Scalpel At The Cross

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Scalpel At The Cross

Scalpel At The Cross is a ministry of medical and surgical care to the Peruvian people and to the missionaries who serve them. www.scalpelatthecross.org

The goal of Scalpel At The Cross is to support and amplify on-going Christian ministries within the country of Peru. The addition of this orthopaedic medical ministry offers much needed aid to an area with a long history of poverty and injustice. The specific location of the Scalpel At The Cross medical ministry is the city of Pucallpa, which lies in the Department of Ucayali near the western border of Brazil. This burgeoning town is now home to nearly 300,000 Peruvians. In contrast to Lima, which does have modern, colonial areas, this jungle town is a continuous maze of cramped, subsistence housing and dusty, open-air markets. Very little substantial industry exists in Pucallpa today. Most people are laboring to earn a living by subsistence farming, artisan craftwork or as small shop owners or mototaxi drivers. For these reasons, many medical needs are currently not being met. By offering much needed orthopaedic consultation and surgical care, Scalpel At The Cross hopes to improve the lives of these individuals and touch their hearts for Christ.

02/22/2026

Five miles outside of Pucallpa, along the shores of Lake Cashibococha, sits Jungle Bunks — our home base during every medical campaign and beyond.

This lodge accommodates approximately 16 volunteers and is connected by a 300-meter boardwalk that winds through the jungle canopy, linking to additional storage and lodging spaces where preparation, prayer, and community unfold each day.

From jungle pathways to sustainable restoration, this is where healing is taking root for generations to come. 💛 🦥

02/20/2026

What does it feel like to arrive in Pucallpa for a Scalpel At The Cross surgical campaign?

PART 1 of 3: In this video, one of our core volunteer scrub techs, Anne Carpenter, takes you into the journey of stepping off the plane into the heart of the Amazon to preparing for clinic and triage day, where countless patients wait with tremendous hope.

Volunteers work to triage patients, evaluate injuries, and prayerfully discern which cases are most urgent and appropriate for surgery. Patients often come to Scalpel with traumatic injuries, congenital deformities, or complications from prior procedures. These are often complex cases that our team members and Peruvian partners are uniquely equipped to tackle together.

This is not medical tourism. It is a long-term commitment rooted in partnership, elevating a community through skilled patient care, deep compassion, robust education, and faith in action.

02/18/2026

This is what orthopaedic trauma looks like when access to timely, high-quality care is absent. Not just pain—but generational loss.

Through decades of sustained work in the Peruvian Amazon, Scalpel At The Cross has shown that this trajectory can be changed. By pairing surgical excellence with outcomes tracking and long-term local partnership, their model has demonstrated measurable impact—recognized through peer-reviewed publications in the Journal of Bone and Joint Surgery.

The data is clear.
The solution is proven.
The question now is scale.

Explore the full listing of publications and peer-reviewed literature through the link in our bio or story—and see how impact is translated into accountability at https://scalpelatthecross.org/articles/

02/13/2026

What a night!

To our Miami friends, our loyal Scalpel family, those who traveled, our table sponsors, and those who couldn’t attend but supported from afar through the online auction, prayer, and countless other ways—we are so incredibly grateful.

Our 4th Annual Gala was a beautiful success because of the collective effort of every single person who made it possible. The evening left us with a palpable sense that we are stepping into an exciting new era of Scalpel. It was an honor to share the need that the Miracle Campus will help fulfill—building continuous, comprehensive care in the Peruvian Amazon. We were equally encouraged to highlight the faithful dedication of our U.S. and Peruvian team members, who are perhaps impacted just as deeply as they impact others. Those in attendance also had the opportunity to hear and see the powerful testimonies of our patients in their own words—an experience more moving than we can fully express.

Listening to the encouraging message from Mark Richt was truly the icing on the cake. His personal reflections on his medical journey and the way it strengthened his faith stirred our hearts and reminded us that generosity rooted in purpose creates a lasting legacy.

Most of all, it was special to be united in one room—hearts aligned in celebration of a mission that began small and is now growing in ways only the Lord could orchestrate.

We could not do this work without you, and we are deeply thankful for your partnership with Scalpel—financially, practically, spiritually, and in every other way.

Until next time 🤍

02/06/2026

PASSING THE SCALPEL - A REGIONS TRAINEE LEGACY

Dr. Chris Chermside-Scabo’s journey with medical missions began in high school, when his first trip to Peru opened his eyes to the profound lack of access to care so many people face. He returned home with a promise—that one day, he would come back with more to offer.

That promise came full circle last April, when Chris joined a surgical campaign with Scalpel At The Cross.

Serving alongside fellow University of Minnesota trainees mentored through Dr. Peter A. Cole, MD, Chris became part of a living legacy—five generations of surgeons integrating global service into their training. Working together in limited-resource settings, the team relied on creativity, humility, and shared purpose while caring for patients whose stories continually remind us why this work matters.

One patient in particular, a young boy named Cliver with bilateral clubfeet, left a lasting impact. His condition—preventable with early access to care—reveals how deeply inequities can shape a person’s future, and why the Miracle Campus represents hope for long-term change through prevention, rehabilitation, and education.

For Dr. Chris, serving with Scalpel is both a privilege and a responsibility to carry forward a legacy of mentorship, faith, and service that heals not only bodies, but futures.

👉 Read more about Chris’s perspective, Cliver’s story:https://scalpelatthecross.org/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/SCALPEL-NSLTR_FALL_2025.pdf

02/02/2026

The Healing Hearts & Bones Silent Auction is now LIVE!

We’re thrilled to invite you to bid on an incredible collection of high value experiences and memorabilia—all in support of the mission of Scalpel At The Cross.

Featured Auction Items:
🇵🇪 Peru Impact Immersion Trip for Two (two available)
🏈 Signed Miami Hurricanes Football (by Coach Mark Richt)
🪖 Signed Miami Hurricanes Helmet (by Coach Mark Richt)
🙌 Signed Miami Hurricanes Jersey (by Coach Mark Richt)

How to Participate:
💻 Browse the auction and explore the items
✍️ Create an account and place your bid
⏰ Bidding is open now and closes February 7 at 8:00 PM ET
👀 Watch your favorites—all items remain live until closing

Don’t worry if you can’t make it to the gala—this auction is open to everyone! Every bid helps make life-changing care possible.

Thank you for being part of this mission! 💚 Start bidding here: https://bit.ly/SATCgalaauction

01/28/2026

Team Scalpel is safely back home, each member reunited with their loved ones! This campaign stood as a living testimony that nothing is impossible for our Lord. From the most complex cases to logistical curveballs, He truly went before the team each step of the way.

Through the faithful prayers of our Prayer Posse and tremendous supporters, every team member made it home—despite cancellations, reroutes, new tickets, unexpected landing points, and even a bus ride with chains from Houston to Oklahoma City! It required creativity, patience, and trust!

Over the course of the campaign, there were 39 cases performed —primarily complex upper-extremity trauma and pediatric operations, along with acute trauma treated using SIGN nails and revision malunion and nonunion surgeries. Healing unfolded not only in operating rooms, but in hospital halls and in hearts.

From the heart of the jungle to winter roads back home, thank you for walking this mission with us. We couldn’t do this without you!🙏

Address

Miami, FL
33255

Telephone

+13059224486

Website

http://www.scalpelatthecross.org/

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