Global Healing to Send Reno Specialists to Renovate Caribbean Blood Bank

BERKELEY, CA--(Marketwire - September 2, 2008) - The San Francisco Bay Area-based non-profit organization Global Healing has announced its latest blood bank project in the small island nation of Dominica in the West Indies. At the beginning of 2008, the Princess Margaret Hospital Blood Bank invited Global Healing to provide new biomedical equipment and relevant training, as well as a review of its standard operating procedures in order to assure the highest quality of blood banking. Ron Newton, EE, and Lillian Morton, RN, of Renown Regional Medical Center in Reno, will be traveling to assist with technical training.

The two were essential to assisting with the establishment and renovation of two facilities prior. After recognizing a need for safe, reliable blood for its first project, a pediatric cardiac diagnostic & surgical center in Tbilisi, Georgia, Global Healing established the Jo Ann Medical Center Blood Bank in 2001. Continuing from that foundation, Global Healing drew upon the expertise of its committed volunteer base to facilitate the creation of another blood bank in Armenia's second largest city, Gyumri, in 2005.

The story is not so much different for the work in the Commonwealth of Dominica. The renovated blood bank will service the needs of the entire island, about 70,000 Dominicans. Global Healing hopes that the blood bank will be able to increase production of and accessibility to cryoprecipitate, essential for treatment of hemophilia and other clotting diseases. Although they already have the skills to make the blood product, the staff needs new equipment and more support to make the product more available. In order to realize its overall mission to bring modern medicine to the developing world, Global Healing partners with dedicated volunteers, charitable corporations and earnest local professionals. This project would not be possible without the steadfast support from Helmer Inc., Dr. Jim & Masha Doty, The Waitrovich Family Foundation, Reno Central Rotary Club, Denver Instruments, Bio-Rad, Zebra Technologies and Seagull Software.

"For any of our programs to be fully successful, sustainability is the bottom line," said Cindy Basso Eaton, president of Global Healing. "Cooperation by both local government and professionals is essential for all our programs to continue to work successfully and continue to operate after our direct involvement has ended."

Global Healing has already sent two shipments of biomedical equipment, infectious disease testing materials and laboratory supplies to Dominica. In April 2008, a team from Global Healing surveyed and evaluated the blood bank to determine its current operating level. The upcoming September trip will consist of a team of hematology specialists to train the local staff on the new equipment, as well as introduce a new Hepatitis C test and audit standard operating procedures. From start to finish, active involvement is projected to last no more than 12 months -- one of the shortest in the history of Global Healing.

About Global Healing

Global Healing is a US-registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization devoted to providing modern medical equipment, supplies and training to the developing world. It was established in 1994, initially to train and equip a team of pediatric cardiac surgeons in Tbilisi, Georgia to perform the nation's first ever pediatric open-heart surgeries. Global Healing has since started medical programs in Armenia, Honduras and now Dominica. More information can be found at www.globalhealing.org.

This press release contains forward-looking statements that are subject to a number of risks and uncertainties. We undertake no obligation to revise or update information herein to reflect events or circumstances in the future, even if new information becomes available.

Contact Information: Contact: Global Healing Luke Ifland Tel: 510-220-8883 Email: