History
In 1961, a small group of osteopathic doctors flew their own planes into Mexico to distribute 
medicine and give primary care to the isolated and impoverished Tarahumara Indians. Led by Dr. Ernest A. Allaby, the Flying OsteopathicPhysicians’ Association ventured on dusty paths where commercial aircraft and even cars could not reach and paid “cave calls” to the indigenous people’s homes. “The only way in was by donkey, which took three days, or by air,” recalls Dr. Scotty Little, who flew his own plane. When Dr. Allaby died in 1964, his wife and colleagues ensured that his dream did not die with him, and within a few years, DOCARE International was officially established.
Fifty years after the first mission, DOCARE’s legacy of service continues. Throughout the decades, DOCARE has cared for and brought international attention to forgotten people in medically underserved communities in Guatemala, Mexico, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Haiti, El Salvador, Peru, the Dominican Republic, and Malawi, Africa. DOCARE’s all-volunteer missions embrace both DOs and MDs, students, nurses, dentists, veterinarians, pharmacists and lay people, but it remains the osteopathic community’s first and only medical outreach organization. “It was pretty rough at the beginning, but it’s come a long way,” says Dr. Little. “It makes you really feel good when you’re able to help others.”
 |
 |
 |