Solidarity Bridge
Solidarity Bridge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that delivers free surgical care and medical training to underserved patients in Bolivia and Paraguay through volunteer U.S. medical mission trips, funded by donations and in-kind equipment.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1999
- HeadquartersEvanston, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What Solidarity Bridge does
Solidarity Bridge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity founded in 1999 by Juan Lorenzo Hinojosa and Dr. Enrique Via-Reque to address limited access to surgical care in underserved populations of Bolivia and, more recently, Paraguay. Its core operating model is the surgical mission: teams of U.S.-licensed medical volunteers travel to partner hospitals where they perform free surgeries and conduct hands-on training alongside local clinicians. Programs include General Surgery, Heart Surgery (including a Pediatric Open Heart Surgery Program), Gynecologic Surgery, the Neurosurgery and Neurology Institute (NNI, inaugurated October 2021), the Pacemaker Program, and a Medical Equipping initiative that distributes donated supplies to partner facilities. Cumulative impact cited by the organization includes more than 30,000 patients served, 112+ surgical missions, 120+ South American medical partners, and over $48 million in donated equipment and supplies channeled since inception.
Solidarity Bridge firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Solidarity Bridge
- Legal name
- Solidarity Bridge
- Website
- https://solidaritybridge.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1999
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Solidarity Bridge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit founded in 1999 that delivers free surgical care and medical training to underserved patients in Bolivia and Paraguay through volunteer U.S. medical mission trips, funded by donations and in-kind equipment.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Solidarity Bridge industry classification
Industry- Product category
- International Medical Aid and Surgical Charity Services
- NAICS
- Voluntary Health Organizations (813212), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)
- SIC
- Services-Social Services (8300)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Service Learning, Volunteer & Community Engagement Trips (THAKAGAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid Volunteering (EDAIAGAF)
Keywords
Where Solidarity Bridge is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Evanston
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
Solidarity Bridge business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Individual and Foundation Donations: Accepts charitable donations from individuals and foundations to fund mission operations, medical equipment, and supply donations.
- In-Kind Medical Equipment and Supplies: Receives donated medical equipment and supplies from manufacturers and organizations (Medtronic pacemakers, Americares, MAP International, HSMO mesh supplies) which are distributed to partner hospitals.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Solidarity Bridge product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Solidarity Bridge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that partners with communities in Bolivia and Paraguay to provide free surgical care and medical training to underserved populations. It organizes surgical mission trips where U.S. medical volunteers work alongside local professionals to deliver surgeries and skills transfer, and it donates medical equipment and supplies to partner hospitals through dedicated programs covering general surgery, heart surgery, gynecologic surgery, neurosurgery/neurology, and cardiac pacemaker implantation.
Product overview
Solidarity Bridge operates as a medical charity organization providing surgical care and training through multiple specialized programs. The core offerings include General Surgery, Heart Surgery, Gynecologic Surgery, the Neurosurgery and Neurology Institute (NNI), and a Pacemaker Program. These programs are delivered through medical mission trips to Bolivia and Paraguay, combining direct patient care with training of local surgeons. The Medical Equipping program supports all surgical initiatives by providing necessary supplies and equipment. The organization also conducts Multi-Specialty Mission Trips that integrate multiple surgical disciplines. Key institutional partnerships include Puende de Solidaridad (Bolivia), collaboration with Medtronic for pacemaker donations, and relationships with U.S. academic medical centers including University of Wisconsin-Madison, Lurie Children's Hospital, and University of Colorado.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Neurosurgery & Neurology Institute (NNI): A program of Solidarity Bridge focused on neurosurgical and neurological care, housing initiatives in research, education, resource mobilization, and service for patients and practitioners in South America.
Products and services
- General Surgery Program Surgical mission trips providing general surgery procedures and training to Bolivian and Paraguayan surgeons, with focus on hernias, gastrointestinal conditions, and other abdominal surgeries. Free to low-income patients in partner hospitals.
- Heart Surgery Program Cardiac surgery services including pediatric open heart surgeries and adult cardiac procedures, addressing congenital heart conditions and Chagas disease-related cardiac complications in Bolivia and Paraguay.
- Gynecologic Surgery Program Surgical missions focused on gynecologic procedures including hysterectomies, treatment for fibroids, pelvic repairs, and gynecologic oncology interventions for low-income women in Bolivia and Paraguay.
- Neurosurgery and Neurology Institute (NNI) Comprehensive institute addressing neurotrauma, epilepsy, stroke, and neurosurgical conditions through training, research, resource mobilization, and direct patient care in Bolivia and Paraguay.
- Medical Equipping Donation and provision of medical equipment, supplies, and instruments to partner hospitals, including surgical tools, diagnostic equipment, and specialized neurosurgical instruments.
- Pacemaker Program Implantation of pacemakers for patients with cardiac arrhythmias, particularly those suffering from Chagas disease-related heart conditions, with ongoing lifetime follow-up care and monitoring.
- Multi-Specialty Mission Trips Comprehensive medical missions that bring multiple specialties together to provide care at partner hospitals, serving large numbers of patients across various medical disciplines during each trip.
Quantifiable outcome
- 30,000+ patients served
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Solidarity Bridge
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments1 record
Ideal customer profiles5 records
Solidarity Bridge technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Solidarity Bridge partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Puente de SolidaridadcoreBolivian sister organization that manages local operations, social worker support, and patient accompaniment. Key partner for all Bolivian programs.
- Medtronic / Medtronic FoundationcoreEssential partner in Pacemaker Program providing pacemaker donations and financial support. Nearly 1,500 pacemakers implanted through this partnership.
- Doctors Without Borders (MSF)coreCollaboration on Chagas disease treatment in Aiquile. MSF handles education and anti-parasitic treatment while Solidarity Bridge handles surgical needs of chronic Chagas patients.
- University of Wisconsin-MadisoncoreFormal training initiative launched December 2022 for neurosurgery residents of Bolivia and Paraguay. Over 20 UW-Madison neurosurgery faculty have presented lectures through virtual residency program.
- University of ColoradomajorCollaborative research study on pupillometry for non-invasive neuromonitoring and neuroanesthesia protocols.
- University of California-DavismajorResearch collaboration on neurotrauma registry and data collection at Hospital Santa Barbara.
- Stanford UniversitymajorCollaboration on neurotrauma training and research initiatives.
- TriMedX FoundationmajorBiomedical engineers who inspect and repair critical equipment at partner hospitals. Ongoing partnership for maintaining peri-operative technology.
- Rotary InternationalmajorCollaboration with local Rotary clubs for equipment donations including neurosurgical craniotome for Sucre hospital.
- Lurie Children's HospitalmajorHost for Bolivian social worker exchange program and source of volunteer chaplains and neurologists.
- TeleEEGmajorBritish nonprofit providing EEG equipment and training to public hospitals. Donated EEG machines to Santa Barbara Hospital neurology service.
- StrykermajorDonated neuro-endovascular supplies for stroke and aneurysm treatment at Hospital Nacional de Itaugua, Paraguay.
- Ministry of Health of ParaguaycoreFormal agreement of cooperation signed July 2023 for collaboration on neurosurgical and neurological care.
- Bolivian Pediatric SocietymajorPartnership for epilepsy training webinars. Dr. Tita Fernandez, President, helped organize training for 120+ pediatricians.
- Epilepsy Foundation of ColoradominorBoard member Kurt Florian supports epilepsy training through connections with the foundation.
- Catholic University Medical School in AsunciónmajorPartnership for establishment of microsurgery training laboratory in Paraguay.
- AmericaresmajorDonated medical supplies including specialized mesh for hernia surgeries.
- MAP InternationalmajorDonated medical supplies for surgical missions.
- Hospital Santa BarbaracorePublic hospital in Sucre, Bolivia - primary partner for neurosurgery and neurotrauma programs since 2019.
- Tiquipaya HospitalcoreHospital near Cochabamba, Bolivia - primary partner for multi-specialty surgical missions and general surgery.
- Hospital Nacional de ItauguacoreLargest public hospital in Paraguay - primary partner for neurosurgery program. Dedication of Solidarity Bridge operating room in 2022.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Solidarity Bridge competitors and assessment
Company assessmentOthers
- Americares: Major U.S. medical supply donor and humanitarian health organization that supplies Solidarity Bridge with surgical mesh and equipment. Adjacent rather than competing — functions as supplier/partner in the same ecosystem.
Direct peers
- ReSurge International: Provides reconstructive surgery and trains local surgeons in low- and middle-income countries. Closely comparable mission-trip-plus-training model with similar volunteer-driven surgeon engagement and partnership-based in-country program delivery.
- Health Volunteers Overseas: U.S.-based nonprofit that trains local health professionals in developing countries through volunteer educators. Comparable volunteer-driven health professional training and capacity-building model, though broader in scope than surgical care.
- Partners In Health: Large U.S.-headquartered medical nonprofit delivering surgery, training, and healthcare capacity-building in resource-poor settings. Direct functional peer in the global surgical access and accompaniment model Solidarity Bridge pursues in Bolivia and Paraguay.
- Children's Surgery International: Provides pediatric surgical missions and training in underserved countries. Comparable smaller-scope surgical mission nonprofit with similar U.S.-volunteer-plus-local-training operating model.
- Mercy Ships: Operates hospital ships delivering free surgery and training in developing countries. Comparable delivery model of concentrated surgical missions plus local professional training, though via floating platform rather than in-country hospitals.
- Esperança: Phoenix-based medical nonprofit that runs surgical mission trips specifically to Latin America (including Bolivia). Highly comparable regional focus, surgical mission delivery, and in-kind medical supply model.
Emerging players
- Heart to Heart International: Smaller nonprofit focused on cardiovascular care access in underserved regions. Comparable niche focus on cardiac interventions and pacemaker-related programs Solidarity Bridge runs in Bolivia.
Broad incumbents
- International Medical Corps: Large humanitarian medical NGO delivering healthcare in conflict and disaster settings globally. Broader and more emergency-focused, but overlaps on cross-border medical program delivery and government partnerships.
- Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): Global humanitarian medical organization and an actual Solidarity Bridge partner on Chagas disease work in Aiquile, Bolivia. Broader mission mandate but highly comparable field-delivery model for underserved populations.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Solidarity Bridge social profiles
Digital presenceSolidarity Bridge compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Solidarity Bridge financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Solidarity Bridge leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Solidarity Bridge funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Solidarity Bridge M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Solidarity Bridge
What does Solidarity Bridge do?
Solidarity Bridge is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit charity that partners with communities in Bolivia and Paraguay to provide free surgical care and medical training to underserved populations. It organizes surgical mission trips where U.S. medical volunteers work alongside local professionals to deliver surgeries and skills transfer, and it donates medical equipment and supplies to partner hospitals through dedicated programs covering general surgery, heart surgery, gynecologic surgery, neurosurgery/neurology, and cardiac pacemaker implantation.
Is Solidarity Bridge a public or private company?
Solidarity Bridge is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Solidarity Bridge founded?
Solidarity Bridge was founded in 1999. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Solidarity Bridge based?
Solidarity Bridge is headquartered in Evanston, United States, in the North America region.
How does Solidarity Bridge make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Individual and Foundation Donations are the primary driver. The others are in-Kind Medical Equipment and Supplies.
Who are Solidarity Bridge's main competitors?
Americares is listed as an others. Direct peers are ReSurge International, Health Volunteers Overseas, Partners In Health, Children's Surgery International, Mercy Ships and Esperança. Heart to Heart International is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are International Medical Corps and Doctors Without Borders / Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF).
Does Solidarity Bridge have an API?
No public API is recorded for Solidarity Bridge.
What industry is Solidarity Bridge in?
Solidarity Bridge's product category is International Medical Aid and Surgical Charity Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAKAGAF, Service Learning, Volunteer & Community Engagement Trips, with a secondary code of EDAIAGAF, Disaster Relief & Humanitarian Aid Volunteering. Its NAICS code is 813212 and its SIC code is 8300.