The good Cornellians can do: Thomas G. Hedberg ’77

Thomas Hedberg '77 founded the International Medical Crisis Response Alliance (IMCRA), a nonprofit medical NGO, following the 2011 earthquake, tsunami, and radiation spill in Japan.

The mission of IMCRA is to share educational resources with healthcare professionals around the world during both human-made crises and natural disasters. The organization has also been affiliated with the UN as a consultative agency since 2021.

"Following initial efforts to provide medical aid in emergencies, many NGOs simply leave the site. IMCRA maintains an ongoing global telemedicine presence," Thomas says. He notes they've recently launched a new project, Prompt Intervention Volunteer Aid Tutorials (PIVAT), which "enables lay bystanders to download medically-vetted first aid instructions at the scene of an accident or injury, when trained medical help is unavailable."

As executive director, Thomas works with a global staff of 20, and 83 medical faculty—who help create and distribute short videos and other online resources, targeting specific problems healthcare workers can expect to face following disasters.

Most recently, he adds, this includes "assuring the accuracy of internet-borne medical data—particularly in under-developed nations."

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