Serving Humanity Beyond Borders

By Ben Riggs

Kettering Health donated more than 400 used and unused hospital beds to Seventh-day Adventist hospitals serving underserved communities in Argentina, Peru, and Paraguay. This endeavor—bringing together a principled ethic of stewardship and sustainability and a commitment to serving others—emerges from a long-standing partnership with Seventh-day Adventist hospitals across South America, demonstrating how practical care can cross continents and transform lives.

The roots of this mission-driven partnership trace back to former Kettering Health CEO Frank Perez, who fostered enduring relationships with Adventist hospitals across South America. These bonds have deepened over the years, through strategic collaboration, technology sharing, and the donation of vital medical equipment.

A cross-cultural partnership

In the past, donations have included mammography equipment, angiography equipment, an MRI, and a CT scanner. The pandemic and its pressures led to a pause in donations. But the bond remained strong through personal connection, prayer, and consultation.

But recently, inspired by the spirit of mission and stewardship, Kettering Health Hamilton and Kettering Health Main Campus recently sent approximately 420 hospital beds to hospitals desperately needing updated equipment. More than 100 beds from Kettering Health Hamilton have already arrived in Argentina, benefiting facilities in Buenos Aires and Entre Rios province—a teaching hospital affiliated with River Plate Adventist University. Meanwhile, another shipment of 320 beds from Kettering Health Main Campus is set to arrive to hospitals serving Peru’s most vulnerable populations—near the Amazon River, Lake Titicaca, and in impoverished neighborhoods of Lima.

Carlos Gill, a chaplain at Kettering Health Hamilton originally from Brazil, recognized that the beds being replaced could profoundly impact South American hospitals, some still using equipment over three decades old. His initiative and the resulting donation demonstrated Kettering Health’s ongoing mission and how everyday actions can fulfill Christ’s words: “Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for Me” (Matthew 25:40, NIV).

Hospital executives from recipient countries traveled to Kettering Health in Dayton, Ohio, to personally oversee the shipments, bringing photos, stories of patients and staff, deep gratitude, and some local food and garments to share with Kettering Health leaders. “It was emotional and deeply moving,” said Nestor Bruno, director, Mission and Ministry. Witnessing this partnership, several Kettering Health executives were visibly touched. “They were so moved by the continued impact of these beds and by the opportunity for these hospitals executives from underserved communities to improve the patient care they’ve been so passionate to provide.” The entire process was a powerful reminder of the greater purpose behind their daily responsibilities.

More than hospital beds

For Kettering Health, the donations were far more than transactions. They symbolized their commitment to global healing and unity in mission. The donated items became priceless blessings for the recipient hospitals and the communities they serve.

“These actions reflect our mission in its purest form: serving humanity beyond borders, just as Christ did,” shared Nestor.

Through collaboration and a shared vision, Kettering Health has turned hospital beds into instruments of healing and hope, bridging continents, and reinforcing the shared commitment to compassionate, global care.

The impact, both immediate and long-lasting, will shape these hospitals for years to come. Through the contributions of strategy and the injection of needed hospital beds, there is a hospital in Buenos Aires, Argentina, that is now able to keep its doors open, providing much-needed care to patients who seek God and “whole-person care”—something that Seventh-day Adventist hospitals are known for and are responsible for to continue bringing health to communities around the world.