Macon Reporter

In 2025, Mission Outreach, based in Springfield, Illinois, has made significant contributions to global health by shipping essential medical equipment and supplies worldwide. The organization’s efforts in fiscal year 2024 included 112 shipments, consisting of $5 million worth of supplies to hospitals and clinics in 34 countries, serving a global population of more than 28 million people.

Mission Outreach is a part of Hospital Sisters Health System, which emphasizes the importance of redistributing medical supplies and equipment that are no longer in use in the United States yet remain functional. This initiative supports low-resource communities in building their health systems.

Ratish Kumar, a biomedical engineer with Mission Outreach, has been recognized for his exceptional contributions to global health. He received the 2025 Humanitarian of the Year Award from TechNation. Kumar, along with Mission Outreach, ensures that all the equipment sent is tested and matched with the infrastructural capabilities of international partners, which builds trust with the hospitals and clinics that receive these shipments. Erica Smith, the Executive Director at Hospital Sisters Mission Outreach, commented, “Every piece of equipment we send has been tested and is prepared according to the infrastructural capabilities of our international partners".

Kumar views his award as a chance to "showcase Mission Outreach partnerships with the global health care community, serving the most vulnerable among us."

The work of Mission Outreach is sustained in large part by donations from Hospital Sisters Health System-affiliated facilities, which contribute over 75% of the equipment. The organization's efforts support global health by ensuring unused medical equipment serves new purposes in countries like Kenya, Peru, and Ukraine, fulfilling a mission "to embody Christ's healing love for all people."