Global FICCS, under the leadership of Dr. Parag Patel, has established itself as a beacon of hope in the field of healthcare. Driven by a deep desire to improve healthcare in his home country of Kenya, Dr. Patel embarked on a transformative journey in 1986 that would shape the future of healthcare in the region.
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Hailing from Minnesota and trained in Chicago, Dr. Patel recognized the potential to enhance healthcare in Kenya during his visits back to Nairobi. He witnessed the unwavering dedication of local medical professionals and community leaders who were striving to bring about change, despite facing significant resource limitations.

In 1995, Dr. Patel took the first step towards his mission by collecting and donating textbooks and stethoscopes to trainee physicians. This seemingly small act had a profound impact on the self-esteem of healthcare workers and laid the foundation for Global FICCS' impactful efforts. Over time, Dr. Patel's vision expanded, and the organization began offering complimentary cardiovascular procedures to those in need.

These life-saving procedures not only saved lives but also restored hope in the hearts of many. Global FICCS emerged as a catalyst for positive change, showcasing the incredible possibilities that arise when dreams, determination, and compassionate action converge.

Global FICCS was founded by Kenyan-born cardiologist Dr. Parag Patel, who was raised in Kenya before moving to the United States to pursue medical training in interventional cardiology.
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In the 1980s, Dr. Patel started regularly traveling to Kenya to begin exploring opportunities to improve cardiac care in the country he had always considered home.

During these visits, he met medical professionals and community leaders who were working hard to create lasting change, but did not have many of the critical resources required to meet the wide array of needs within their communities. In order to begin bridging this gap, in 1995, Dr. Patel began making modest donations of textbooks and stethoscopes to physicians in training. Soon, he began performing cardiovascular procedures free of charge.

After providing valuable medical equipment and free complex cardiac procedures to those in need, Dr. Patel realized that in order for communities to experience sustainable and lasting improvements in health care, advanced medical training would be necessary.

Dr. Patel began training Kenyan cardiologists in complex cardiac procedures, providing tools to help increase individual and communal wellbeing through access to health care. With each training experience, he saw significant and long-lasting progress.

In 2007, he performed the first biventricular pacemaker procedure in East Africa. Since 2007, Dr. Patel has trained dozens of Kenyan cardiologists who can now perform these procedures themselves. From 2007 to 2014, Global FICCS trainees implanted over 50 biventricular pacemakers and automatic implantable cardioverter defibrillators (AICDs), which monitor heart rhythm.

While providing critical medical training to communities, we began to discover more community limitations to accessing health care.
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To begin strategically addressing these barriers, Global FICCS established deeper relationships with community leaders, health care practitioners, and local organizations in Nairobi. Together, we have been working to help particularly vulnerable populations meet basic needs and gain the tools, education, and leadership development essential for sustainable community growth and wellbeing.

In 2009, we were introduced to Hawker’s Market, a community organization that focuses on providing sewing and entrepreneurial skills to young women. We met three women who would become instrumental to our mission—Caroline, Rebecca, and Isabella. Global FICCS provided these women with educational scholarships, the first provided by the organization. Caroline now serves as Global FICCS’s Executive Director in Kenya, Rebecca is an RN who runs a community, and Isabella has a degree in Clinical Psychology and is the leader of Hawker’s Market.

While each community is faced with its own unique challenges, the disparity between the health, safety, and education of men versus women throughout Nairobi and the surrounding region is a stark and dangerous reality.

To begin to address this chronic disparity, Dr. Patel founded The Girls’ Center, a community center dedicated to giving young women a safe environment to learn, live, and grow, by providing health care, life skills, and computer training; introductory academic and trades education; and mental health services.

The Center provides these opportunities to a cohort of 20 young women each year, and funds two scholarships annually to participants who wish to pursue a career in health care. Through the work of The Girls’ Center, hundreds of women have been given the skills and opportunities to thrive and support themselves, their loved ones, and their communities

Dr. Erin Nasrallah joined the team and initiated a significant shift in the FICCS' mission. Recognizing the critical importance of First aid, Basic Life Support (BLS) and Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS) training, Dr. Nasrallah introduced a unique and universally applicable format that emphasized hands-on training and mastery of skills.

In 2016, Global FICCS collaborated with The Disque Foundation, an online CPR and ACLS resource provider, to address the cost barriers associated with BLS and ACLS courses. Together, they established a program that offered hands-on training and certification for healthcare providers in Kenya.

The program has been a resounding success, having trained over 350 healthcare providers in ACLS and over 500 in basic CPR since its inception in 2017. These trained providers are now equipped with the necessary skills to respond effectively in emergency situations, potentially saving countless lives.

Furthermore, the impact of the initiative has been far-reaching, as several expert trainees who received this training have taken the initiative to start their own company called Medswipe. Based in Kenya, Medswipe focuses on providing year-round training for healthcare providers, thus ensuring the sustainability of the program and empowering local professionals to continue training others in their community.

Additionally, Global FICCS has expanded its training efforts to the hospitality industry, specifically lodges in remote areas and the surrounding communities. Through a "train the trainer" approach, lodge staff are equipped with the skills to refine their knowledge and provide training to others. Global FICCS has also donated automated external defibrillators (AEDs) and trained local champions on how to use this life-saving technology.

The partnership with Medswipe and the expansion of training in the hospitality industry perfectly align with the overarching mission of Global FICCS, which is to educate, elevate, and empower East Africans to reach their full potential. These efforts serve as a testament to the success and sustainability of the program, as it continues to make a significant impact on healthcare education in Kenya and beyond.

In our ongoing efforts to expand medical education and health care to all communities, the Global FICCS team started an initiative to provide essential medical training for free.
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Basic life support and advanced cardiac life support are necessary tools for every health care provider, but courses and certifications in these areas are extremely cost prohibitive. Teaming up with the The Disque Foundationan online CPR and ACLS resource provider, we established hands-on training and certification for health care providers in Kenya. Since 2017 we have trained over 350 providers in ACLS and over 500 in basic CPR. Some of our expert trainees have now started their own company,to continue year-round training of health-care providers.

We introduced Advanced Cardiac and Casualty Training (ACCT) course
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Our community outreach and medical training and education continue to expand. At the start of 2019, we introduced Advanced Cardiac and Casualty Training (ACCT) course—a hands-on, simulation-based advanced training for physicians to hone skills in cardiac and emergency medicine. In addition, we have partnered with Kenyan-based emergency medical services, or Rescue.Co to enhance training of EMTs and first-responders.

We have shifted our tactics to respond to the global pandemic, focusing on a donation drive to collect PPE for community members and health providers in Kenya.
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We have started training programs in Chicago and Kenya to re-iterate basic PPE principals, hand-washing and hygiene, and treatment protocols for COVID-19.

We continue to focus on raising awareness of limitations to access education and health care.  We continue to expand our medical and community outreach programs and are focusing on providing additional scholarship opportunities to impact as many lives as possible.