Better Beyond Borders

Published February 2019

Northwestern Medicine Caregivers Make a Difference Around the World

Mia Quintana and Anjum Koreshi, MD, in Guatemala

“I have a dream for the people of Guatemala to know that there people who care for them.”

When a disastrous volcanic eruption struck close to her birthplace in Guatemala, Mia Quintana, ophthalmic photographer at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, recruited her husband, Anjum Koreishi, MD, ophthalmologist, Northwestern Medical Group, to help her provide some relief for the families who were affected. The tragedy exacerbated the preexisting poverty in the area and left residents struggling with worsening health conditions.

Quintana and Dr. Koreishi collected medical supplies donated by Northwestern Medicine ophthalmology, orthopaedics and dermatology teams, and went to Guatemala to provide acute medical care for those in need. They couple performed eye and medical exams, and addressed healthcare concerns in the areas most impacted by the eruption.

Quintana and Dr. Koreishi were honored for their heroic service with a 2019 Northwestern Medicine Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award.

Here’s their story:

Jennie Bagaconza, RN, Philippines and Beyond

Clothing, food and medical resources: These are things we take for granted.

That’s why Jennie Bagaconza, RN, Northwestern Medicine Central DuPage Hospital, donates her time to care for people experiencing poverty in her home country of the Philippines — and beyond.

Bagaconza went on her first medical trip to the Philippines in 2011, providing care at an orphanage. When she returned to the United States, her desire to help those in need didn’t stop. Bagaconza continued sending clothing to the orphanage each month.

She went back to the Philippines three more times, assisting a dental team performing emergency procedures and educating people about oral hygiene.

This is my priority. This is my passion.

— Jennie Bagaconza, RN

Then, she went to Bolivia on two medical trips. Then Guatemala. Then Africa. Then India.

“Every year, I think, ‘Where can I go next?’” says Bagaconza. “I save my vacation hours. I save my money so that I can pay for the airfare for the missions I go on. This is my priority. This is my passion.”

Bagaconza was honored as a 2019 Northwestern Medicine Reverend Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian Award recipient for her selflessness that knows no bounds.

Here’s her story: