Just email us at info@boneem.org
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Medical Company, IDK (further referred to simply as IDK) is a private medical facility/surgical center located in Samara, Russia---and one of only a small handful of private medical centers in the entire country . Let's look at it's founder, history, and the direction in which IDK is moving.

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ABOUT THE FOUNDER OF IDK

IDK was founded by Dr. Vladimir Karnouch. Vladimir is one of Russia's top urologic surgeons and a front runner in fertility research. He has exhibited incredible brilliance in developing IDK. His wife is also a doctor (non-surgical) and his daughter is presently enrolled in the medical university preparing for a future in medicine. This center has been born and developed due to Vladimir's vision, patience, wisdom and faith. Please keep reading to learn more. . .

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HISTORY OF IDK

IDK started out in the late 1980's with "bartered" facilities, few resources, and a dream. In a country that operates on a system of socialized medicine, a private practice was unheard of. It was located on the third floor of a three floor building owned by the railway. In all, the floor contained about a dozen or so rooms that were organized primarily as exam rooms, several rooms for labs and a few offices. Vladimir was the chief of surgery at the railway hospital in Samara and due to his relationship with the railway, was allowed to perform his surgeries in their facilities. The agreement was that in exchange for his no-cost services to the women who worked with the railway and metro, he could have the third floor to build his medical practice.

Fast forward to the mid-1990's. Parastroika opened the door for privatization in Russia and through the early 1990's Vladimir established some very intelligent relationships with some large American medical supply companies---the most significant of which was Johnson and Johnson. In exchange for Vladimir's "services" of representing J&J products and equipment to Russia, J&J agreed to "support" Vlad's work not with money but with equipment and supplies. Through this relationship he obtained a number of basic components needed to supply his exam rooms and administrative offices. Additionally, By the mid-1990's Vladimir had several doctors working on his staff, as well as more than a few support staff.

The building in which Vladimir was working had only his practice in occupancy. The other two floors of the building were no longer in use by anyone. In 1997, after months (if not several years) of red tape and approvals and . . . IDK was granted title to the entire building. Now the dream had room to grow. IDK was still providing exam services for free to metro employees but now could also develop services much further---the prime part of which was the desire to open a surgical center.

Most Russians can not afford private medical care. Medical insurance, for the most part, doesn't exist---and what does exist, doesn't function in any way resembling what we are accustomed to here in the US. IDK's prime focus was female care and fertility, however, expanding those services was underway. Some examples of how this center funded its development included $8 gynecological exams, $15 ultrasounds (on very old but functional equipment), and various surgeries performed at equally low rates. IDK began further developing its client base beyond the metro employees.

With credit virtually non-existant in Russia, starting a business of any kind is normally a cash transaction. Vladimir would save and then "buy" the next phase of his dream---save and buy, save and buy. He was able to develop creative relationships with suppliers from several countries to include Japan and Germany thus enabling him to advance IDK's development a bit faster. The hard part was where to find the cash to completely gut the second floor of a concrete building and install a small surgical facility on par (as much as possible) with western facilities and technology.

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CURRENT AND FUTURE WORK OF IDK

One step at a time over a period of about two years, Vladimir succeeded in bringing his dream to fruition. The result is a 16 bed, three O.R. surgical facility---and it is awesome to see. To support that surgical floor he now has a small pharmacy, over 100 on staff, 5 surgeons, and a full kitchen and lunch room both for patient meals and staff use. Surgeons are paid on average of $250/mth and staff nurses and administrative people $40-100/mth, IDK has become a land mark on Samara's list of prized developments. They perform urologic, gynecologic, orthopedic, spinal and general surgery and they have people from all over Russia who are beginning to hear of their work and come for their services. Vladimir has hosted medical professionals and surgeons (some of which have been solicited & coordinated by Boneem International) for the purpose of training not only his staff but other medical professionals throughout Russia.

Since there were no other private practices the size of IDK in Russia, finding models of how to structure the practice were obtained by several short trips Vladimir made to the USA. Although there are still some rough spots administratively, Vladimir has seen a miracle unfold before his eyes. As one of few Christian businessmen in the Russian economy, Vladimir has sought to exercise the highest levels of integrity in his business and medical relations. He also has sought to give something back to his society---something not often found in that culture.

For all of its wonderful advancements, IDK still has some very great needs and is in need of western support---and Boneem has worked to provide as much as possible. Why? Vladimir has not only worked to develop IDK, but at times he gives away as much as he takes in. He is a very gracious, humble man who has seen the plight of alcoholism, the suffering of those with terminal diseases and no medications or "hospice" type care, and the lack of clean facilities for those in need of urgent medical care, and more. In response he has reached out and offered a huge portion of IDK resources to many of these needs.

The primary "charity" service that he provides is that of hosting and supporting the work and the patients of Samara Hospice. You will learn more about Samara Hospice in a minute but for now let's just look at what IDK provides. It provides several beds (at no charge) for patients with end-stage terminal illnesses. He provides, to the best of his resources, medications to help ease discomfort. He has provided substantial office space, has hospice nurses on his payroll, and he is a spokesman for the work of the agency.

Additionally, Vladimir, with his clout in the community, has done a lot to help further the education of the community on the need for and work of 12 Step recovery groups working in the Samara Region. Vladimir's wife, Marina (also a doctor and a teacher at the local medical university) is a key person in the work of Samara Hospice and has substantial input into the development of 12 Step groups in the Region and she was also the driving force behind getting Samara Hospice up and running.

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WHAT IS SAMARA HOSPICE?

Okay, we just spent some time learning about IDK, let's move on and learn about an agency that we have already referenced, Samara Hospice. Samara Hospice really started back in about 1993 as a vision in the mind of Dr. Marina Shampanskaya (wife to Vladimir Karnouch). The early efforts to begin a hospice outreach were challenging at best. During Boneem's early work in Samara, Marina and Boneem's Director made a number of presentations to city and regional government officials in an effort to help them see the need, as well as to help them see how this kind of work could be supported indigenously.

While those proposals were meeting largely with rejection, Marina continued to advance her own understanding of palliative care. Over the next couple of years Boneem was able to organize several hospice and home health care nurses to Samara and to partially share in the sponsorship of a young South African hospice nurse who stayed in Samara for nearly a year trying to help develop the work. The visits to Samara by these nurses were relatively high profile even meeting with television coverage on one occasion. Additionally, Marina was able to secure sponsorship to go to South Africa to an international convention of Hospice organizations, at which she developed her knowledge even further.

Convinced that this type of care was essential in her country, but meeting with rejection at official levels, Marina began forming a small group of medical volunteers (an incredible rarity for Russia) from within the small Christian community in her city. Utilizing whatever resources they could get their hands on, sometimes nothing more than comforting words, they began to touch the lives of those with end stage terminal illnesses.

Throughout the next four years seeds continued to be planted and watered with area officials. Additionally, Marina made a trip to the US in 1994 (hosted by Boneem) to review medical practices in several different venues here, as well as to obtain further information on operating a hospice-type work. Finally, in 1997 and 1998, with the formation of new laws in Russia which established an identity for non-profit type agencies, Samara Hospice began to advance. Ultimately in September of 1998, Samara Hospice formally organized as a Russian charitable agency. At that time there were only several hospice outreaches in the entire country---so this was truly a pioneering effort. In May of 2000 Marina came to the USA again and met with grand applause and support from those in the American medical care community and many were greatly impressed with and willing to help with the development of the work of Samara Hospice.

Perhaps the crowning achievement thus far for Marina and Samara Hospice is the development and publication of the first handbook on palliative care in Russian. Through Boneem, the Virginia Society of Medical Assistants provided financial support to see the first edition get into print. Not only is Samara Hospice reaching the people of Samara but they are working to educate the rest of their county on palliative care as well.

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WHY IS BONEEM INVOLVED WITH IDK & SAMARA HOSPICE?

Several reasons underlie Boneem's support of these two agencies.

1. Because of IDK's philosophy of "giving back", Boneem seizes on every opportunity available to coordinate surgical exchanges, administrative exchanges, and humanitarian supply deliveries to this agency. We recently had Vladimir here in the USA for two weeks speaking to hospital staff and administrators, learning about how to better structure his surgical facility, learning about new concepts (new for Russia) in medical administration and protocols, as well as looking into equipment that could possibly find practical use in his facility. Further, thanks to the support of the Virginia Society of Medical Assistants and Bryant and Stratton College, located in Richmond, VA., Boneem has even secured the rights to translate a 13 tape video series designed to train medical assistants---a "title" that doesn't presently exist in Russia (and Bonem still needs financial resources to complete this project). Vladimir and the folks at IDK are innovators---they are humanitarians and they greatly desire to be the best at what they do by giving and receiving from supporters such as you. They are worthy of your support.
   
   
2. Because of a view by Samara Hospice that every life is worth comforting, this agency provides all of their care AT NO COST to the recipients. Most of the people Hospice serves are in a position where they are having to choose between food or medicine, and in many cases there just isn't any medicine available.
   
   
3. Each dollar of support given to these agencies seems to multiply in the adept hands of those administrating those resources. You will find very few agencies that can obtain as much "bang for the buck" as these two.
   

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IDK's AND SAMARA HOSPICE's VIEW OF LIFE

During the communist rule of Russia, atheism was promoted in all education and all areas of life. As research has shown and as history has shown, the existence of a person's spiritual nature is quite real and quite needy. IDK and Hospice, although not religious agencies, understand the need of recognizing patients' spiritual hunger. Instead of shutting off these needs or tuning them out, both of these agencies encourage ministering to patients' spiritual needs also. Much of the world through 12 Step organizations, through hospice care, and through houses of faith and worship, has come to realize that recovery, comfort and peace of mind find direct links to the nurturing of an individual's spiritual nature. Again, these are not religious agencies, but in a country where such a view has never been taken, these are bold stands for both of these agencies to take---and the results speak for themselves.

Also, connected to this view is the view that each human being is valuable just because of their humanity. This Christian view is quite antithetical to Marxist-Leninist philosophy which still stands as the principle tenant in many if not most educational foundations within Russia. All of Boneem's work has incorporated the Christian view of life. Program development and material design by Boneem has contributed to such fields as family relations, substance abuse recovery and, of course, medical and hospice care. As a note, the medical university located in Samara even requested Boneem support in designing and establishing one of the first supervised clinical programs in any Russian medical university. In the midst of this work the concept of a chaplaincy program took root and even now continues to grow with a number of Russian medical facilities beginning to acknowledge the spiritual hunger and spiritual questions that are in-born into every human being.

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HOW IDK SUPPORTS HOSPICE

1. Provides extensive office space and meeting room for Hospice staff.
   
   
2. Provides several beds in IDK's facility, without charge, for end stage terminal patients.
   
   
3. Provides medications (as available) at no charge to Hospice patients.
   
   
4. Maintains several Hospice employees (Hospice has a staff of 15-20) on IDK payroll. The average Samara Hospice employee earns about $40/mth for full time work.
   
   
5. Is providing the real estate and administrative oversight to help Samara Hospice build the first facility totally dedicated to hospice care. The architectural mock up (see photo under Samara Hospice Needs) shows how impressive this facility will be in its function, simplicity and cost.
   

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EXCHANGE OPPORTUNITIES WITH IDK & HOSPICE

There are several very exciting and rewarding short term (two to four weeks) opportunities available, as well as a need for some "tag-team" workers. Tag-team workers would consist of two or three teams of 3 or 4 people each. Each team would serve a two to four week term, however, their work would be a component part of the team coming before and after them. In this way, IDK and Hospice can have the benefit of a longer term "resident" while only requiring the US volunteers to give up a couple weeks each to make it happen. Please look for this opportunity spelled out further in the final section of this page dealing with NEEDS.

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THE NEEDS OF SAMARA HOSPICE AND IDK (please request our video)

(Please keep in mind that all donations through Boneem are tax deductible.)

IDK NEEDS:

1. Close to $300,000 to help payoff equipment cost associated with the development of IDK's surgical center. Several essential pieces of equipment were secured through creative financing from Japan and Germany. The income at IDK is presently enough to maintain the facility but not enough to make the large payments necessary to payoff these debts in a timely fashion. Without this debt the Center would have a tremendous burden lifted.
   
   
2. A C-arm Xray machine.
   
   
3. Various types of medical supplies and other equipment (to include surgical supplies)---especially bedside monitors for use in their five bed recovery room.
   
   
4. Finances to obtain motorized beds. Presently, of the 26 or so beds throughout the facility only one is motorized (and this one is dedicated to the use of Samara Hospice). IDK can obtained these from a European manuafacturer for about $2000 each. OR, if there is an American facility willing to donate a dozen beds or more, we will work to arrange shipping to Samara.
   
   
5. Funds for OR donation of a commercial washing machine and a commercial clothes press. All washing for a 100 person staff is presently done in a couple small washing machines and ALL ironing is done by a young lady who stands every day for 8 hours and hand irons every sheet and every gown.
   
   
6. IDK has an urgent need for a couple hospital or surgical group administrators to come over and help IDK refine (and in some cases, establish) structures for everything ranging from financial accounting, personnel management, P&L, procedural manual development, and more. IDK can cover all in-country costs but those volunteering (or their companies) will need to cover the cost of transportation to get there. Oh, but what a wonderful cause it is for.
   
   
7. IDK especially welcomes surgeons who specialize in urology, spinal surgery & gynecological procedures. They can organize training sessions for not only their own staff but for surgeons from state run facilities as well. The cost of travel must be borne by either a sponsoring agency (i.e. J&J or Olympus, or other medical companies to include the employing agency of the surgeon) or by the individual him/herself. All in-country expenses will be carried by IDK. Surgical exchanges are usually for a period of 4-7 days understanding that for most surgeons it is quite difficult to be away longer than that.
   
   
8. O.R. managers are being sought as well. IDK combines office-visit type facilities with their small surgical center. The surgical center has special needs of its own and someone who is well versed in O.R. structure and management is desperately sought for a 2-3 week exchange. Cost consists of airfare, visa fees, travel insurance, and some miscellaneous expenses. Cost is approximately $1500-$1800.
   
   
9. The second floor surgical center has an air purification system in place but it is an old, jury-rigged AC system from an old Russian barracks. It has a seven-filter system in place to help eliminate as much dust and dirt as possible but finances for or the donation of a quality air purification system would be extremely welcomed.
   
   
10. About $4000 to translate and produce the Russian version of Delmar's Medical Assisting Video Series entitled "Administrative and Clinical Procedures". These will be the FIRST materials of their kind to be introduced into Russian medical work.
    
    

SAMARA HOSPICE NEEDS: (please request the video on Samara Hospice)

1. Another $25,000 to enable construction to take place to build their first "module" for hospice care. The long range plan is for several modules (these are two floor, concrete structures), each one housing four hospice beds, a small kitchen, a bath, a porch, a central courtyard, and four offices in the upstairs rooms. Where in our country could this type of facility be constructed for $25K - $30K??
   
   
2. Specific medical supplies to include stoma bags, catheters, dressings, salves, Tylenol, rubber gloves, and commitments of equipment and furnishings to fill the new hospice facility they hope to have someday. If possible, when donating supplies, please consider a financial gift also, realizing that there is always cost associated with shipping supplies to Russia.
   
   
3. Once the new facility has been built Hospice will be in a better position to host foreign hospice workers willing to come over on exchange to share information and to "globally network".
   

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AS ALWAYS, BONEEM NEEDS UNDESIGNATED FINANCIAL GIFTS ALSO TO HELP COVER THE COST OF SHIPPING DONATED SUPPLIES AND PAYING INCIDENTAL EXPENSES ASSOCIATED WITH RUNNING A CHARITY.

WHAT CAN BONEEM --- AND YOU --- DO TO HELP?

1. Be sure to request a copy of our video on IDK and Samara Hospice. A picture is worth a thousand words.
   
   
2. Contact us for more details about the specific area in which you believe you can help. We will walk you through more specifics of what can be expected.
   
   
3. Every dollar given and every supply donated through Boneem is eligible for tax deduction credit.
   
   
4. Boneem will manage all matters regarding obtaining official invitations, securing visas and arranging travel both internationally and in-country. For those wishing to see Moscow going in or coming out we can even arrange for a one or two day stay over in Moscow to give you a chance to see that spectacular city. Other than that, you can be confident that in a two week period you will probably work 15 hour days and conduct more meetings and speak to more people in multiple venues than you could ever imagine possible. These are indeed working trips. . . Won't you join us???
   
   

HOW TO SUPPORT BONEEM INTERNATIONAL

In addition to Medical Company, IDK and Samara Hospice, Boneem is seeking donors willing to give undesignated contributions. As always, we are willing to accept designated gifts for any of the projects and programs that we have listed on this site. Presently, over 95% of Boneem's present support comes in designated for specific projects. This is a good thing in some ways; however, it does make it very difficult for Boneem to tend to some of its "incidental" expenses (i.e. annual fees to the State Corporation Commission, maintaining a web site, storage space rental for humanitarian supplies, etc) or to expand its capabilities. Presently, even Boneem's office space is donated, but that may not always be the case.

We welcome your gifts in any form. If you would like to give on-line, please just click on the Helping.org icon on this page. Your credit card donation will be conducted through a secure transaction and your donation will be direct deposited to Boneem's account. If you would like to know more about Helping.org please visit www.guidestar.org (where, by the way, Boneem also has a listing). Guidestar hosts one of the largest available listings of public charities. If you have questions you would like to submit directly to us, please send us an email at info@boneem.org

If you would like to give directly to Boneem, please feel free to forward your check to us at the following address. We thank you for your support and your input.

Boneem International
P. O. Box 36260
Richmond, VA 23235
Phone: 800-475-6963
Fax: 804-897-1160

If you would like to make Boneem the beneficiary of an insurance policy or endowment gift, please contact us directly. We would most certainly welcome such generosity.

If you own your own business and you would like to add an employee to your payroll---an employee for Boneem International---please contact us directly and we will map out how your commitment to a specified period of support (i.e. two years) could greatly help Boneem move toward having a full time staff person. We have a Russian national we would like to hire. We only need now to secure funds to sponsor her postion.

If you have unused cemetery property in a NON city-owned, perpetual care park in your area or city, and you would be willing to donate those arrangements to Boneem, please contact us for information.

If you have real estate that you would like to make available to Boneem for use or for re-sale, please contact us directly.

All donations are acknowledged immediately. Additionally, at the end of each year Boneem sends out a year-end summary of donations received during that year. Boneem operates on a calendar year.

One note on Boneem finances---after a year or two of "rest" in an effort to structure Boneem more effectively so the administrative responsibilities of the agency would be better distributed among its volunteers---Boneem is once again operating in an affirmatively upward mode. Just in the past year Boneem's receipts have gone from $9K to over $64K plus tens of thousands of dollars in medical supplies and humanitarian aide. Won't you help in Boneem's efforts to reach a needy world?

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