Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba

What Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba does

MEDICC (Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization founded in 1997 and headquartered in Oakland, California, that operates as the principal U.S. institutional bridge for health-related engagement with Cuba. The organization facilitates structured educational travel for U.S. health professionals, policymakers, and foundation trustees through its Gateways program, which since inception has hosted over 3,000 participants from more than 120 U.S. medical, public health, and nursing schools on six- to seven-day itineraries priced at $3,300-$4,100 per person. MEDICC also runs the Community Partnerships for Health Equity (CPHE) network of 12 U.S. community-based sites, the MD Pipeline to Community Service program supporting roughly 200 U.S. students at Havana's Latin American School of Medicine (ELAM), and publishes the MEDLINE-indexed, open-access MEDICC Review journal. Its core product surface is human-mediated educational programming, peer-reviewed publishing, and field-based humanitarian initiatives rather than technology.

The business model is hybrid nonprofit: roughly 10 trips per year generate fee revenue, while donations and grants from major institutional funders (Ford Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, California Endowment, Atlantic Philanthropies, Arca Foundation, among others) underwrite the rest of operations. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging a Joint Academic Council with Cuban health institutions, a board of public health deans and healthcare executives, and partnerships with PAHO, APHA, and CUGH. Distribution is direct enterprise: tailored group programs sold to universities, healthcare systems, research centers, and foundations rather than self-serve channels. Recent 2024 MoUs with the Cuban Academy of Sciences and the first high-level NIAID-IPK meeting since the Obama administration reflect MEDICC's broadening role from educational facilitator toward convener of formal bilateral scientific engagement.

The organization's underlying technology stack is minimal: a WordPress-based website, standard CRM/email for fundraising, and publishing infrastructure for MEDICC Review, with no proprietary AI, software platform, or API. Key sub-brands include MEDICC Review, MEDICC Gateways, CPHE, MD Pipeline to Community Service, the award-winning ¡Salud! documentary, and the Light for Life solar energy campaign for Cuban maternity homes (7 of 15 Havana installations completed as of April 2026). In March 2025, Dr. Teddie Potter was appointed Acting Executive Director following the retirement of founder Dr. C. William Keck.

Name

Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba

Legal name

Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba

Website

https://medicc.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

MEDICC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1997 in Oakland, California, that facilitates educational travel, academic exchange, and humanitarian programs between U.S. and Cuban health institutions, serving health professionals, medical schools, community organizations, and ELAM students through its Gateways travel, CPHE network, and MD Pipeline programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Global Health Education and Health Diplomacy

NAICS

Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Medical Missions & Global Health NGOs (BPAGACAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Maternal, Newborn, Child & Adolescent Health (MNCAH) Partnerships (HLAJAOAG), Humanitarian Health Coordination & Emergency Response Partnerships (HLAJAOAI)

Keywords

• Global health education
• Medical exchange programs
• Health diplomacy services
• Community health equity
• Humanitarian medical programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Oakland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Grants: MEDICC is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that relies on donations from individuals and institutional funders including foundations such as Ford Foundation, Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Rockefeller Foundation, and others listed on their affiliations page.
2. Gateways Travel Program Fees: MEDICC charges fees for organized group travel programs to Cuba, with pricing ranging from $3,300-$4,100 per person depending on accommodation preferences and itinerary.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

MEDICC facilitates U.S.-Cuba health collaboration through structured educational travel programs for U.S. health professionals (MEDICC Gateways), supports community health equity initiatives via the Community Partnerships for Health Equity (CPHE) network, and operates the MD Pipeline program that supports graduates of Cuba's Latin American Medical School in serving underserved U.S. communities. The organization also publishes the MEDICC Review open-access journal and produces humanitarian aid efforts.

Product overview

MEDICC (Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba) is a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of programs: the Gateways Travel Program for structured educational trips to Cuba; the Community Partnerships for Health Equity (CPHE) network supporting US community health leaders; the MD Pipeline to Community Service helping ELAM medical students with licensing, rotations, and residency; the open-access MEDICC Review academic journal; the award-winning ¡Salud! documentary film; and humanitarian initiatives including the Light for Life solar energy program for Cuban maternity homes and disaster response medical supply deliveries. The organization serves as an institutional bridge between US, Cuban, and global health institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MEDICC Review: Open-access, MEDLINE-indexed English-language journal publishing research by Cuban and other scholars from the Global South
• MEDICC Gateways
• Community Partnerships for Health Equity (CPHE)
• MD Pipeline to Community Service
• Light for Life

Products and services

• MEDICC Gateways Travel Program Structured educational travel program that brings U.S. health professionals, students, and faculty to Cuba to study the country's universal healthcare model and public health infrastructure. Designed for cohorts from U.S. medical schools, nursing schools, and public health programs seeking accredited or non-credit immersion experiences.
• Community Partnerships for Health Equity (CPHE) Network that supports community health equity initiatives across the United States by partnering with community-based organizations. Connects MEDICC's health diplomacy mission with domestic health equity outcomes for underserved populations.
• MD Pipeline to Community Service Program that supports graduates of Cuba's Latin American Medical School (ELAM) in obtaining U.S. medical credentials and placing them in primary care roles serving medically underserved U.S. communities. Addresses physician shortages while fulfilling service commitments.
• MEDICC Review Peer-reviewed open-access journal that publishes original research and analysis on Cuban and global health topics, freely available to readers worldwide. Serves as a thought-leadership platform for the global health equity community.
• ¡Salud! Documentary Documentary film produced by MEDICC that showcases Cuban medical training and the country's contributions to global health cooperation. Used for educational outreach and to amplify MEDICC's health diplomacy mission.
• Light for Life Solar Energy Initiative Initiative that provides solar energy infrastructure to support health facilities and communities, aligning energy access with health outcomes as part of MEDICC's broader health diplomacy work.
• Disaster Response Medical Supply Program Humanitarian program that coordinates the delivery of medical supplies and aid in response to disasters, leveraging MEDICC's Cuba-related networks and logistics capabilities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 3,000 health professionals and policymakers have participated in MEDICC programs since 1997
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Cuban Academy of SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024MEDICC and Cuban Academy of Sciences signed Memorandum of Understanding extending MEDICC's reach and relationships. Partnership involves collaborative programs and joint publications.
• National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024MEDICC co-sponsored NIAID-IPK conversations in Havana in 2024: 'Addressing Global Health Challenges Through Scientific Innovation and Biomedical Research'. First high-level meeting involving NIH and Cuban Public Health Ministry since Obama administration.
• University of Minnesota School of NursingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed ten research trips to Cuba for University professors, administrators and PhD students. MoU signed between University of Minnesota and Cuba's National School of Public Health facilitated by MEDICC.
• Pedro Kourí Tropical Medicine Institute (IPK)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration on arbovirus research, international courses on dengue, and scientific exchanges. IPK hosts MEDICC-supported delegations and participates in joint publications.
• Global LinkscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Global Links (Pittsburgh) to rush essential medical supplies to Cuban healthcare providers. Global Links has secured required U.S. government licenses for donations to Cuban healthcare providers and has been sending shipments for over 30 years.
• Planetary Health AlliancesupportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMEDICC Board Chair Gail Reed serves on Steering Committee of Planetary Health Alliance. Cubans participate in Caribbean Hub of the Planetary Health Alliance.
• Pan American Health Organization (PAHO)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMEDICC partners with PAHO in capacity-building programs and Cuban health institutions hold PAHO collaborating center status.
• National School of Public Health (Cuba)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCuban National School of Public Health provides faculty support for MEDICC Gateways programs. Co-chair of MEDICC's Joint Academic Council is Director of this institution.
• American Public Health Association (APHA)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMEDICC is affiliated with APHA; Cuban scientists participate in APHA annual meetings.
• Consortium of Universities for Global Health (CUGH)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerMEDICC is affiliated with CUGH for global health collaboration.
• 120+ U.S. Medical, Public Health, and Nursing SchoolscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOver 120 U.S. medical, public health and nursing schools participate in MEDICC programs including ELAM student support, Gateways trips, and academic exchanges.
• Institute for Cuba and Caribbean Studies (IFCO)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerIFCO provides details and applications for U.S. ELAM candidates on their platform.
• Roswell Park Cancer InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOnly joint venture between U.S. and Cuba in healthcare - clinical trials in the U.S. for novel therapeutic lung cancer vaccines developed at Cuba's Molecular Immunology Center.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Direct Relief: Major humanitarian medical aid organization providing medicines and supplies to health systems in need, including Cuba. Similar disaster response and Cuba engagement, but a much larger, more diversified operation.
• Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): International medical humanitarian organization providing emergency medical care in conflict and disaster zones. Comparable global health humanitarian mission, but much larger scale and field-clinic model differs from MEDICC's education and partnership focus.
• International Medical Corps: Global humanitarian organization delivering emergency relief, health care, and training in conflict and disaster settings. Comparable humanitarian health mission, though IMC operates field clinics and rapid-response teams rather than educational travel.
• Americares: Large U.S. health-focused humanitarian aid organization delivering medicines, medical supplies, and disaster response globally. Comparable in its humanitarian health and disaster response mission, but operates at much larger scale across many countries.

Direct peers

• Global Health Corps: Nonprofit that places young professionals in paid fellowships with health organizations in the U.S. and East Africa. Comparable to MEDICC in building cross-border health professional pipelines, though GHC focuses on paid fellowships rather than travel-based exchanges.
• Partners in Health: Nonprofit organization delivering health services and training in resource-poor settings with a strong focus on health equity and global health education. Highly comparable to MEDICC as a U.S.-based nonprofit bridging high-income and low-/middle-income country health systems, though PIH is much larger and clinically oriented.
• Global Links: Pittsburgh-based nonprofit recovering surplus medical supplies for distribution to under-resourced health systems, including in Cuba. A direct MEDICC partner for disaster response; comparable mission of channeling U.S. health resources to Cuban health providers.
• Child Family Health International (CFHI): Nonprofit facilitating global health immersion and experiential learning programs for students and professionals abroad. Directly comparable to MEDICC's Gateways model of structured educational travel for U.S. health professionals to learn from foreign health systems.

Others

• Pan American Health Organization (PAHO): WHO regional office for the Americas, working on public health across the region including capacity-building in Cuba. MEDICC is an affiliated partner of PAHO; PAHO is a multilateral institutional peer addressing hemispheric public health.

Emerging players

• Foundation for Advancement of International Medical Education and Research (FAIMER): Nonprofit focused on international medical education and workforce development, including support for international medical graduates. Comparable to MEDICC's MD Pipeline to Community Service in helping international medical graduates integrate into U.S. practice.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/mediccglobal
• YouTubeyoutube.com/mediccglobal
• Facebookfacebook.com/mediccglobal
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/medicc-medical-education-cooperation-with-cuba-
• Instagraminstagram.com/mediccglobal

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Medical Education Cooperation with Cuba