Our Story
Our Story

GRM was FOUNDED IN THE
HEAT OF BATTLE

It was 2017. In Iraq, the Battle of Mosul had been underway for months, and the civilian toll was catastrophic. Our founders, U.S. Marine veteran Pete Reed and EMT Derek Coleman, decided to act and formed an NGO to serve the world’s most vulnerable people in the midst of conflict, war, or disaster.

Our History

Making a difference on the front lines of humanitarian aid

Both Pete and Derek passed away far too young in 2023. But their selfless determination to deliver life-saving care on the front lines built an organization whose medical expertise, dedication, and passion for the sanctity of life have been seeded around the world. We honor and celebrate Pete and Derek, carrying their spark and strength with us wherever we go.

Today, Global Response Medicine (GRM) is an agile medical force working throughout the world. We are a dedicated team of veterans; EMS, fire, and wilderness personnel; healthcare providers and medical academics; humanitarians and logistics specialists; volunteers and donors—we’re all focused on a singular mission: save lives.

Our Founders

Pete Reed

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Derek Coleman

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medical personnel at work on patientdoctors giving children examsdelivering humanitarian aid
Don’t tell us we can’t

Our approach is about as simple as it gets: Don’t tell us we can’t. When lives are at stake, we will not accept the status quo. We gather our resources and deploy our best teams wherever the need is, providing rapid medical relief, clinical health services, and all the essential supports between. Wherever and whenever possible, we go beyond triage, offering training to bring about sustainable change so people and regions can own their safety and well-being.

There are terrific organizations doing critical response work all around the world. What’s different about GRM is our focus of working across disciplines, applying evidence-based principles from military, academic, and civilian medical spheres to ensure our response in high-risk, low-resource environments is as efficient and effective as possible.

With an ever-growing team and missions in 17 regions around the globe, we’ve come a long way from our founders’ determination to build something good out of the destruction in Mosul. Sadly, there’s no shortage of need, and our work will continue. But with everyone’s help, the capacity and reach of GRM continues to expand. Whether you’re a veteran or civilian, a volunteer or donor, join us, and together, we can make a difference on the frontlines of humanitarian aid.

Our Mission
Save Lives. Period.
Our Values
Impartial Care

We believe that everyone has the right to the best possible care on the worst day of their life. Our loyalty is to saving lives, period.

Evidence-Based Response

We combine academic emergency medicine, military medicine, and pre-hospital medicine to determine the most effective approach to delivering crisis care.

Devoted to Teaching and Learning

Whether at the bedside or in the classroom, we advance medical practice through teaching and idea exchange.

Veteran-Committed

Veterans bring knowledge and expertise to every area of our organization, from field operations to organizational development to leadership.

Everyone Comes Home

We operate ethically and responsibly as a dedicated team of volunteers and staff, keeping each other safe in high-risk environments.

Laser-Focused

Our focus is to get the job done by collaborating with on-the-ground partners and donors, deploying resources where they are most needed.

Selfless Service

We approach communities with humility, listening first and ensuring patients are treated with dignity and respect.

Our Team
Krystal Garvin
Interim Executive Director
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Andrea Leiner
Deputy Director & Chief Program Officer,
MSN, APRN FNP-BC
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Christina Wolfrom
Financial Officer
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Maggie Feldt
Volunteer Coordinator
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Dani Roessler
Development Associate
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Luke Sciulli
Operations Consultant
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Andres Diaz
Project Manager and Rapid Response Team
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Sam Bishop
Research Associate
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Zalala Ali
Project Manager, KRI
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Brendon Tucker
Project Manager, Reynosa
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Medical Direction Team
Dr. Scott Dunavant, FACEP
Senior Medical Director
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Dr. Joseph Leanza
Medical Director
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Dr. Mohanad Al Khaero
Medical Director & Country Director, Kurdistan & Iraq, Pediatrics
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Dr. Sage Myers
Medical Director, Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
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Dr. Steve Donnelly
Medical Director, Ukraine
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Board of Directors
Pete Reed
Founder
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Alex Potter
Board Member, Vice President
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Carlo Hodil
Board Member, Treasurer
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Coco Tang, US Army, NRP, CCP-C, CP-C, TC-P, ADMT, DICO
Board President
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Kevin Hazzard
Board Member
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Mark Bloemhard
Board Member
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Jeannie Kendall
Board Member
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Patients Served
Our Partners
Together we make an incredible team

The work we do would not be possible without the help from our partners and vendors around the globe.

AirLink is a rapid response humanitarian relief organization that connects airlines and pre-qualified non-profits to help communities in crisis.

Baby2Baby provides children living in poverty with diapers, clothing, and all the basic necessities that every child deserves.

Breyting is a passion for change.

Democratizing healthcare by making medical imaging available to everyone around the world.

Direct Relief works to equip health professionals in resource-poor communities to meet the challenges of diagnosing and caring for people in need.

EM:RAP has changed the game for emergency medical education.

Providing fast, open-source Electronic Medical Records systems for transient medical teams in order to promote data driven communication in low resource settings.

Fluenz‘s programs are about delivering a transformational learning experience. It’s about the magic of fluency and the moment in which an amazing tutor leads, engages and transforms the learner’s relationship with a new language.

GORUCK is a gear company founded on building the best, toughest rucking gear to equip the rucking revolution — we force multiply through training, Events, and GORUCK Clubs that empower real-world communities in service to something greater than themselves.

Health Tech Without Borders is a global non-profit organization aiming to mitigate healthcare crisis by leveraging digital tools and technology to provide immediate access to health resources.

Heart to Heart International is improving access to health.

Hippo provides courses for emergency medicine, a comprehensive pediatric emergency medicine curriculum, an outstanding AAPA review course for physician assistants as well as revolutionary RAP programs focusing on pediatrics, primary care, and urgent care.

Isabel supports medical professionals to reduce clinical uncertainty.

At LifeStraw, we believe everyone deserves safe drinking water. Our intent to meet this basic human need is what drives us to build our products.

LuminAID is an innovative inflatable solar lantern that packs flat, lightweight, and cost-effective to distribute quickly and efficiently. For ten years, they’ve worked with humanitarian partners across the world to send LuminAID lights to those who need them most.

North American Rescue seeks to fill the equipment gaps commonly encountered in the field of operation.

Massachusetts General Hospital, Global Health, driven by the belief that everyone, everywhere has a right to good health, partners with diverse communities to exchange life-saving ideas, catalyze scientific discoveries, deliver compassionate care, and train the next generation of leaders in global health.

MedGlobal is dedicated to a world without health disparity.

MEDMastery is an award-winning teaching method.

Medshare is improving the quality of life of people & our planet.

Mobile Pathways develops mobile phone technology to help immigrants navigate the legal immigration process.

Ragged Edge Solutions are the world’s foremost experts in special operations medicine and the pioneers of prolonged field care.

Improving the world, one clinical eConsult at a time.

The Society of Critial Care Medicine‘s mission is to support quality-based improvement initiatives and resources to support the multi-professional critical care team.

The goal of Solidarity Engineering is to better living conditions through the implementation of projects that address both physical and mental health.

Team-5 is a non-profit SOFMED veteran foundation that provides medical care in the most overlooked remote areas of the world.

Temple University Medical School Global Health is preparing the next generation of researchers, practitioners and clinicians to solve health’s complexities for a better tomorrow. Our thriving and diverse community is guided by a commitment to social justice and the belief that health is a human right.

Team Rubicon is a veteran-led humanitarian organization that serves global communities before, during, and after disasters and crises.

VESL is committed to projects that are rooted in ethical engagement with partners and communities. Fundamental to this is the belief that empowering local communities is essential to creating sustainable solutions.

Where Your Money Goes

We understand the importance of knowing
how the money you donate is being spent.

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GRM IS ALWAYS LOOKING FOR SKILLED, CARING PEOPLE

From EMTs and healthcare professionals to veterans and engineers, if you’re passionate about helping people, we want to hear from you.

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We are in Gaza and Ukraine.
HELP SAVE LIVES.

Yesterday, GRM founder Pete Reed and was killed in Bakhmut, Ukraine.

Yesterday, GRM founder Pete Reed was killed in Bakhmut, Ukraine. Pete was the bedrock of GRM, serving as Board President for 4 years. In January, Pete stepped away from GRM to work with Global Outreach Doctors on their Ukraine mission and was killed while rendering aid.

This is a stark reminder of the perils rescue and aid workers face in conflict zones as they serve citizens caught in the crossfire. Pete was just 33 years old, but lived a life in service of others, first as a decorated US Marine and then in humanitarian aid. GRM will strive to honor his legacy and the selfless service he practiced.

We fully support Pete’s family, friends, and colleagues during this devastating time.