Julie Sundermeier & Donna Myers
- Pipeline Worldwide
- Aug 30
- 2 min read
Updated: Sep 3
Neonatal Nurse Practitioners
Julie Sundermeier and Donna Myers exemplify how healthcare professionals can transform their decades of expertise into sustained humanitarian impact that saves countless lives. As neonatal nurse practitioners, they have applied their specialized knowledge toward addressing one of the most critical healthcare challenges in Moyo: neonatal mortality.
These remarkable women travel with Pipeline Worldwide annually, providing hands-on neonatal training that directly impacts infant survival rates in Moyo. Their consistent presence year after year has created sustainable improvements in neonatal care practices, with their training contributing significantly to reducing neonatal mortality in the region. This ongoing commitment demonstrates that effective global health work requires sustained engagement rather than sporadic interventions.
Julie's continued connection with Nebraska Medicine has proven invaluable for Pipeline's equipment acquisition efforts. Through her advocacy, Nebraska Medicine is currently providing eight incubators to the NICU at Moyo General Hospital – sophisticated medical equipment that dramatically improves outcomes for premature and critically ill newborns.
Their partnership with Chris Wasswa, head NICU nurse in Moyo, showcases innovative approaches to continuing medical education through technology. When Chris uses his smart glasses during patient care, Julie and Donna provide real-time mentoring and consultation, enabling immediate knowledge transfer and quality improvement. This remote mentoring model creates ongoing professional development opportunities that would otherwise be impossible in such remote locations.
Beyond their clinical contributions, Julie and Donna demonstrate remarkable personal commitment by paying their own expenses to participate in annual trips and flying in each year to attend Pipeline's fundraising events. This financial investment in Pipeline's mission reflects their deep belief in the organization's impact and their willingness to support it beyond their professional contributions.
Their five-year partnership with Pipeline represents sustained commitment that has created measurable improvements in neonatal outcomes. They prove that retirement can mark the beginning of the most impactful phase of healthcare careers when expertise is channeled toward addressing global health disparities with dedication, consistency, and innovative approaches to knowledge sharing.
