graduated its first cohort of 14 doctors. In 2008 two more doctors completed the program, and on March 11, 2009 a ceremony will be held for the two newest graduates.
    So much of what has been accomplished at the hospital could not have happened without supporters like you. For every patient we treat, this translates into helping an entire family from falling further into poverty. You have inspired us to go from strength to strength as we continue to change a life, change a family and change a nation.
Dan Liu
Executive Director