A New Day at Kudjip

For the past 30 years, 2 names have been synonymous with Kudjip Nazarene Hospital – Dr. Jim Radcliffe and Dr. Bill McCoy.  No matter where in the country Kudjip was mentioned, one of those names would come next.  Even while driving around Kudjip village or to Mt. Hagen – folks in all the villages know Bill and Jim, and call their names and way as they drove through.  For 30+ and 20+ years, these two have served the people of Papua New Guinea with surgical and medical skills, delivering 1000s of babies, caring for 100s of thousands of patients, doing surgery on 10s of 1000s of patients, all the while sharing God’s love with those they have served (you can read more about their lives and influence in an older post - https://erininpng.blogspot.com/2017/11/my-missionary-heroes.html.)

They didn’t just serve, but through the years, they have taught many of the rest of us how to be missionary doctors. They have served as a bridge for all the new doctors who have come while they were here.  Bridging the past with the present, helping us to adjust to medicine in PNG, to bring our new skills and treatment ideas into a world of medicine that is still pretty primitive in some ways, while helping us adjust to life and work here.  For years, when we didn't know what to do with a patient, Bill or Jim was just a phone call away, but that has now changed.  Jim and Kathy Radcliffe retired the end of 2017, and now Bill and Marsha McCoy have retired from Kudjip just yesterday, leaving 12 physicians to keep the ministry going. 

So, today, we are starting a new day at Kudjip.  

The team today, isn’t the same as it was 12 years ago when I first got here and became doctor #6, and we won’t be the same team as we will be in 5 or 10 years.  But for now, we are a team of #12, and I am excited about what today and tomorrow will look like, with the different gifts and skills each of us has to contribute and the team we are together.

So instead of Jim and Bill, you might be hearing some of these names in the future.  Meet our current team (Bottom row L to R)

Susan Myers – Pediatrician (but does everything here), in her 18^th year, has a heart for all our pediatric patients, and has recently, helped us to develop a relationship with Pediatric Cardiologists who are helping to get our Congenital Heart Kids the surgical interventions they need.

Nathan Mason – Family Practice doctor, just about to finish his first two years here after coming from an outpatient clinic in Oregon.  Despite a steep learning curve from what he was used to, he has jumped in to our work here, accepting the challenge of learning many new skills and has become an invaluable part of our team.  

Ben Radcliffe – General Surgeon, here for 5 years now, overlapped a little with his dad and then has taken on the role of Head Surgeon when Jim retired.  He has introduced Laparoscopic surgery to Kudjip and has worked to get us approved as a surgical training program for PNG surgical trainees.

Rebekah Lamb – General Practitioner from NZ, just got here in January to start a 1-2 year term of service with us.  She grew up as a Missionary Kid about 20 minutes away from Kudjip at CLTC, has come to work with us 2 times previously in her training, and now is here to stay for a bit.

Scott Dooley – Family Practice Doctor and Hospital Administrator, here for over 15 years, has a heart for discipleship, especially when it comes to our PNG coworkers in their leadership and development skills.

Mathew Woodley – Emergency Physician, here for 1+ years now, has quickly picked up the medical gaps he had from his training, working to help us improve our Emergency Services.  

(Top Row L to R)

Mark Crouch – Family Practice Doctor, here for 5 years, has a heart for Public Health and Medical Education.  Comes alongside our Primary Health Services, finding ways we can improve our current services, and helps to facilitate the time our medical trainees have with us.

Sheryl Uyeda – General Surgeon, just about to finish her first 2 years with us, and come back for more.  She also enjoys laparoscopic surgery and training surgeons, and is a great surgical partner for Ben, who can’t do all the cases on his own.

Erin Meier (that is me) - Family Practice Doctor, in my 12^th year, currently serving as Medical Director, working to keep the clinical side of what we do going and seeking to find ways to help us keep getting better.

Bill McCoy (just retired) - the smartest doctor any of us has worked with.  

Imelda Mel – PNG Rural Physician, in her 8^th year with us.  She completed her Rural Registry program with us for 6 years, and has continued to serve with us, now with her husband, Alex.  She was our first PNG trainee and has set the bar really high for all those coming behind her. 

Alex Mel – PNG physician, Imelda’s husband, just joined us in January, has a desire to be a surgeon and is hoping we can train him in that way starting in 2020. 

Katherine Radcliffe – Family Practice Doctor, here for 5 years, mother of 4, which most often keeps her away from the clinical side of medicine.  She coordinates all of our Medical Volunteers and when able finds time to be involved in clinical medicine, most recently helping with our cervical cancer screening program. 

Because of folks like Bill and Jim and Andy and Steph and Becky and many others who have come and served, the ministry here will continue.  We are thankful for those who have served before us and will do our best to keep us going as God allows in the days, months, years ahead for His Kingdom.