VHC Medical Brigade

Barry Byer, M.D. - Executive Director

Barry Byer, MD has been practicing medicine in Falls Church since 1973. He is the Chief of the Department of Family Practice at Virginia Hospital Center and an Assistant Clinical Professor of Medicine at Georgetown University Medical School.

Since 1999, as the Executive Director of the Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade, Dr. Byer has led teams of dedicated healthcare professionals and support staff to Honduras to meet healthcare needs of some of the most underserved people there.Dr. Byer is also the founder and Medical Director of CrossLink International, a non-profit humanitarian aid organization that provides pharmaceuticals, medical supplies and recycled eyeglasses to mission groups and free clinics abroad and in the USA.

In November of 2006, Dr. Byer received the Medical Society of Virginia Foundation’s Salute to Service award for “Service to the International Community” for founding and leading the Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade. In March of 2005, he received the Chamber’s James Elkin Award for international humanitarian service. He has been honored by the Greater Falls Church Chamber of Commerce on two occasions. In 2001, Dr. Byer received the Carroll V. Shreve Award for meritorious community service and humanitarian work and in 2000, he received the Falls Church City Commendation for Humanitarian Efforts.

Dr. Byer also received Acacia Federal Savings Bank’s “Nice Guy” Award in 2005!

Dr. Byer is regularly mentioned in both the Washingtonian Magazine’s “Top Doctor” issue and Washington Consumer Checklist’s “Outstanding Physician” issue.

Planning Committee

The Planning Committee functions as the executive committee of the Medical Brigade. Including representation from the all of the primary disciplines of the organization, this committee oversees all facets of planning and operations.

Remote Village Project Committee

The Remote Village Project Committee focuses on the Medical Brigade’s sustainable healthcare intervention models. The committee includes healthcare providers, healthcare educators, and development and public health professionals.

Medical Brigade Mission Teams

The Virginia Hospital Center Medical Brigade is a multidisciplinary team composed of specialty teams, including:

Surgery (Hospital Santa Teresa)
  1. Anesthesiology/CRNA
  2. Surgeons
    1. General Surgery
    2. Gynecology/Obstetrics
    3. Plastics
    4. Eye
    5. Urology
  3. Nurses/Physician Assistants
    1. Operating Room
    2. PACU
  4. Triage
Healthcare (Various Mission Field Locations)
  1. Audiology
  2. Eye
  3. Adult General Medicine
  4. Pediatrics
  5. Pharmacy
  6. Physical Therapy - Adult, Pediatric
  7. Triage & Crowd Control
Remote Village Project (Valle Bonito, San Antonio de la Libertad, and Planes)
  1. Community Health Workers
  2. Water, Sanitation, and Public Health Projects
Materials Management and Inventory Control (Comayagua)
Food Service (Comayagua)

Medical Brigade Team 2010

Carrie Alexander, PNP

Leo Alonso, MD (ER)

Reagan Alonso, RN

Kimberly Binder, RN

John Bratcher, CRNA

Nancy Brown, RN

Ellen Bushmiller, RN

Barry Byer, MD (FP)

Leland Byer

Sharyn Byer

Betsy Cave

Tracy Coverdale, CRNA

Mary Crowther, MD

Crystal Day, RN

Dana Edwards, PT

Cindy Elkin

Jeffrey J. Elliott, MD

John Feigert, MD (IM)

William Franklin, MD (Card)

Dawn Gammon, OD

Mary Ellen Gannon, RN

Maria Garza

Maureen Genser, RN

Jane Goshen, RN

Michelle Goshen

Wendy Gottlieb, MD

Rob Greer

Andy Gunter, MD

Beckie Hallinger, RN

Maureen Hanton, RN

Nancy Hartzenbusch

Rob Honig, MD (IM)

Donna Jasinski, Ph.D., CRNA

Audrey Johnson, PT

Tina Kakaviatos

Meghann Kirk, MD

Melissa Kern, MD

Tom Kloster

Betsy Koop, CRNA

Fred Kozlowski

Sally Kozlowski, RN

Henrietta Kundert, PA-C

Nicholas Lailas, MD

Gene Lambert, MD

Ana Larrain, RN

Joanie Lehman, PT

Peter Liu, MD (ER)

Keith Maas, ORT

Betty Martin, RN

Kevin McGeagh, MD

Frank McGrath, MD (Card)

Maureen Merkl, RN

Evie Monos, RNFA

Paula Morrison, RN

Jessica Moscati, RN

Bill Mueller

Susan Mulvey

Gysella Muniz, MD

Clare O’Grady, RN

Arnold Oshinsky, MD

Rose Oshinsky, RN

John Patterson

Curt Pendell

Wolfgang Rennert, MD

Laura Roland, MD

Julie Seeley, RN

Lee Ann Smith, RN

Betsy Stevenson, RN

J.J. Sverha, MD (ER)

Connie Ten Eyck, OT

Dan Tiedge

Judy Tigner, RN

Holly Vaughn

Paul Wilfong, RN

Carol Young, CRNA

Natasja Ysambart, PT

View full team roster from inception