ATLANTA, GA (April 13, 2010) - MedicalMissions.org, an organization that connects medical volunteers and job seekers, is sponsoring the first annual international medical volunteerism conference on April 16-18, 2010 at Emory University.  The event is the first of its kind to bring together health care professionals and students who share a passion for medical volunteerism around the world.  

"There is a growing need for medical volunteers all over the world.  We are hopeful that through this conference, healthcare professionals will actively pursue opportunities to serve others through medical missions," said Chad Jackson, Director of Jackson Healthcare Charities.

Healthcare providers and organizations that sponsor medical missions are invited to this free event, which will feature 200 presenters and exhibitors from the US and around the world. The keynote speakers include:

• George Lundberg, MD, former Editor in Chief for WebMD and JAMA
• Jim Withers, MD, pioneer of "Street Medicine" and founder of Safety Net
• Gary Hoffman, MD, MS, Director of Staff Volunteer Programs at the Cleveland Clinic
• Brian Smith, Director of Strategic Project Development at the Cleveland Clinic
• John Wilson, MD, Infectious Diseases specialist at the Mayo Clinic

 "Our aim is to inspire more people to volunteer, create partnerships between various volunteer organizations, and to give a voice to medical volunteers so that their perspectives can be factored into decision-making relating to important health issues," said conference organizer, Dr. Neil Shulman, MD.  Shulman is an associate professor at Emory University's School of Medicine and the author and associate producer of the film Doc Hollywood, starring Michael J. Fox.

Jackson Healthcare Charities and MedicalMissions.org, who are sponsoring the conference, have funded medical missions to Honduras and China.  This conference will feature a session on Haiti and a forum on the disaster response needs and ideas for rebuilding.  The underlying spirit of the event is the focus on community, giving back and goodwill.  Visit the official event website at www.emoryimvc.webs.com for more details and the conference itinerary.

For more information contact Kim Wacker, Marketing Specialist at Jackson Healthcare at 770-643-5624 or  kwacker@jacksonhealthcare.com .

About MedicalMissions.org

Medicalmissions.org connects medical volunteers and job seekers with mission organizations sponsoring medical missions.  Our goal is to match motivated healthcare professionals with health-related volunteer opportunities and medical mission trips.  Mission organizations and agencies can post long or short term medical volunteer opportunities, as well as medical mission work that span the globe.  Our services are 100% free for both medical volunteers and mission organizations.  For more information visit us online at MedicalMissions.org.

MedicalMissions.org, an organization that connects medical volunteers and job seekers, is sponsoring the first annual international medical volunteerism conference on April 16-18, 2010 at Emory University.