Our founder and C.E.O Nick Ellis first discovered the foundations of MEDLIFE while volunteering on medical mission trips in Latin America. In this letter, he hopes to share his personal experiences with these kinds of projects and how they impacted MEDLIFE’s model of sustainability and patient follow-up care as a priority. Those who share similar goals to Dr. Ellis in terms of global health initiatives and are currently searching how to start a non-profit of their own that focuses on long-term results rather than a voluntourism model, may find his words worthwhile. Here are Dr. Ellis’s words on MEDLIFE’s framework:
How To Start A Non-Profit With The Beneficiary’s Needs Put First
“One of the most impactful experiences I had when I first started in short-term medical missions was working with Medical Ministries International. My role as a translator allowed me to witness surgeries and medical treatments firsthand, but it also highlighted some significant issues. One of the most concerning aspects was the lack of follow-up care. After surgeries, there were no medical records or follow-up plans. If a complication arose, the patients were left to manage on their own. Ethically, this lack of accountability in patient care really troubled me.
Another pivotal moment was when a four-year-old girl came to the clinic needing heart surgery. The organization essentially shrugged and said, “That’s not something we handle.” It became clear to me that there was a gap between the desire to help and the infrastructure needed to provide meaningful, long-term care. I realized that there needed to be a better system of follow-up, not just for routine care but for complex cases that required deeper medical attention.
Additionally, I was struck by the focus on faith-based conversions within the mission, which I found somewhat conflicting with my own vision of providing healthcare without strings attached. These early experiences planted the seeds for what MEDLIFE would eventually become—a model that prioritizes ethical, sustained care that doesn’t abandon patients once a medical procedure is complete.
When we conducted our first mobile clinic, we initially worked with American physicians. However, it became apparent that they didn’t fully understand the local medical systems. For instance, if a child needed heart surgery, they didn’t know if it was possible to arrange such care in-country. This led us to start working with Ecuadorian physicians, and the difference was night and day. These local doctors not only understood the language and culture but also knew the referral systems and could guide patients toward specialized care that was available in their country.
This taught us that hiring local professionals who are deeply embedded in the community enhances the quality of healthcare we can provide. It’s not just about cultural and linguistic sensitivity—it’s about delivering the best possible care through people who know the system inside and out.
Another important lesson we learned early on was the value of hiring local people, not just from the city centers, but from the low-income communities we aimed to serve. A pivotal example occurred when we had three women working for us. When I promoted one of them to a leadership position, the other two were unhappy and decided to quit. After they left, the woman who was promoted was in a hospital coordinating patient follow-up when she saw one of the women who had quit working with a MEDLIFE patient. She confronted her, asking why she was still helping, and her response was simple: “She’s my neighbor.”
This moment made me realize the power of community ties. Hiring people from within these low-income areas meant that they were personally invested in the well-being of their neighbors. It wasn’t just a job to them—they were already helping their communities before we came along, and MEDLIFE simply gave them the tools to do so more effectively. This idea of empowering local leaders to do the work they’re already passionate about has become central to MEDLIFE’s philosophy.
These lessons—ensuring follow-up care, working with local physicians, and empowering community members—have shaped MEDLIFE’s approach from the very beginning. They form the foundation of how we’ve grown into a long-term development organization focused on sustainable impact, rather than just short-term medical missions. It’s important to remember that the impact we have goes far beyond the immediate care we provide. Every interaction, every follow-up, every project we complete has the potential to change lives for the better, not just today but for years to come.
I encourage each of you to embrace this opportunity to grow, to be part of something bigger than any one of us, and to help build stronger, healthier communities from the inside out. Let’s continue working together with compassion, dedication, and respect for the people and communities we serve.
Thank you for being part of this journey.
Warm regards,
Nick Ellis
Founder, MEDLIFE”
We hope Dr. Ellis’s insights and values surrounding the foundations of MEDLIFE will serve as inspiration for how to start a non-profit in a sustainable and community-focused way. Or simply as an insight into why you should volunteer with MEDLIFE. To learn more about our approach and the patients we have assisted, click here!
For more information on how you can get involved with MEDLIFE today, fill out the interest form below, download our free brochure, or check out our upcoming Service Learning Trips.