]]> http://haiticlinic.org/2012/01/02/save-the-date-for-a-great-cause-saturday-april-21st-2012/feed/ 0 http://haiticlinic.org/2011/10/02/september-2011-trip-report/ http://haiticlinic.org/2011/10/02/september-2011-trip-report/#comments Sun, 02 Oct 2011 23:23:53 +0000 admin http://haiticlinic.org/?p=845

I have just returned from a very successful clinic in Cite Soleil. 11 volunteers from Colorado, Pennsylvania, Massachusetts, Texas and Florida spent 3 days caring for over 650 patients. Some of these patients were very ill and all were extremely poor. We provided them with free medical care and medications. Our full-time, permanent Haitian physician, Dr. Garçon, will see many of them for follow-up care in the next few weeks.

We brought down twelve 50 pound suitcases filled with medications and supplies to restock the pharmacy. We used our new “Dome” (a prefabricated building) to register and take vital signs from patients waiting to see the doctor.
Temperatures were in the upper 90s and we all worked very hard. We stayed at a nearby orphanage. You can view photos from this trip here.

I have participated in 9 weekend clinics during the past several years; I thought this one worked particularly well. The functioning, skill level and morale of both the American volunteers and our Haitian counterparts were very good.

The week before, Kathryn Johnston, secretary of Haiti clinic, and Amy Clark spent a week cleaning and painting the entire building. They installed ceiling fans, shelving and 8 security door in the clinic with terrific results. There is now a security fence around the clinic, which confers an additional layer of protection from intruders and vandalism.

Meanwhile, we are acquiring land adjacent to the present clinic, where we plan to build a new facility. Your tax-deductible charitable donations make this all possible. In order to continue and expand our efforts, we need your continued support. Learn about the many ways you can donate at haiticlinic.org/donate.

Fome the left, volunteers Dustinn, Kristen, & Matt

I had never been to Haiti before but have heard many reports from my friend Matt Parvus. When we touched down in Port-au-Prince I was speechless. We began making our way from the airport to the orphanage we were staying at and the whole time we saw poverty. People living in the streets, no homes, no clean water. This trip was extremely special to me because it was an experience I got to share with my sister Kristen.  Our group was outstanding we had a team of brilliant doctors and an amazing support staff. This trip, from what I understand, was a bit different than others.  Instead of staying at the hotel where the volunteers usually stay, Dr. Parvus arranged for us to stay at the New Life children’s orphanage which, in my opinion, was one of the most rewarding parts of the trip. Not only is it much more cost effective but we also were given the chance to spend time with a great group of kids. We spent 2 days at the clinic in Cité Soleil and WOW was it eye opening. I thought that working in an operating room at our local hospital would have prepared me pretty well but frankly noting could have prepared me for what we saw. In those two short days we saw over 700 patients. Cases ranging from scabies to HIV, we saw them all. Our teams doctors ranged in specialties…we had Emergency medicine, Gynecology, Opthamology, Infectious Disease and even Gastroenterology and we used them all! There were lines of people waiting to be seen by us and we did our best to see each and every one of them.  Each day when we left the clinic, we were bombarded with people begging for food, money or anything they could get and honestly you want to help everyone but you can’t.

The trip was an amazing humbling experience and I recommend to any one who’s thinking about going to DO IT! You will never be the same again.

I had been to Haiti before.  In 1995 and 1998, I went down there to provide basic medical services in conjunction with Sacré Coeur Hospital in Port-au-Prince.  This was, however, before the earthquake.  When I had last been to Haiti, it was a third world country.  It did not prepare me for what I saw when I returned in 2011.

I arrived at Miami International Airport around 7:40am.  The team had already assembled, and was ready to get through security and customs.  I was new to the clinic, and had not had the chance to meet many of the other members.  Despite my nervousness, it was crystal clear upon arrival that these men and women knew each other well.  There was a calm sense of confidence about the group.  There was a tangible air of friendship and comfort that comes only from knowing and working with someone.  They all immediately welcomed me, and introduced themselves as if I was one of their own.  Our physician provider team was just incredible.

1)   Greg MacKay M.D. – Team Leader, Vero Beach Gastroenterology, FL

1. Greg has a calm sense of leadership.  He effortlessly put us in positions for success, and always kept the group safe and organized.  It was a privilege to work with him.

2)   Susie O’Toole-Evans M.D. – Island Pediatrics, FL

1. Susie’s sense of optimism is rivaled only by her strength of heart.  She treated over 200 children in 36 hours with unwavering compassion, competence, and elegance.   She set the standard for all of us.

3)   William McGarry M.D. – Scott, Weekes, & McGarry Hematology/Oncology, FL

1. Bill was the cornerstone of our success, both in the clinic and out.  He kept the group in good and proud spirit throughout our journey, and touched the lives of hundreds of Haitians in a matter of days.

4)   Patrick Pirkle  D.D.S. – Sebastian Dentistry, FL

1. Patrick was an absolute machine.  He treated over 150 dental cases in 36 hours.  He was nothing short of stunning in his resolve and his performance.

5)   Shelly Chvotzkin D.O. – Westwood Womens Health Center, NJ

1. Shelly not only treated over 100 Haitians single handedly, she continued to lay the foundation for a comprehensive prenatal care program, and taught a group of Haitian providers how to undertake gynecologic screening ultrasound.  She was a force of nature.

6)   Patricia Oetting, R.N. , FL

1. Patricia is a frequent supporter of the Haitian people.  She is a former nun, and current registered nurse.  Her compassion is equaled only by her resolve and her faith.

7)   Kristie Preston, R.N. – Sebastian River Medical Center, FL

1. If I get sick, Kristie is the kind of nurse that I want taking care of me.  She is young, idealistic, talented, and hard working.  To give you and idea of Kristie, this was her first trip outside of the United States.  Not a resort, not the Bahamas, not a European vacation with her children.  No, her first trip was to provide humanitarian need to men and women in need.

8)   Ruth Purcell, R.N.  – VNA Treasure Coast Hospice, FL

1. While the rest of individually saw hundreds of patients, Ruth’s work touched absolutely all of them.  Ruth coordinated the delivery of pharmaceuticals to EVERY SINGLE PATIENT SEEN on our mission.  She is as strong as they come.

9)   Allison MacKay – Middlebury College, VT

1. Every once in a while, you get to meet an idealistic young college student who reminds you why you do what you do.  If I had a nickel for every time I heard Allison say, “How can I help?”, I could retire on my plastic surgeon salary right now.  With Allison, her lack of years and experience is immaterial.  Success and prosperity will follow her, wherever she goes.

10)  Mike Wilkinson, Paramedic – Cape Canaveral Hospital, FL

1. Mike is a veteran of the Iraq war.  A proud husband and father, he works now as an EMT/Paramedic for Melbourne Fire/Rescue.  Mike and I worked together on most of the trip, and without question, the privilege was completely mine.  He is as intelligent and eager as they come.  He quickly assimilated surgical skills that many medical students struggle with for years.  Good hands, strong mind and heart.  I hope to work with him again sooner rather than later.

We all had bag assignments.  We each carried roughly 50 pounds of medical gear and supplies across security and customs, and finally arrived at the gate.  A quick 2-hour flight, and we were on the ground in Port-au-Prince.  We were met by Robinson, our Haiti liaison, who got us out to our hotel to stow our gear, and then were quickly taken to the clinic in Cité Soleil.

The country was awash in chaos, garbage, and people.  There is a durable sense of anarchy throughout the landscape.  We drove by the sprawling tent cities, where hundreds of thousands of displaced Haitians try to lead lives and guide families, only to find further areas of unattended rubble and refuse.  It was nothing short of a moral victory for the entire team when we saw a solitary construction crew erecting a concrete foundation for a 2-story building.  It was the only real sign of rebuilding that we saw.

The clinic itself had undergone significant improvements.  Dr. Greg MacKay of Vero Beach Gastroenterology, proudly pronounced the new water repository.  As well, he introduced the team to the new fiberglass dome expansion of the clinic.

My first patient arrived.  He had a large soft tissue mass on his head about the size of a baseball.  He had seen other doctors in the clinic in the past, but none of them had offered to remove it.  “No problem”, I said.

I then proceeded to excise this mass, and the next forty that walked into my 4×6 foot room without any ventilation over the course of a ten-hour day.  As I struggled with issues I take for granted at home, I did everything that I could, stopping short of repairing major ventral and inguinal hernias under local anesthetic.  I excised skin cancers, ulcerated lesions, undertook incision and drainages, and anything else that I could safely provide these people without resource.  All the while, I fought with keeping a semblance of sterile technique, a limit of appropriate instruments, and absolutely no cautery support whatsoever.  At the end of my first day, I was absolutely exhausted.  I felt as if I had helped the people that I saw, and I felt despair in that I knew that I had barely scratched the surface of the needs these people had.

We retired to our hotel for a much needed meal, and some time around the pool.  That night, we spoke as if we had been friends for decades, sharing stories and concepts while drinking cold Prestige.  We covered everything we could think of, from Shakespeare to Star Wars, hospital politics to world economics.  For a moment in time, we were endeared to each other by concepts greater than friendship.  We were united in a common cause, and held by each other’s integrity and grit.

In the end, our mission was a success, but much work remains to be done.  This was my first trip with HaitiClinic.org.  It will not be my last.  I consider myself blessed to have worked with the people I traveled with.  If I am lucky, I will be judged not by my work in Cité Soleil, but by the people I accompanied to Cité Soleil.  They represent the finest qualities of our profession, and it was an honor to briefly serve at their side.

Alan J. Durkin, M.D., M.S.

Diplomate of the American Board of Surgery

Diplomate of the American Board of Plastic Surgery

Medical Director, Advanced Facial Cosmetics and Laser Surgery Center

Medical Director, By Design Marketing

5070 N Highway A1A

Vero Beach, FL 32963

772 234 3700

www.beautyandthescalpel.com

www.ffbeckermd.com

Please RSVP by April 15 to (772)567-4445 or ronda@haiticlinic.org.

Suggested tax-deductible donation $100 per person.

If you would like to help underwrite this event, or if you are unable to attend but would like to make a donation, please contact us.

“Men anpil, chay pa lou”
The Power of Many

Read the rest of the entry for the full story, and click here to see photos from the trip.

The Preventive Care Pediatric Program is designed to begin to provide preventive medical and educational services to the community. The program will be nurse run and operate 2 days per week. We will target children birth to 2 years of age. Nurses will recruit patients and begin the educational component of the program during prenatal visits. Patients will also be recruited from the general population seeking services at Haiti Clinic. Children will be seen by appointment every 2 months. A history will be taken, growth will be monitored and educational services and supplies will be provided. The program will focus on nutrition, clean water, personal and food hygiene, dental health, and home care for common illnesses. The program will also serve as a follow up program for Haiti Clinic’s childhood malnutrition treatment program, BonBebe Health, which is slated to begin later in 2011. Despite the many challenges we face in implementing this type of program, the nursing staff and Dr. Garçon were enthusiastic about the program and were eager to jump in and begin the process.

Following up on a lead, trip members met with an official in the MSPP branch of the Ministry of Health to explore the possibility of obtaining vaccines from the Ministry for Haiti Clinic. The meeting evolved into a discussion of a wide range of topics from the role of NGO’s in Haiti, to Ministry-NGO relationships, to Haiti Clinic’s role and capability to address the needs of the residents of Cité Soleil. Although no agreement was reached on the issue of vaccines, Charlie Baltimore and Maggie Remy volunteered and were given the charge to follow up with the Ministry official.

The highlight of the trip was the Town Hall Meeting. There were approximately 75 residents of Cité Soleil who attended the meeting. Among the attendees were many community leaders such as teachers, religious leaders, community workers and leaders of resident organizations. Robinson opened the meeting by explaining to everyone that the purpose of the meeting was to give residents an opportunity to give feedback to Haiti Clinic on the services we provide and what issues Haiti Clinic should address in the future. Neil Heskel then spoke briefly about the mission of Haiti Clinic and then opened the floor for comments. Maggie Remy facilitated the meeting and provided translation.

All speakers were very complimentary of Haiti Clinic and the services we provide. Most people’s comments spoke to the need for basic human and public health services in Cité Soleil. People expressed the need for expanded and 24-hour health care services, clean water, food, housing and sanitation if there is to be any realistic hope to improve the health and lives of the residents of Cité Soleil.  Many spoke about the need for cooperation between NGO’s and other organizations providing services in Cité Soleil. The issues of the elderly, violence and the need for jobs also was discussed.  The meeting had an incredibly respectful tone and spirit of opportunity and trust. Dr. Garçon attended and spoke about his commitment to serve the residents of Cité Soleil at Haiti Clinic. Charlie and Robinson closed the meeting by thanking everyone for their input and letting them know that this was just the first of many discussions about the issues raised. Many spirited informal discussions followed the meeting.

Charlie taped the meeting and will be developing a summary as well as the original audio for distribution to the board. Charlie and Maggie have volunteered and were given the charge to follow up on the next step once the board has decided what action we will take in response to the concerns of the people we serve in Cité Soleil.

All in all, it was a wonderful and eye opening experience for all trip members. There were many great discussions among trip members following each event and training session. I believe that the events of this weekend will continue to have a positive effect on Haiti Clinic and make us better able to serve the needs of the residents of Cité Soleil into the future.

“Volunteering with Haiti Clinic was an opportunity for me to see the joy in the work that is being done, the frustration from the work that cannot be done, and the hope for the work of the work that can be done.”

View the rest of the post to hear about Anna’s experience, and click here to see photos from the trip.

After arriving on Friday and walking out into the welcomed heat of Port Au Prince (coming from Seattle), we headed over to the clinic, where we started work right away. While some talked with patients in order to treat or relieve their ailments with the limited medications we had to work with, I got to help with pulling teeth. Serving as an assistant, I held tools for Clinton, our dentist, and cleaned tools the best we could. Despite our small room and hodgepodge of tools and equipment, Clinton did an excellent job making the most of what was provided. Our Haitian translators both Friday and Saturday helped us to communicate with our patients and to help us understand the culture of the people. As I sat in on patient visits on Saturday, I once again was brought to realize, as I have been in the past in the developing world, that there is so much we cannot do for the people of Haiti. The tests and procedures that are so quickly given in the United States are uncommon and expensive for the average Haitian. Often, pharmacological treatment involves the sort-term relief of symptoms because the underlying cause cannot be removed (aches and pains from intense labor) or cannot be found due to lack of diagnostic means.

Although this aspect of most medical clinics in the third world was frustrating, there is reason for optimism. Haiti Clinic is working to narrow the gap in care by developing the tools they have and the resources they use. Recently, the clinic obtained an ultrasound machine, which was used this trip by Shelly (OB/GYN) in the assessment of pregnant mothers. In addition to helping US doctors do their work in Haiti, Shelly was also teaching a local Haitian nurse how to use this technology, helping to build a sustainable clinic. Our last night at our hotel involved conversation about the future of the community of Cité Soleil, and the operations of the clinic. This involved one about the development of a women’s center that would allow for health education concerning various topics, in addition to other proposed possibilities.

All in all, the trip excited me about the future of Haiti Clinic, how they can help better the lives of Haitians, and how people like myself, and help in bringing about that goal.

Until next time,
Anna Vermaire