David Vanderpool

David Vanderpool
Born February 18, 1960
Dallas, Texas
Education Abilene Christian University, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center, Baylor University Medical Center
Occupation Trauma and vascular surgeon, CEO of Live Beyond, medical missionary

David Vanderpool (born February 18, 1960) is an American medical missionary and the CEO and founder of Mobile Medical Disaster Relief (MMDR), now called Live Beyond, which has provided medical, spiritual and logistical support to disaster ridden countries where the medical infrastructure has been damaged.

After finishing his residency, Vanderpool practiced medicine in Texas for 20 years before moving to Brentwood, Tennessee in 2001, where he eventually opened his own private practice Lave MD in 2003.[1] In 2005 after Hurricane Katrina hit the southeastern coast of the US, disaster relief was in high demand, and Vanderpool started Mobile Medical Disaster Relief out of a trailer. Soon after, MMDR became a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and expanded to over thirteen countries. In 2010, after a powerful earthquake struck Haiti, Vanderpool traveled to the devastated regions in Haiti to use his skills as a trauma surgeon to provide immediate care to those in need and officially changed the name of his non-profit organization to Live Beyond. In 2013, Vanderpool sold his Lave MD private practice in Brentwood, TN and permanently moved to Thomazeau, Haiti where Live Beyond is currently based.

Early life and education

Vanderpool was born in Dallas, Texas, graduated from St. Mark's School of Texas, and received his undergraduate degree from Abilene Christian University in 1982.[2] He then attended the School of Medicine at Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center. After medical school, Vanderpool completed two surgical residencies at Baylor University Medical Center where he trained as a vascular surgeon.[3]

Family

Vanderpool married his wife, Laurie, in 1981. Laurie assists Dr. Vanderpool both medically and religiously in his work with Live Beyond. Laurie is a speaker for Women's Retreats and Bible Studies, and speaks frequently for Down Syndrome organizations.[4]

Early career

Vanderpool remained in Texas after residency and practiced as a vascular surgeon before moving to Brentwood, Tennessee in 2001 and opening his private practice Lave MD in 2003.

As one of the first surgeons certified by the American College of Phlebology, Dr. Vanderpool opened Lave MD in 2003. Located in Brentwood, TN, Lave MD was a social entrepreneur based business that became one of the first clinics in the country to provide the EndoVenous Laser Treatment for varicose veins.[5] Dr. Vanderpool created Lave MD to act as both a medical facility and a spa. At Lave MD, Dr. Vanderpool offered treatment for varicose veins, spider veins and sun damaged skin. Some of the procedures he offered included laser liposuction, Botox, laser hair removal, laser tattoo removal, and facials. After the establishment of his MMDR organization in 2005, Dr. Vanderpool used much of Lave MD’s proceeds to fund the organization’s efforts abroad.[6] In 2011, Dr. Vanderpool and Lave MD received the Nashville Business Journal’s Corporate Philanthropy Award for its financial support to Live Beyond.[5]

Medical missionary work

In 2005, after Hurricane Katrina hit the southeastern part of the United States, Dr. Vanderpool told his eldest son David Jr. to "pack his bags". He went on to deliver healthcare across the Mississippi Coast out of a trailer.[7] His goal was to provide as much free healthcare as possible while the medical infrastructure could recover. Months later, Dr. Vanderpool established his organization, Medical Mobile Disaster Relief, as a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization with goals to provide disaster relief through medical clinics, clean water projects, and micro-finance projects to areas hit by disasters. Soon after Hurricane Katrina, Dr. Vanderpool expanded his organization and brought medical care and disaster relief abroad.

Vanderpool and the Mobile Medical Disaster Relief team began working in Mozambique in 2006. His goal was to provide healthcare to the indigenous people of the country in addition to enhancing the economy by implementing micro-finance projects among widows living in the communities.[8] By 2008, Dr. Vanderpool teamed up with the Belmont School of Nursing to construct a nursing curriculum that could teach the Mozambique women to be self-sufficient in caring for themselves and their children.[9]

Vanderpool and his Mobile Medical Disaster Relief partnered with PACODEP (Partners in Community Development) in Ghana in order to provide medical care, educate the locals on water purification and distribute water purifiers. PACODEP works to free enslaved children who are trafficked through Ghana for purposes of fishing work. Dr. Vanderpool has also partnered with local hospitals in Ghana in order to provide free invasive surgeries to these rescued children.[10]

Dr. Vanderpool partnered with Mission Lazarus in 2009 to build a sustainable medical clinic in Cedeno, Honduras. Given sufficient medical supplies and equipment, Vanderpool allowed Mission Lazarus to take over the clinic and provision of healthcare for the people of Cedeno.[11]

Live Beyond in Haiti

Dr. Vanderpool traveled to Haiti within days of the earthquake that devastated the entire country of Haiti in 2010. During this time, Dr. Vanderpool provided care to thousands of patients affected by the earthquake, and oversaw the implementation of an ambulance service by his Mobile Medical Disaster Relief team that took patients from the epicenter of the earthquake to the hospital and also into refugee camps. In 2010, Vanderpool officially changed the name of his organization from Mobile Medical Disaster Relief to Live Beyond with a stated mission to be “an organization that chooses to Live Beyond...ourselves, our culture, our borders and this life so that others can Live Beyond…disease, hunger, poverty and despair.”[12]

The initial aid Vanderpool and his team brought to Haiti was primarily mobile medical care to relieve the thousands devastated and injured by the earthquake. Since then however, Vanderpool has grounded his missionary work in Thomazeau, Haiti where his organization began building a base. Vanderpool continued to provide free medical care, establishing a surgical hospital and clinic. In addition, clean water projects, orphanages, and other widow and orphan advocacy projects were begun.[13]

In May 2013, Dr. Vanderpool and his wife Laurie officially moved to Thomazeau, Haiti on a full-time basis. They sold both their home in Brentwood, Tennessee, and Vanderpool’s private medical practice Lave MD.[14] Live Beyond bought 63 acres in Thomazeau, Haiti, a region outside of Port-au-Prince where Dr. Vanderpool now lives and practices. The Haitian base of Live Beyond includes a hospital and clinic, worship center, a school, in addition to housing for orphans and other missionaries.

Religion

Dr. Vanderpool is a Christian, who combines religion and the spread of his faith with his medical work. In Haiti, he has made it one of his objectives to bring Haiti away from its traditional voodoo culture and provide "spiritual guidance" to the Haitians in the role of Christianity, with the belief that Christianity will lead to a better Haiti.[15] Prior to moving to Haiti, each medical outreach trip made by Vanderpool and other Live Beyond participants included prayer and Christian ministry along with healthcare to the voodoo priests, island chiefs, idol worshipers and the sick and dying in Haiti. On the Live Beyond site, Vanderpool's religious impact since being in Haiti has been characterized as leading to the baptism of dozens, the saving of tribes through "Bibles being read in their own languages" and "the Kingdom is being expanded."[16] Dr. Vanderpool promotes religious missionary work in tandem with his medical relief and sustainable development efforts. A worship center is being built in Thomazeau, Haiti and monthly mission trips are promoted and scheduled for Americans to travel to Thomazeau and volunteer.

Awards and certificates

  1. Received Lipscomb University's Dean Institute for Corporate Governance and Integrity Business with Purpose Award[17]
  2. Darrell Waltrip June Hero of the Month Award[18]
  3. Fellow of the American College of Surgeons
  4. Member of the American College of Phlebology
  5. Member of the American Academy of Cosmetic Surgery
  6. Member of American Society for Laser Medicine
  7. Surgery Member of the American Medical Association
  8. Member of the Tennessee Medical Association

References

  1. ↑ "Lave MD". Veinexperts.org. 2014-01-29. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  2. ↑
  3. ↑ "Staff". Mmdr.org. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  4. ↑ "Staff". Livebeyond.org. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  5. 1 2 "Brentwood, TN Based LAVE MD Receives Nashville Business Journal's Corporate Philanthropy Award". Prweb.com. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  6. ↑ "Lave MD Donates Uniforms to School in Haiti". Prweb.com. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  7. ↑ Fowler, Joanne. "Hope Out of the Rubble". People.com. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  8. ↑ "Mozambique". Livebeyond.org. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  9. ↑ "Physician Spotlight: David Vanderpool, MD on Nashville Medical News". Nashville.medicalnewsinc.com. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  10. ↑ "Ghana". Livebeyond.org. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  11. ↑ "Honduras". Livebeyond.org. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  12. ↑ "Haiti". Livebeyond.org. 2010-01-12. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  13. ↑ "Haiti Base". Livebeyond.org. 2012-05-18. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  14. ↑ Dr. David Vanderpool (2013-05-19). "Live Beyond: Why We Left Brentwood, TN and Moved to Haiti". Mmdrelief.blogspot.com. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  15. ↑ "Alumni join fight against Haiti cholera outbreak | The Optimist". Acuoptimist.com. 2010-11-04. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  16. ↑ "Our-Mission". Livebeyond.org. Retrieved 2014-01-10.
  17. ↑ "Dr. David Vanderpool, CEO of LAVE MD, Receives Lipscomb University's Business with Purpose Award". Prweb.com. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
  18. ↑ "Dr. David Vanderpool, CEO of LAVE MD, Receives Darrell Waltrip's Hero of the Month Award". Prweb.com. Retrieved 2014-02-03.
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