Published: The Chester County Hospital Foundation Donor Report FY2016
Robert "Bob" Sumner, DDS, and wife, Pauline, have called Chester County their home for the past 57 years and have faithfully supported The Chester County Hospital Foundation for three decades. Dr. Sumner spent his 36 year career practicing dentistry in our community. In 1987, Dr. Sumner took the first of many trips abroad to provide dental service to people in need. Over the next 15 years he travelled to the Marshall Islands, Costa Rica, Baja peninsula of Mexico, Brazil, and Honduras, serving the impoverished in these countries. Since his retirement, he and Pauline have worked together to continue to bring the quality medical care they receive in Chester County to global communities in need.
Their 2002 medical mission trip to La Entrada, Honduras, would prove to be a life-altering experience. Bob’s compassion for the Honduran people moved him to establish Serving at the Crossroads in 2004 and open Manos Amigas Clinic in 2006. Today, as the sole health care provider in the community, the Clinic continues to expand and has cared for more than 110,000 patients to date. Serving at the Crossroads has enjoyed tremendous support from volunteer care teams from U.S. and international organizations, including Chester County Hospital.
A key advocate has been Dr. George Trajtenberg, retired Chief of Surgery, Chief of Staff, and private practice surgeon at Chester County Hospital in West Chester, PA. After his initial visit to Manos Amigas, Dr. Trajtenberg was determined to gather together everything he needed to build a fully-equipped operating room, including donations from Chester County Hospital.
In 2013, the first Chester County Hospital surgical brigade set up the operating room and performed the first surgeries at Manos Amigas -- a total of 56 procedures. Dr. Trajtenberg continues to consult with clinic physicians and organizes pro-bono teams from the hospital and region each year, typically performing more than 60 surgeries during a week’s stay.
Chester County Hospital is grateful to Bob and Pauline Sumner, for their long-standing financial support to ensure that our community receives the highest quality care. We pay tribute to their lifetime of service to Chester County and collaboration with hospital and regional medical teams to provide community-based care across the globe. Truly a legacy of caring for community -— near and far —- has been established for generations to follow.
"Everyone loves Dr. Sumner, his vision, his kind, gentle spirit and what he has built Even though w love caring for the Chester County community, our trips to Manos Amigas are special. Using our training and expertise from home, we are able to help so many breadwinners return to work and provide for their families after restorative surgery." - Adriana and George A. Trajtenberg, M.D.