​Dr. Peter Killcommons is a successful entrepreneur and volunteer pilot for disaster-response missions. He delivers medical aid to people in Afghanistan, Honduras, and Pakistan. Renowned philanthropist Pete Killcommons MD donated a solar thermal system to the surgical unit of the Nangarhar University Teaching Hospital in Afghanistan. Dr. Peter Killcommons has a keen interest in solar power and photovoltaic (PV) technology.

Photovoltaic technology is powered by photovoltaic solar energy, obtained by converting sunlight to electricity using PV materials and devices. The process of this conversion is referred to as the photoelectric effect. It refers to how a PV cell absorbs photons (beams of light) and converts them into electrons.

PV cells are semiconductor materials usually made out of different types of silicon and sometimes an even thinner semiconductor material. Each PV cell is relatively small in size, generating about 1 or 2 watts of power. To effectively utilize PV cells in solar PV technology, the cells must be protected on each side by protective materials like glass or plastic. To increase the power output of the PV cells, the cells are connected and formed into larger units called modules.

​As CEO of Medweb, Peter Killcommons is working to provide efficient telecommunications in the field of medicine to thousands of people worldwide. Peter Killcommons uses telemedicine to provide communication and data security both for people at home and those in the middle of disaster sites and warzones.

Telemedicine, also known as telehealth, is one strategy that can be used when there are significant barriers between a doctor and a patient. It may be that a doctor is separated from the patient by many miles, causing the patient to be physically unable to make the journey to be diagnosed. In these instances, technology can be used to bridge the gap. Where possible, this manifests in imaging software, online conferences, and secure data storage to help a doctor and patient communicate and keep their confidentiality intact.

In the developing world where technology is more limited, technology that a smartphone user would consider outdated has recently come to the forefront, including feature phones that predate smartphones. These simpler, more compact and durable devices are valuable in a disaster response situation where simple but effective communication between frontline doctors is key. Where smartphones would be considered fragile in the context of a disaster site or warzone, a feature phone can be connected to a crowdsourced SMS network to facilitate the effective communication that medics and doctors need.

A San Francisco, California resident, Peter Killcommons graduated from the New York Medical College and holds a doctor of medicine. Peter “Pete” Killcommons serves as CEO of Medweb. He is interested in expanding telemedicine to treat more people throughout the world.

Telemedicine dates back to the 20th century though it only evolved and became more popular in the 21st century. Telemedicine enables doctors and healthcare facilities to communicate and oversee patients far away from the location. Through telemedicine, more people can get treated as they no longer have to come to a hospital to get a consultation, and they can stay in the comfort of their homes. This can facilitate the relationship between the patient and a doctor as people can feel safer at home. By staying home, people can also avoid developing some conditions and diseases that they may get from other patients in a hospital.

It is also cost-effective as no more resources are put into transport. Patients can communicate with doctors more often in this way as they can just schedule a meeting when they have the time instead of taking time off from work.

An expert in the field of telemedicine and teleradiology, Peter “Pete” Killcommons has served as the chief executive officer for San Francisco-based MedWeb since 1992. In addition to leading the company’s telemedicine, radiology, and disaster response divisions, Peter Killcommons is a member of the board of directors with the International Virtual Electronic Hospital.

Headquartered in Arlington, Virginia, the International Virtual e-Hospital (IVeH) Foundation was created with the mission of building a public health care system in developing countries. Currently, the foundation relies on a team of volunteers working to establish a regional telemedicine network and virtual education network in the Balkans. Through the “Initiate, Build, Operate, and Transfer (IBOT)” strategy, the IVeH created a successful telemedicine program in Kosovo, and recently created the Kosovo College of Surgeons.

Collaborating with local health authorities and surgical organizations, the IVeH created the College of Surgeons with the intention of unifying all practicing surgeons, including those in private practice, in public hospitals, and in academic hospitals, and raising the standard of surgical care across the country.