About
Mercy Ships is a faith-based international charity that deploys hospital ships staffed by volunteer medical professionals to bring free, life-changing surgery and healthcare training to people in nations with little access to safe medical care. Founded in 1978 by Don Stephens, who purchased the organization's first ship, the Anastasis, and lived aboard for ten years, Mercy Ships has been serving people in need for more than 45 years. Its United States operations are headquartered in Garden Valley, Texas, and its work today focuses on nations along the African coast.
Mission
Mercy Ships describes its mission as following the 2,000-year-old model of Jesus, bringing hope and healing to the world's forgotten poor. Its vision is to use hospital ships to transform lives and serve nations, and it serves all people without regard for race, gender, or religion. The organization points out that globally, 5 billion people lack access to safe surgery, and that since over 50 percent of the world's population lives near a coast, ships are an effective way to reach people in need with state-of-the-art medical care.
What they do
Mercy Ships' floating hospitals enable volunteer surgeons and medical professionals to provide free surgical procedures in a safe, sterile environment with clean water, reliable electricity, and monitored care. Program areas include:
- Maxillofacial surgeries, healing cleft conditions and facial tumors where specialized surgery does not exist
- General surgeries, providing free corrective surgery for many conditions affecting children and adults
- Orthopedic surgeries, healing clubfeet and twisted limbs
- Plastic reconstruction, relieving painful disfigurements through specialized surgical interventions
- Eye care, addressing surgical eye needs where preventable blindness is widespread
- Women's health, oral health, mental health, and palliative care programs
Beyond direct care, Mercy Ships works to leave each host nation better equipped: it trains local healthcare professionals in techniques appropriate for their environments, provides new medical equipment, and collaborates with healthcare partners on constructing and renovating medical facilities.
The ships
The organization operates two hospital ships, the Africa Mercy and the Global Mercy. With both ships serving simultaneously, Mercy Ships says its current capacity has doubled. Crews have included volunteers from more than 60 nations, spanning doctors, nurses, technicians, teachers, physical therapists, and other support roles.
Scale and impact
Mercy Ships has been providing hope and healing since 1978. According to its 2023 filing summarized by ProPublica Nonprofit Explorer, Mercy Ships International (EIN 26-2414132) reported total revenue of about 155.1 million dollars, total expenses of about 145.7 million dollars, and year-end assets of about 252.4 million dollars for fiscal year 2023.
Governance
Mercy Ships is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit and a member of the ECFA, and states a commitment to financial transparency with annual reports and audits publicly available. Its leadership team includes Chief Executive Officer Dr. Michelle White, Board Chair Gary Brown, Chief Financial Officer Nick Adame, and International Chief Medical Officer Dr. Sherif Emil.