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Welcome to the Supporters of Athonite and Monastic Medicine – SAMM.

Realizing the importance of the Holy Mountain to the history and life of the Eastern Orthodox Church, a number of physicians in 2006/2007 wanted to offer up some assistance to our colleagues on the Holy Mountain who care for those who have given their lives completely over to Christ.  The SAMM effort is an expression of gratitude to those individuals whose prayers and fasting, we believe, sustain us, the Church, and the entire universe.

Our website is here to help SAMM support the medical community of the Holy Mountain, and their dependencies, in a very small, but significant way as outlined in wonderful detail in Fr. Ermolaos’ letter linked to the Communications page, and in our Mission and Vision statements.  In general, the government of Greece provides for most of the health care needs on the Holy Mountain including health insurance and local clinics.  Also, local friends, primarily from Greece, friends of the Monasteries, Sketes and Cells, often donate their time, expertise, and resources, such as direct medical care, medications and equipment to assist Athonite healthcare further. Additionally, each Monastery and Skete generally provides for their own patients (monastics, workers and visitors), each in their own unique way.

It seemed that there was not much more we could do to assist.

However,  in our clinics we use on-line evidence-based resources, such as Up To Date, many times each day to get rapid answers to care for our patients.  The thought occurred to offer our Athonite colleagues these same resources. This idea was met with their heartfelt enthusiasm and gratitude.  Hence, the birth of SAMM.

Each subscription of Up To Date costs approximately $600 per year with the VAT tax, and we are trying to sustain 4 subscriptions at present.  The cost of maintaining the website and other administrative tasks brings our annual budget to approximately $3000.  However, should we raise more funds, we can purchase subscriptions cheaper over time, by buying 2 or 3 years access at a time, instead of 1.  Also, intermittently textbooks are desired for those not on the web.  We are not yet a 501c3 organization so to receive a deduction you can write a check out to our local parish (please see donation page for details). However, if it is easier, we have created a PayPal button on the donation page for non-tax deductible donation.

We sincerely hope you enjoy visiting our website.  Please do consider a donation to help us obtain these valuable resources for our colleagues and brothers in Christ, who work so diligently on Athos to take excellent care of their patients, and doing so while being so far away from specialists, emergency rooms and hospital resources of their own, and managing often very sick patients in their extremely isolated settings.  We hope you become a regular part of our mission.

Please also keep SAMM in your prayers that this effort remain sustained and fruitful.

Welcome, and thank you!

SAMM