Our History

In 1994, LaRelle Catherman, cofounder of MEDRIX, traveled to Hue, Vietnam to conduct research of Vietnamese parents’ understanding of home treatment for diarrhea, while also working alongside the Vietnamese physicians and nurses who routinely treated children with diarrhea. In emerging countries worldwide, diarrhea is a major cause of death for children 5 years old and younger. According to the World Health Organization and UNICEF, approximately 9,000 children worldwide die daily from diarrhea or diarrhea-related diseases, and 80% of these children live in Vietnam.

During the research it quickly became evident that most children suffer from diarrhea due to lack of safe water. Contaminated water sources and water borne diseases are at the root of many diseases worldwide. This is why Bob Catherman, cofounder of MEDRIX, a meteorologist, computer specialist, and businessman, took on the challenge to find a method of providing drinkable water.  He, along with many MEDRIX volunteers, began collaborating with United States and Southeast Asian provincial leaders to develop an affordable, maintainable, and sustainable water treatment system.

By 1997, teams of US volunteers started traveling to Vietnam providing medical resources, medical and English education, health clinic refurbishments, and water treatment resources. In 2000, the MEDRIX Board of Directors and Advisory committee were officially formed and in November 2002, MEDRIX received official NGO (Non-Government Organization) Licensure to operate in Vietnam. Presently, volunteer physicians, nurses, health educators, water specialists, native English speakers, and others are joining MEDRIX to make a difference in Vietnam.