Bill Neiss, Opportunities in Emergency Care director at Spring Lake Park High School, is planning to take a group of emergency medical responders to the Dominican Republic this month on a medical mission trip.

Bill Neiss, Opportunities in Emergency Care director at Spring Lake Park High School, will lead a group on a medical mission to the Dominican Republic. File photo

Ive always wanted to do a straight-up medical trip, Neiss said.

The group of eight will team with a local physician and nurse in San Juan to help people and to give students a chance to do some medicine at a level they might not get to do here, Neiss told the Blaine/Spring Lake Park Life.

Neiss is looking into lining up work at a barrio (neighborhood) clinic where his group members could have the opportunity to help administer anything from tooth care to sewing up wounds.

Whatever comes in, Neiss said, about the clinics that have the potential of seeing 100 to 200 patients a day.

The group

Four alumni of Spring Lake Parks OEC program, Neisss 15-year-old daughter and her teenage friend, and a nurse from the Minneapolis Shriners Hospital for Children will accompany Neiss to San Juan.

Neiss figures costs for the trip at about $1,200 per person. The group has been busy fund-raising. Some have volunteered to work emergency medical at such events as Blaines Fourth of July celebration, Spring Lake Parks Tower Days, the USA Cup Youth Soccer Tournament at the National Sports Center in Blaine and more.

The Spring Lake Park Lions Club and Anoka American Legion have donated funds and the group is requesting donations from families and friends. A pharmacist at Unity Hospital in Fridley donated 32 scrubs for the trip.

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Neiss to lead medical mission to Dominican Republic