International Health Programs

Day 6: Exploration Time

Thursday, August 19, 2010 by Maternal and Child Health

From the Field: Dominican Republic (PALS)
Sent in by: Achal Patel

With the medical training portion of the trip complete we were fortunate enough to use our free time to explore the area nearby Santiago. We revisited the family with whom we had dinner a couple of nights ago. Today we had a trip planned to the Dominican jungle out to a local river in the foothills of the mountains surrounding the valley within which Santiago lies. The trip took us through small villages and gave us a much different perspective on Dominican life as compared to the city. We reached the river, basking in the sunlight and enjoying the water while awaiting the completion of a lunch cooked by means of a campfire. Abruptly a tropical rainstorm was upon us, with the small 30 feet wide river we crossed to reach our campsite turning into a mini-torrent of fast moving water. After retreating to the shelter of a local shop we managed to consume our lunch covered from the rainstorm.

It continues to amaze me the hospitality shown to complete strangers in this country, with the owner of the store welcoming us in and providing us with shelter, while expecting nothing in return. Furthermore, he offered us seating and an area to stay until whenever needed. After the rains lifted, me made our way home, stopping to drop of the family we spent time with. As we were saying our goodbyes I realized that it was probably the last time in my life I would see the family. Even though both parties realized its unlikelihood, they insisted upon us revisiting them at a later date, telling of both their personalities and optimism. However, after spending only two days with them it was similar to saying goodbye to friends I had known for years. It’s amazing to see how well humans from completely different backgrounds, with different languages and cultures, can get along with the aid of a few words, openness, and laughter.

As we drove home, appropriately enough the clouds lifted enough to set the stage for a beautiful sunset behind the mountains of the Dominican Republic. With an early morning departure planned for tomorrow morning, I am becoming increasingly aware of how much I will miss the country that offered me so much in return for practically nothing. After visiting the Dominican Republic it is difficult to not have faith in the goodness of the human heart, when they can impress such a positive attitude of their population upon others without the use of money alone. I am happy to say that I can return home with clichéd phrases possessing new meaning; understanding that the free and simple things in humanity can lead to the greatest happiness.

Day 5: PALS Course Part 2, Last Day of Training

Thursday, August 19, 2010 by Maternal and Child Health

From the Field: Dominican Republic (PALS)
Sent in by: Achal Patel

Without regard to the rain from last night, typically enough the sun came out again this morning for another warm and bright day in the city. We once again made the trip to Moca for Dr. Shaw to finish his training session. The second day consisted of information on identification and treatment for patients in shock as well as the practical and written examinations. The use of a couple of different defibrillators was also demonstrated, a major accomplishment for the training program. Once again the physicians conveyed an attitude of enthusiasm and appreciation over the course. Many of the physicians constantly had to answer their phones, presumably from work related calls. Nevertheless they still continued the training regardless of how much extra work they’d have piled up when returning to their jobs. The result of such gusto was evident when they worked successfully through the practical examinations while smoothly functioning as a team. The class went by today without any points regarding Dominican healthcare that I have not previously covered and thus this post will be shorter than previous days. Overall we left Moca understanding the strides that had been made over the two-day course, but also realizing the need for more basic medical resources in the country such as defibrillators in order to maximize the effectiveness of the training given by Dr. Shaw.

Day 4: PALS Training of Local Physicians

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 by Maternal and Child Health

From the Field: Dominican Republic - Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
Sent by: Achal Patel

We awoke yet again to a warm, sunny, and vibrant day in Santiago: conditions that seemed to be a recurring theme in the city. Day 4 would mark the separation of the team with Dr. Karotkin presenting three lectures at the Children’s Hospital in Santiago with Dr. Lopez and Dr. Shaw making the trip to Moca to present the PALS course to local physicians. I joined the later group to learn about a different constituency of trainees. Today I shed my cell phone, my only indicator of time, and adopted a mindset of ‘Dominican time.’ Rather than obsessing over regularity and quenching my need for a constant time check as I would at home, I enjoyed the events of the day as they progressed and let them arrive with a more relaxed mindset. While I was trying to go through my day limiting my use of technology, Dr. Lopez seemed set on maximizing its use, skillfully answering calls on his two Blackberry’s at once and always having them both easily accessible. I soon learned how this mastery is part of the reason for our success thus far on the mission.

After breakfast we made the trip to Moca, a much smaller city than Santiago. We made the trip, which was anywhere between 20 and 30 minutes, and arrived at a private Catholic school, our headquarters for the day. Along the way we passed an interesting juxtaposition of man and jungle with buildings and roads surrounded by lush greenery in seemingly flawless harmony. Upon arrival we were greeted by friendly local physicians, many of who traveled from the mountains surrounding the valley to take part in the training.

When these physicians arrived from all around the city of Moca, it became clear that our in country contact Dr. Ramon Lopez had undertaken preparations before our arrival that were both extensive and time-consuming. Without exaggeration, he seemed to know practically everyone everywhere we went, and if he did not he was quick to make local contacts. If it were not for his help the reach of the program would surely not be as significant. In addition, the universal warmth of both the people and weather in the Dominican is clear and outwardly reverberating, welcoming the curiosity of travelers with great kindheartedness making the arrangement of training sessions easier for the entire team.

After setting up and awaiting the arrival of the remaining participants, Dr. Shaw gave an overview of the course to probe the knowledge already possessed by the physicians. Among the questions he asked was whether the physicians had defibrillators in their hospitals or any experience in using them. Thereafter, one of the participants remarked: “we have a defibrillator in our hospital, but we don’t know how to use it.” The lack of training on the use of defibrillators has become a persistent theme throughout this trip and is reason for concern, more alarmingly so when stated by an experienced physician. While the hospitals may have equipment that can be upwards of tens of thousands of U.S. dollars, they obviously will not do patients any good if the majority of the healthcare providers in the hospitals cannot use them. The prevalence of defibrillators in the United States is often taken for granted, with AED’s at hand in a multitude of public areas, such as airports where they are every few hundred feet. The lack of such equipment in hospitals would almost be unimaginable at this point in American healthcare. Yet, in countries such as the Dominican Republic physicians are making do working without such equipment.

The proper training required for the use of a defibrillator is relatively simple and if incorporated into the curriculum of medical schools within the nation it is evident that great progress can be made in the way of resuscitation techniques. We are hoping that the training provided by Dr. Shaw over the course of the two-day training will provide these physicians with enough information to allow them to properly use their equipment at hand. The enthusiasm shown by these doctors was quite evident through both their mannerisms and the questions that they asked throughout the session. Being experienced and having worked in hospitals, the physicians seem to realize the importance of the PALS course and I have confidence that they will pass on the training on to their colleagues as well as students. If Physicians for Peace and other similar organizations can continue their training programs until there are enough in-country physicians who can provide similar classes or until such material is incorporated into medical schools, there is great promise for the future of Dominican emergency care, both pediatric and general. As for the class itself, Dr. Shaw covered a very similar material set as he did on days 2 and 3 of the trip. He also demonstrated nasal intubation techniques and provided a review of the proper form of CPR and general intubation in addition to the more advanced topics in regards to PALS. Some of the physicians seemed to have never been taught the correct methods of performing CPR and have never needed to utilize CPR as general physicians; however, it was apparent that they were more than capable of performing it after being shown the correct approach. The interest level from the practicing physicians on such topics was noticeably higher than the medical students, with Dr. Shaw fielding many more questions than on days 2 and 3, once again indicating the real-world importance of the material covered in the training.

As we made our way back to the hotel after the day of classes, I left with my thoughts on the current medical situation in the Dominican Republic being confirmed. While there are ample enthusiastic and adept physicians present to provide care, many have never received the training necessary to perform proper pediatric advanced life support. However, as demonstrated by the classes, this issue can be easily solved. As I stated earlier, if physicians who currently have the proper training in the country spread the knowledge they have acquired and if there is a desire from local physicians to continue to improve their training, then pediatric as well as general emergency care can be significantly improved. Thus, an internal support and knowledge-sharing network will be vital for the future success of the Dominican Republic’s healthcare system.

Day 3: Children’s Hospital (Neonatal Resuscitation Program: Dr. Karotkin)

Tuesday, August 17, 2010 by Maternal and Child Health

From the field: Dominican Republic - Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS)
Sent by: Achal Patel

We awoke to another picturesque day in Santiago anticipating the completion of the two-day classes in the Children’s Hospital. As we walked through the hospital today I noticed each ward had around ten beds in them each. While the wards were congested, I observed a significant number of doctors and nurses present to care for the patients, certainly a reason for optimism, as it was evident that there is not a lack of human capital in the hospital. Unfortunately but understandably so, due to hospital regulations I was unable to document any of my observations through photographs. But, it is clear that these doctors and nurses work everyday through improvisation and do an excellent job at it.

With the enthusiasm and hands-on skill possessed by these healthcare providers one can only imagine the strides they can make in the healthcare sector of the country with just a few more resources and proper training on the utilization of these resources. While I have been previously aware of the tremendous medical resources available to us in the United States, I am only beginning to realize that even this acknowledgement cannot lead to me accurately comprehend the advancement of medicine in the States compared to the majority of the world’s countries. If these countries possessed even a small fraction of the medical resources available to physicians in the United States the possibilities for medical advancement are tremendous and exponential.

While missions aimed at clinical work can provide short-term alleviations to medical issues and may perhaps even be glorified, I have come to the realization that it is further training that will provide the basis for medical advancement and self-sustainability in many countries, including the Dominican Republic. After setting up for the day the students trickled in after completing their morning hospital duties and training resumed shortly after 10:00 a.m.

Today I sat in on Dr. Karotkin’s Neonatal Resuscitation class with the second session being the more interactive and examination day of the class. Dr. Karotkin would use the second day to build upon the topics covered in the previous day, which consisted of the overview and principles of resuscitation, initial steps of resuscitation, use of resuscitation devices for positive-pressure ventilation, and chest compressions. He began the second day by covering the procedures of endotracheal intubation, the utilization of medications for neonatal resuscitation, and actions taken during special cases. Afterwards lessons on resuscitation of babies born preterm and ethics and care at the end of life were covered. Right before the lunch break I learned that the majority of the students in the class were on call the previous night and had not properly rested for upwards of 30 hours. Yet, impressively enough they continued to pay attention throughout the presentation with many students simultaneously studying the material covered the previous day and absorbing the new information provided. After the conclusion of the lessons and the lunch break, the students practiced intubating a ‘dummy’ baby; for many this was their first time.

Thereafter, an 89-question test evaluating them on the material covered was administered. With the aid of a couple medical students fluent in English the class was able to take the test printed in English smoothly. While the tests have not been graded yet, I have faith that all of the students will pass and receive their Neonatal Resuscitation Program certificate. Meanwhile, in the PALS class Dr. Shaw is finishing up giving the practical exams to the students after the written versions were taken this morning. All of the students who were administered this test passed and were given their certificates today. Afterwards, we bid farewell to the students who helped to make the two-day programs a success hoping that they will eventually be able to utilize the materials they learned over the past couple of days in a clinical setting. Departing the Children’s Hospital, we entered the Santiago rush hour traffic and made the short trip back to the hotel after what we considered another successful day in Santiago.

The Children's Hospital

Wednesday, August 11, 2010 by Maternal and Child Health

From the Field: Santiago/Moca Dominican Republic
Sent by: Achal Patel Mission Program: PALS

Day 2:

After awaking at 6:30 A.M. on a sunny and beautiful day in Santiago the team met for breakfast and discussed the events to follow throughout the day. Shortly after Dr. Karotkin, Dr. Lopez, Dr. Shaw, and myself made the short trip to the Children’s Hospital via the bustling and lively maze of Santiago’s morning traffic. Upon arriving we received a warm welcome from a variety of physicians, residents, and medical students excited to help the team in whatever way possible. As I walked through the hospital the differences between Dominican and American hospitals were not as evident as I expected them to be. At first glance I noticed that the hospital was fairly clean and well organized and while it looked slightly dated compared to its American counterparts it seemed to have all of the resources to provide patients with the proper care. With the proper training, there was certainly the ability to provide medical care similar to that of the United States, providing reason for great optimism. We soon set up in two classrooms with all the resources necessary for an effective educational program to be conducted such as projectors, speakers, and dry-erase boards. Most importantly, we were fortunate to have a few medical students fluent in English who were able to translate the presentations given by Dr. Karotkin and Dr. Shaw, an invaluable resource. After a slight delay in setting up and organizing the participants, Dr. Lopez introduced Dr. Karotkin, Dr. Shaw, and myself to the students and the classes were underway.

Today I observed Dr. Shaw’s class on Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). Through the use of a translator, video, and handbooks in Spanish the class went smoothly as the students dedicated their full attention to the topic. Dr. Shaw did an excellent job of modifying the materials he had to better suit the conditions the students would be practicing advanced life support under. It was clear that the participants realized the value of the material they were being taught and the long-term effects simple intervention can have on decreasing infant mortality rates in the Dominican Republic. While the students were attentive during the video and speech presentations, it was the hands on demonstrations that truly captivated their attention. As Dr. Shaw emphasized the importance of CPR as the basis of PALS, demonstrations on adult, adolescent, and infant CPR were shown as the students quickly adopted the correct pace and form when performing the CPR on the manikins. Dr. Shaw continued his presentation while outlining the basics of PALS, covering the evaluation of patients in distress and the utilization of AED’s and medicine to provide life support. Class was then adjourned for a lunch break over which I spoke with a few of the medical students about their futures.

The conversations I had confirmed my previous speculation that many of the medical students in the Dominican Republic had a wanting to go to the United States for their residency and post-medical school training. While this phenomenon is a common one throughout the world today, it provides reason for concern that some of the Dominican’s brightest medical talent is emigrating from the country post-medical school. Whether the students will return after spending a few years in the United States during residency is unclear; however, it is clear that in order to promote the highest level of healthcare within the Dominican Republic the country must create methods to retain bright students. In no way am I disregarding the talent possessed by students who do remain in the Dominican Republic, but it is common knowledge that the most apt students often translate into being the most gifted physicians. As a resident of the United States and not the Dominican Republic, I can only observe this issue and speculate on ways for the Dominican to keep their talented individuals within in the country, but it is apparent that by retaining such talent the country can provide an almost instantaneous boost to their healthcare system. Conjectures aside, the class continued after the break.

Dr. Shaw continued his presentation by illustrating methods of IV placement in infants when the primary locations such as the veins in the arm are inaccessible. In addition, he covered the use of a defibrillator. This aspect of the presentation seemed to field many more questions than earlier parts of the training, indicating that the participants had not received as much training in such methods. With the interest level suddenly spiking, the energy in the room as a result of learning new material was quite apparent. This point in the demonstration was the first time that I could see that the students acquired newfound knowledge that can truly play a significant effect in an emergency situation. However, it was disheartening to learn from the Chief Attending physician of 4 years that in her time at the hospital she had only used the defibrillator twice. Even more concerning is the fact that the majority of the students and physicians in the hospital do not even have the training to operate the equipment. But, if basic training on the use of defibrillators and AED’s is provided to the medical staff, countless lives can undoubtedly be spared. Perhaps a future goal for Physicians for Peace can be to provide the hospital with the resources to provide this training. Moving on with the class itself, Dr. Shaw introduced a variety of real-life case studies testing the students on the material learned throughout the day, providing an interactive environment for the students. As the participants engaged in the presentation it was clear that they absorbed much of the information presented to them throughout the day, ending the academic day on a very positive note and providing hope for the training possibilities of the future.

Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Neonatal Resuscitation Program: Santiago, Dominican Republic

Wednesday, August 11, 2010 by Maternal and Child Health

From the Field: Santiago/Moca Dominican Republic
Sent by: Achal Patel
Mission Program: PALS

Hi!, I'm Achal Patel and a rising 2nd-Year Undergraduate at the University of Virginia on a Pre-Medicine track pursuing a degree in Politics. I am on a trip with Physicians for Peace in Santiago, Dominican Republic providing Pediatric Advanced Life Support and Neonatal Resuscitation Program training to medical students in the country. The courses are taught by Doctors Eric Shaw and Edward Karotkin, respectively; the mission will last from August 8th, 2010-August 14th.

Day 1:

As the aircraft descended into the Dominican Republic the natural splendor of the island was undeniable. The clear blue waters contrasted the dark green and prospering jungles, the two separated by only a narrow, bright white beach. Adding to the scenery were the mountains ascending from the ocean that we would soon be acquainted with. The natural beauty of the island seemed to rub off on the personalities of the citizens of the country, who appeared eternally joyous.

Early morning flight changes and altered departures left the team consisting of Dr. Edward Karotkin, Mrs. Betsy Karotkin, Dr. Eric Shaw, and myself, weary as we arrived in Puerto Plata around noon on August 8, 2010. However, our excitement was difficult to hide even beneath the cloak of exhaustion that was upon us. The cordiality with which Dr. Ramon Lopez greeted us at the airport foreshadowed the warmth, hospitality, and gratitude that would be shown to us by the Dominican people throughout our trip.

We began our journey towards Santiago on the warm, sunny day taking twisting mountain roads with stunning views into the valleys below. As we passed towns it was difficult to find residents who were not jubilant on this Sunday afternoon, the traditional Dominican day of rest and celebration. We stopped about halfway through our journey to enjoy a delicious lunch at a restaurant overlooking the beautiful valley within which Moca and Santiago reside. As we finally made it into the town of Santiago the streets were calm and quiet on the Sunday afternoon, echoing our need for rest and providing time for preparation for the days to come. After a late dinner we resigned to our rooms to get some much needed rest for the week to come.

While our introduction to the Dominican Republic conveyed a façade of flawlessness, we fell asleep understanding the fundamental medical issues in the country, something that would slowly begin to be addressed the following day. However, the positive attitudes of the general Dominican population and their previous triumphs over challenges, whether they be political or otherwise, brought on optimism over the effect the next week of training can have on the future of the countries medical care.

Malawi: A Fact Finding Mission Turns a Maternal & Child Health Program into a Reality

Thursday, July 29, 2010 by Ellen Libby

Program Update: Malawi, Maternal & Child Health
Sent in by: Laura B. Gwathmey (Director, Global Health Programs)
Mission date: March 2010

We are excited to report the news of a Maternal & Child Health program development in Malawi. As part of our philosophy, Physicians for Peace will only work to develop a new program at the invitation from a host-country partner. This has been the case in Malawi, where we will be replicating our Maternal and Child Health program to this rural area.

Physicians for Peace was introduced to Adventist Health Services by a local supporter who had visited Malawi with his church. At the invitation of AHS, Physicians for Peace sent a fact find team this past March to assess their needs and determine areas of potential collaboration. The team visited 6 of the 17 rural clinics AHS operates, witnessing first-hand the need for ongoing training and support in isolated areas. Incredibly dedicated to their work, AHS clinicians work under stark conditions, often living on-site at the clinic to provide round the clock care for villagers, leaving only occasionally for provisions. This means they don’t receive ongoing medical training, so their skills quickly become dated.

In August, Physicians for Peace will send a nurse to Malawi for 11 weeks to provide refresher training and education for these clinicians. She’ll split her time between 6 clinics, living and working with them as they improve their skills in family planning, counseling and testing for STDs, and prenatal care. Because of this partnership, Physicians for Peace will be working to improve the health of rural Malawians, working alongside them to truly build peace and international friendships through medicine.

Laura B. Gwathmey has joined Physicians for Peace after many months of volunteering while finishing her graduate program at Old Dominion University. She is now the Director, Global Health Programs, focusing on medical missions in the African region.

Notes from the Summer Interns

Thursday, July 29, 2010 by Volunteer Conection

Throughout this hot, sunny summer, most young undergrads are hitting up one of the many beaches in the Hampton Roads Area, enjoying the rays and cooling off by catching some waves. On the contrary, Erin Godbout and Grayson Orsini are embracing this heat from within Physicians for Peace’s warehouse in Norfolk. Outfitted in Physicians for Peace T-shirts and plenty of water, these college students are spending their hot summer sorting, counting, and lifting all of the wonderful donations that are sent to locations in need throughout the globe.

Surrounded by prosthetic limbs, wheelchairs and eye glasses, Erin, going into her 2nd year at the University of Virginia explains that she really wanted to volunteer somewhere for the summer. In a roundabout way, she heard that Physicians for Peace was in need for summer warehouse volunteers and as an aspiring pre-med student, she jumped at the opportunity. As did Grayson, an International Relations major at William and Mary, he had previously helped organize several fundraisers for Physicians for Peace within the last year at his college.

After the earthquake in Haiti, he told us several different clubs came together to put on a variety show entitled “Helping Haiti” where they raised a significant amount of money for Physicians for Peace’s program. When asked about his future plans, Grayson explained that he wants to go into non-profit work after college.

A bit cooler perspective from within the air conditioned Physicians for Peace Headquarters, Amy Edler is also volunteering her summer as the Global Health Programs intern. A recent graduate from Old Dominion University with a B.S. in Women’s Studies, Amy is gaining valuable experience as she learns the inner workings of non-profit work. She aids in administrative tasks, researches for country plans and composes manuals for the upcoming missions.

“This entire experience has taught me so much already,” she says. “I will use the skills I learn at PFP throughout my career in non-profit work.”

Overall, Physicians for Peace values everyone from the warehouse volunteers to our devoted physicians. Their ability to donate their time in helping improve health conditions worldwide, solidifies our mission of using medicine as a peace-building tool. We can spread peace as long as there are caring volunteers to help make that message possible.

Cardiac Specialists Team Makes Progress in Dhaka, Bangladesh

Friday, July 23, 2010 by Specialized Surgery

From the Field - Dhaka, Bangladesh, Specialized Surgery

Written by M. Abidur Rahman. MD. FACS

Vascular Surgeon, Team Leader

A surgical team:

M. Abidur Rahman, M.D., vascular surgeon
Kim F. Duncan, M.D., pediatric cardiac surgeon
Jobey Varghese, M.D., pediatric cardiac anesthesiologist
Jayesh Thakker, pediatric intensivist
Tara L. Goesch, pediatric ICU nurse
Angela Messerich, pediatric ICU nurse
Joseph Deptula, pediatric cardiac perfusionist

The team left Chicago on February 17th and reached Dhaka in the early morning of February 19, 2010. On their arrival, the entire team was invited to attend the 10th Annual Celebration of Rokhsana Memorial Hospital at Manikgng, which is 46 kilometer from Dhaka. This facility provides free pre-, postpartum, ante- and neonatal care to mothers and children.

The next day, the pediatric team was invited to visit Pediatric Cardiology Department, where Dr. Duncan and the rest of the members were introduced to the pediatric cardiac surgeons and adult cardiac surgeons, as well as the staff of Pediatric Cardiology. Dr. Rahman visited the Vascular Surgery Clinic, where he reviewed the angiograms and diagnostic workup of 15 pre-selected patients. Of those, some of the patients were selected for additional workup and surgical intervention over the next few days.

Dr. Duncan reviewed 10-12 echocardiograms of pediatric cardiac patients and selected the patients for surgical intervention over next few days. Many suggestion and recommendation were made to NICVD cardiologists, as well as surgeons, in order to proceed with planned surgery for the selected patients.

On February 22nd, Dr. Duncan presented “What’s new in congenital cardiac surgery”. He also performed two pediatric procedures which included one VSD closure and a repair of the Tetralogy of Fallot. Dr. Rahman performed two procedures which included Juxtarenal abdominal aortic aneurysm resections and a carotid endarterectomy. In between the surgical procedure both Dr. Rahman and Dr Duncan attended vascular and pediatric cardiac clinic and offered consultations to many patients.

There was extensive discussion amongst the Ministers Director of Health, Dr. Rahman and Dr. Duncan regarding the prospect of improving the pediatric cardiac care services in Bangladesh in general. The Director General of Health asked for assistance and suggestions in this regard. Dr. Duncan and Dr. Rahman have offered assistance arranging fellowship for pediatric cardiac team from Bangladesh at Children’s Hospital of Omaha, Nebraska, with the possibility of sponsoring this program through Physicians for Peace in collaboration with University of Nebraska, and the Government of Bangladesh. In conclusion, we assured that we would explore the possibility of this fellowship for a pediatric cardiac team in the United States.

On the evening of February 24th, Dr. Kim Duncan had a local television interview regarding the pediatric cardiac care services in Bangladesh and the future of pediatric cardiac services. The TV interview was much appreciated by the Ministry of Health, as well as the staff at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease.

On February 25th, Dr. Varghese offered lectures at the National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease. The topic was “neuroprotective technique of pediatric cardiac anesthesia”. Joseph Deptula also presented the topic of “myocardial protection of neonates during cardiac perfusion”. Dr. Rahman performed an abdominal aortic aneurysm resection, as well as performed a femoral angioplasty with placement of multiple stents for occlusive disease of the femoral arteries.

On February 28th, Dr. Duncan performed an LMBT shunt, and Dr. Rahman performed two abdominal aortic aneurysm resections. On the evening of the 28th, Dr. Rahman had a television interview regarding present status and future of vascular surgery and care in Bangladesh.

On March 1st, Dr. Duncan presented "Techniques for repair of TGA and a functional single ventricle". Dr. Duncan also performed a Rastelli procedure for a patient, and Dr. Rahman performed two procedures with a femoropopliteal angioplasty and placement of a stented graft. That evening, a reception was held by Bangladesh Association of Physicians for Peace. The Director of Health expressed his appreciation for the visit of the team and engaged in a discussion on how to proceed with a fellowship for the pediatric cardiac team in the United States. Team offered several suggestions to the Department of Health for implementation to improve present health care delivery to pediatric cardiac patient and for early recognition of congenital heart disease in Bangladesh for better out of medical and surgical treatment.

On March 2nd, Dr. Duncan presented "Congenital Heart Surgey in Omaha". He also performed bi-directional Glenn anastomosis, and Dr. Rahman performed procedures on two patients with a femoropopliteal angioplasty and placement of stented grafts.

Entire team would like to thank Physicians for Peace for organizing the mission. Special thanks to Mary for co-ordinating different itinerary for few team members and getting visas and passport back in time for the trip.
______________________________________________________________

Did You Know?
February 21st is a national holiday for National Language Day. On this day in 1952, there was a protest against Pakistan Government not recognizing Bangla language as one of the national languages . Pakistan authority opened fire on the mass protestors and five people were killed. Ultimately Bangla was recognized as one of the two national language. The whole nation celebrates the day in memory of the martyrs of the National Language Day. It is worthwhile to mention February 21st was also recognized as a mother language day by the United Nations in 2000.

Physicians for Peace Mission

at National Institute of Cardiovascular Disease

Dhaka, Bangladesh from February 19th through March 3rd, 2010.

A Beautiful World from an Amputee's Perspective

Tuesday, July 20, 2010 by Walking Free

From the Field - Manila, Philippines
Sent in by Kelly A.

On my 24 hour plus travel from Manila to Norfolk VA, I have the luxury of time. I hit the random selection on my iTunes, and I am now listening to Colin Hay sing “Beautiful World” on Man At Work. I was privileged to have witnessed a part of this beautiful world this past week while on my first mission with Physicians For Peace (PFP). Beauty was seen in the generosity displayed by our Filipino hosts while taking part of the Walking Free Mission. This magnificence seemed to overtake the spirits of those whom I met along the way, as seen in their ingenuity and drive. I witnessed this in the amputees that were present at the clinics as well as the doctors, Physical Therapists and mental health workers I encountered.

I came along for the week with Physicians for Peace as a guest lecturer on Art Therapy interventions that help those who have suffered traumas as well as a handicap woman. I have known for many years that I was blessed as a below knee amputee and this was reiterated the day I met a man with a wide smile. He is also a below the knee amputee who came to Pampanga for an adjustment on his own creation. He fabricated a leg from wood, steel and what appeared to be barbed wire. We compared legs and he laughed at the Magenta colored toes while I heard a few male on lookers cry “Manicure!”

I know I am supposed to write about my art therapy lectures, however the people I met were more touching to me than hearing my own voice in front of an audience. I will however share a bit of my presentations.

My first presentation was given to approximately 40 mental health workers. This meeting was generously arranged by Dr. Bernie Madrid; the head of the Child Protection Unit. Before my lecture I was given a tour of the CPU facility as well as one of the best home cooked meals while in Manila. Dr. Madrid and I discussed the similarities and differences of the places we work. I was pleased to learn about the team effort by social workers, police, doctors, mental health as well as lawyers to help children in need and to keep them safe from abuse. I was saddened to hear that there is seemingly as much difficulty with conviction rates in the Philippines as in the United States.

At the end of my lecture the CPU participants took part in two different art interventions. They experienced a projective scribble drawing as well as a mandala. With markers and colored pencils provided, participants completed the drawing and writing intervention. They appeared to connect the power that art therapy can provide an individual. Along with my next two lectures, I left four research articles and information on the American Art Therapy Association as I only wet their appetite on art therapy.

The next two lectures were attended mainly by Physical Therapists and Occupational Therapists at Angeles Hospital in Angeles City as well as the Saturday lecture at Philippine General Hospital. While they were unable to participate in the experiential part of the lecture, there was a time for interaction with questions and answers. While my intent was not to turn PT’s and OT”s in to Art Therapists, it was to help bridge the mental health and physical rehabilitation part of recovery. Planting the importance that mentally healing after a trauma is as important as physically healing, it is my hopes that the students will be aware of those patients who could benefit from counseling. As I tell my clients, I believe we are all big puzzles as human beings, and while some parts might be scattered, it is my job to help them find the links to healing. I believe there should be a bridge between mental and physical health and I hope I helped by laying a foundation of knowledge.

A Little Bit of Música for the Hospitality in Nicaragua

Monday, July 19, 2010 by Dental Care

From the Field - Nicaragua
Monday, July 5th, 2010:

Sent by Marlee McDonald

After waking up around 6am Nicaragua time (which would be 8am in the US) and preparing ourselves for the day and our travel to León, we enjoyed a fantastic "desayuno típico Nicaragüense" (typical breakfast) Nicaraguan style with foods such as eggs with mixed in salchicha, "gallo pinto" (rice and beans) and "queso nacional" (the nation's finest cheese) with of course the best ciabatta bread and marmalade. However, no breakfast is complete without a nice edition of música, so as a way to thank the beautiful couple of Lia and Eduardo, I played a few pieces on my violin including Ashokan Farewell, Barber violin concerto no. 1, and a famous merengue, Compadre Pedro Juan, that Scarlett, my little sister from Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, had just taught me when she visited us in Virginia. Their parrot, Pepe, even sang along a bit! Eduardo also put on a recording of Yo-Yo Ma’s Bach cello suites which brought peace to the house as we enjoyed our wonderful meal.

Rodrigo, our driver, picked us up in Managua and transported us to León to spend the rest of the week at La Universidad Autónoma de Nicaragua (la UNAN). We arrived at La Casa de Protocolo around noon after about an hour and a half of travel on the newly paved roads, which made the journey Much easier! We were showed to our room- Habitación No. 7- and lunch was served shortly after our arrival, where we met a lot of the fantastic people staying en La Casa de Protocolo as well including many people from Spain, Austria, and Oregon!

After lunch, I played some more violin to express our gratitude for our beautiful welcome to the university's Casa de Protocolo. The sound of the violin was a beautiful addition to the inviting patio decorated with a fountain and many colorful flowers in the middle of the Casa. One of the Spaniards named Juan Diego (Juandi) also plays flamenco guitar and taught me a bit about the semitones used in the the cadencia flamenca, a bit different from the western music that we are used to. There are many other Spaniards staying here from la Universidad Complutense de Madrid (UCM), which partners with la UNAN. Juan Diego is working on a city design project with the patios, giving a flamenco guitar workshop, and helping design the university’s webpage, but many of the other spaniards staying at La Casa de Protocolo are professors giving classes on biology, physics and computer science.

At 2:00pm Rodrigo picked Sandra and I up from La Casa de Protocolo and drove us to la Universidad Autónoma de Nicaragua, la UNAN, where we met with Decano Dr. Humberto Altimirano Reyes and Dr. Berta Lilliam Orozco, Dean and Vice Dean of la UNAN. We discussed plans for the week, the purpose of our mission and key items to focus on. As mentioned before, the main focus of our mission is to edit the Dental Assistant program that we have here at la UNAN. We will give a presentation to the governing board of Odontology on Friday with the goal for the week to have the entire Dental Program curriculum outline revised by Thursday.

Unlike most dental offices in the United States where a dental assistant works side by side with the dentist and gets the patient ready for treatment before the dentist enters the room, and the dental hygienist does all of the cleanings, etc; in the majority of Latin America, the dentist completes all of the tasks. For this reason, in most dental offices in Latin America, neither the position of a dental assistant nor dental hygienist exists. However, we are helping create the program here at la UNAN which will provide academic training for this technical skill with the hope to initiate the position in local dental offices, public health clinics here in León and beyond.

After our meeting with Dr. Reyes, he lead us on a tour of all of the university's dental facilities and Sandra was reunited with many of the staff (dental assistants) which she had trained during her dental mission in 2003. They still even had many of the dental scrubs Sandra had brought for them seven years before! After the tour, we met briefly with Dr. Ever Jimenez, Clinic Director of the department of dentistry here at la UNAN, to further refine the schedule for the week. For Tuesday, Wednesday and Thursday, the plan is to continue revising the dental assistant curriculum in order to prepare for the presentation on Friday. We will be working closely with Dr. Jimenez who was appointed for this task (curriculum revision) during the next few days.

Rodrigo drove us to La Casa de Protocolo where we dined with everyone, relaxed, and connected with family and friends in the US via the free WiFi provided en la Casa. We went to bed early in order to prepare for the big day of work at the university on Tuesday.

From the Field - Manila, Philippines

Wednesday, July 14, 2010 by Walking Free

Day 2

On our second morning, Kelly, Penny Bundoc and Physicians for Peace Philippines Board Chair Dr. Ted Herbosa were tapped to be part of a press conference panel on disabilities, along with a blind architect who has been advocating for accessibility codes for housing and public spaces. Penny and Ted spoke eloquently about the Walking Free program in the Philippines and Kelly spoke about using art therapy to get trauma victims to work through their experience.

The media seemed quite interested in the topic and asked many questions, but they really became animated when Kelly came around to the front, sat down and took off her prosthesis for the cameras. Everyone was fascinated, and loved the magenta toe nail polish on the prosthesis foot. Kelly was interviewed by a local TV station as well. Later that night, both Penny and Kelly went to the Philippines cable station, which airs via radio and TV in the Philippines and around the world. They sat for make-up and hair and were interviewed for 45 minutes. Kelly once again removed her prosthesis for the cameras. (Note: 3 days later, we heard that the station is still talking about Kelly. A star is born!!)

Back at the P&O workshop, Dave and Mike were busy with patient fittings and fabrications. We met a 23 yr old named Kharisma. She has a hemi pelvectomy due to cancer that her doctor neglected to diagnose as malignant after she fractured femur. Kharisma had just passed her nursing final exams when she learned she would have an amputation, so she was never able to work as a nurse. In fact, she does not think there is any work she can do. She lives a 2-hr drive outside of Manila, and her mother has no money to send her back to school to study another subject (a benefactor had put her through nursing school). Kharisma’s twin sister, Karina, is finishing her nursing degree as well, and has hopes of finding a job soon. Gail worked with Kharisma to try to get her walking without a crutch. She is so sweet, but is feeling very unlucky. She tells us that her mother misnamed her, that she has never been charismatic, and now will never be without her leg or real prospects for a future.

In the afternoon, Kelly went to the Child Protection Unit to speak to 50 social workers about art therapy. The social workers were very interested in the topic and asked a lot of questions. While Kelly was giving her presentation, the rest of us went to Tondo, where there was an amputee screening. We were told that morning that there would be 18 amputees, but when we arrived, we learned that there were 75! The screening was especially noteworthy because SMART, the local cell phone company, has developed an application for patient screenings. SMART will donate 39 cell phones and train health care workers to go into more remote areas of the country and capture all the necessary information and even take pictures of the patients. This will be kept on a central data base. This is an exciting pilot program and marks a new era of corporate social responsibility in the Philippines.

Went to an art auction tonight at Rob Lane's store. Most Philippines - Physicians for Peace Board members attended plus President Aquino's sister. Mike and Cindy won the raffle for a $1300 painting. It is beautiful.

Today we go to Quezon City where Gail and Joseph are speaking at one venue and Mike and Dave are training at another.

Tomorrow - we are off to Clark Pampanga to

see the P&O shop there.

Mission to Manila, Philippines

Wednesday, July 14, 2010 by Walking Free

Message from Monika Bridgforth - Physicians for Peace Staff in the Field
July 13, 2010
Well it's 4:30 am and I've been wide awake all night. I've gotten about 10 hours of sleep TOTAL since leaving Norfolk on Saturday. Otherwise, everything is great. Lots of great stuff going on with Walking Free.

Day 1

Our first activity on Monday morning was the opening ceremony to kick off National Disability Prevention and Rehabilitation Week, held at the University of the Philippines, Philippine General Hospital (UP-PGH). Rehabilitation department, hospital and university dignitaries were all there, and the ceremonies began with a rousing song by a group of special needs children and their teachers.

From there, we went to the PGH Prosthetics and Orthotics shop, which was the brainchild of Dr. Josephine (Penny) Bundoc, and
the first Walking Free clinic in the Philippines. The shop has 3 technicians (one is in Cambodia now earning his ISPO certification) and two trainees. Physicians for Peace volunteers have been coming to this shop for 5 years, often twice a year, to train the technicians and help them with the more complicated cases. The Prosthetic technicians, physical therapy interns and many of the patients greeted Mike and Dave warmly as they entered, and the two volunteers went straight to work fitting, adjusting and casting patients.

There were several patients with hip disarticulations, meaning that their full leg plus hip had been amputated. Pamela was one of these patients. She is 19, and has battled cancer which began in her calf muscle, since she was 13. At 17, the doctors finally advised her that they would need to remove her leg. She received her prosthetic just before her 18th birthday. Pamela could not afford such an expensive prosthetic, but she has a beautiful singing voice, and several benefactors financed her prosthesis and she is studying music, with an emphasis on voice. Pamela’s mother wonders what she would have done if her daughter had not been so talented.

Dr. Bundoc explains that they try their best to provide prostheses for those in need at the clinic (those who can afford it can go to the private P&O clinics in Manila), but the system makes it difficult sometimes. Patients must first be certified as indigent by the hospital social workers. They must then petition their local congressman, senators or governors for stipends from the political pork barrel funds. Since the amount granted is usually not enough to cover the procedures (even though the shop costs are greatly reduced), the patient must find an NGO or a benefactor to help. Sometimes, by the time they have the funds pledged, so much time has passed that their condition has changed or the pork barrel funding has expired and the process has to begin again. Currently, the shop fabricates about 40 limbs per month. They currently only have the capability to do lower body, not upper.

Physicians for Peace sends regular shipments of donated prosthetic components from the US to keep the costs down, but there is currently a backlog of about 40 above the knee and 40 hip prostheses, because of the shortage of knee and hip joints. A local shop has agreed to fabricate some knee joints locally for only the materials cost, but the process is highly involved and the joints must go through full testing before they can be accepted.

One of Dr. Bundoc’s fellows took us on a tour of the hospital rehabilitation department, both the paying patient section and the indigent section. We learned that the ultrasound machine had been stolen so the department had to do without one.

There is a great collaboration with a mobile phone company and health workers for amputee screenings piloting now. Kelly, the amputee art therapist, was interviwed by several media outlets yesterday and she should be on international Philippine cable station show airing today. Rest of the team is doing well. The physiatrist arrived late last nite, I hope. More later - need to get a couple of hours of sleep while I can.

Building Relationships with Niger State for Future Missions

Tuesday, July 13, 2010 by Ellen Libby

Today we welcomed dignitaries from Niger State - Nigeria's largest state - at our headquarter office in Norfolk who came to visit with the leadership team at Physicians for Peace to discuss future medical education and training opportunities in Niger. The Nigerian delegation was sent by Executive Governor, Dr Muazu Babangida Aliyu OON and included the Governor's Chief of Staff, Yusuf Garba, Ms. Aisha Aliyu of Zamfara State (a long time friend of Physicians for Peace in Nigeria) and Nigerian expatriates Prince Clement and Frances Tagwai, both living in the United States.

Physicians for Peace has worked in Zamfara State, Kaduna State and Rivers State in Nigeria. This will be their first time in Niger State.

2nd Quarter Updates - Physicians for Peace

Wednesday, July 7, 2010 by Ellen Libby

FINANCIAL STEWARDSHIP
Goodman & Co. just completed the audit for our 2009 Fiscal Year - marking another successful “unqualified audit”, the best type of report an organization can receive from an external auditor, for Physicians for Peace. You can find our audited financial statements and our 2009 annual report on our website at www.physiciansforpeace.org/about_financials.html.

MEDICAL MISSIONS
Spring was a busy quarter for our medical operations team as they managed complex logistics, diplomatically coordinated with host country partners, and prepared our eager volunteers for missions. The completed second quarter missions were:

Destination	Program
Asmara, Eritrea	Specialized Surgery
Deschapelles, Haiti	Walking Free - multiple missions
Fes, Morocco	Specialized Surgery
Leipzip, Germany	Walking Free - international conference
Diyarbakir, Turkey	Walking Free
Santiago, Dominican Republic	Maternal & Child Health - Resource Mothers
Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic	Walking Free
San Salvador, El Salvador	Burn Care
Monrovia, Liberia	Maternal & Child Health

Mission highlights include:

The first off-pump open heart surgery was performed by the Morocco mission team
Our Burn Consortium partner inaugurated a new burn clinic in El Salvador
Our Walking Free Philippines Director, Dr. Josephine Bundoc, was asked by the WHO to speak about the challenge of meeting the needs of amputees in developing countries at the International Society of Prosthetics and Orthotics (ISPO) conference in Germany
Julie Philips, MPH, presented her evaluation of the Walking Free program at the ISPO conference as well

MEDICAL SUPPLIES
We have received significant donations of medical supplies and equipment during the 2nd quarter to help our Walking Free, Seeing Clearly, Burn Care and Specialty Surgery programs. As a result of our highly-publicized collection drive for Haiti’s disabled, we have to date received over 1,000 boxes (about 25,000 lbs.) of high quality prosthetic components from 244 Hanger Prosthetic offices in 44 states. Many other organizations continue to donate items for our Walking Free program.

HAITI
Our efforts in Haiti continue as we meet the current rehabilitation needs of the amputees through an amputee clinic being managed at the Albert Schweitzer Hospital in the Central Plateau by Hanger Orthopedics, Christian Medical Mission Board, and other founding members of the Haitian Amputee Coalition, including Physicians for Peace. Physicians for Peace has sent numerous physical therapists and shipments of crutches and high quality prosthetic components to the clinic. The clinic has produced over 450 prostheses for amputee victims, more than any other site in Haiti. In fact, the donations have been so generous that we have now actually received more donations than Haiti can use. As a result, these donations will be directed to other developing countries where we have ongoing relationships and programs that can utilize them effectively.

Physicians for Peace continues to stay true to our mission of improving healthcare capacity through education and partnerships with local organizations to increase impact. Nowhere is this more important than in Haiti, where the needs of this “generation of amputees” will continue into the foreseeable future. To this end, Physicians for Peace is embarking on the following strategies:

- Physicians for Peace partnered with two universities in the Dominican Republic to bring together rehabilitation specialists, students, NGOs and Ministry of Health representatives from both Haiti and the Dominican Republic for a conference designed to identify best practices for sharing skills and knowledge across the island of Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic).

- Our Prosthetist Certification program in partnership with Don Bosco University in El Salvador will begin this fall. The plan combines distance learning with hands-on training by Physicians for Peace medical teams over a 3 yr period to become a certified prosthetics specialist. Physicians for Peace is awarding scholarships to those Haitians wishing to participate who are currently in training at the Amputee Clinic at Albert Schweitzer Hospital and other locations.

- Physicians for Peace has also partnered with Catholic Medical Mission Board (CMMB) and the Hanger Ivan Sabel Foundation to provide a comprehensive rehabilitation plan for Haiti. Under this partnership, Physicians for Peace would provide the training and education of physical therapists in Haiti.

We are proud to announce that Hanger Orthopedic Group, co-founder of the Haitian Amputee Coalition and our long-term partner in our Walking Free program, was honored for its charitable relief efforts in Haiti by InterAction, the largest alliance of U.S.-based international development and humanitarian nongovernmental organizations.

Physicians for Peace is a member of InterAction, and nominated Hanger Orthopedic Group for the Corporate Recognition for Humanitarian Assistance award for their outstanding work in spearheading the Haitian Amputee Coalition. They were in good company with the other honorees, which included JPMorgan Chase, Toys“R”Us, Inc., Whole Foods Markets, and American Express.

STRATEGIC PARTNERSHIPS
Brighton – Physicians for Peace received a donation of $58,000 from highly regarded women’s fashion designer Brighton as a result of their “Peace Charming” winter campaign. Customers were given the chance to vote for one of four charities for a Brighton donation, and Physicians for Peace received the most votes nationwide of the 4 charities selected this year.

Eastern Virginia Medical School – 4th year students medical students Ketzela Marsh and Brad Holbrook completed their 4th year rotation with a Physicians for Peace internship, including a mission to Eritrea. This is part of an on-going partnership with EVMS, including a scholarship opportunity.

George Washington University – our partnership with GWU medical faculty to provide specialty post-graduate medical education in Eritrea has officially ended. We are exploring other possibilities for joint ventures.

Old Dominion University – our on-going partnership with ODU includes a strong relationship with the College of Health Sciences, whose faculty and students have been very involved in our Walking Free program and now the Dental Care program. We are currently exploring a partnership among Physicians for Peace, ODU and the Universidad Autónoma de Nicaragua in Leon to develop a dental hygiene curriculum, which would be the first in Latin America.

American Red Cross – Physicians for Peace held a successful meeting recently to discuss partnering on a blood banking initiative in Mali.

International Society of Ultrasound Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) and the Millennium Cities Initiative (MCI) – in our quest to most effectively bring together the resources needed to create positive health outcomes, Physicians for Peace is facilitating a partnership between ISUOG and MCI for potential projects in Ghana.

Family Health International – a fall return mission to Ethiopia is planned for our on-going partnership.

RECENT EVENTS

April 12 – Haiti Day at GWU. Physicians for Peace President and CEO Ron Sconyers was asked to address the needs of the disabled in Haiti as part of a panel discussion hosted by The George Washington University Medical Center. The guest of honor for the Forum was Haiti’s first lady.

April 25 - Taste of India in Norfolk. Physicians for Peace information booth at the event. Physicians for Peace has received generous support for our medical mission work from the local Indian community.

May 15 – Zach Collett’ s began his ambitious Walk for Haiti at the US Capitol in Washington DC on April 12th, and ended at Bicentennial Park in Miami on May 15, where he addressed a crowd of 15,000 Haitians at their Compas Festival. Zach, , a student at Southern Virginia University, chose Physicians for Peace as his charity of choice for his Walk.

June 9 – Dr. Jyoti Upadhyay, a volunteer pediatric urologist on the Morocco mission presented a Mission Debrief in Norfolk.

June 11- our June Board of Trustees Dinner featured:
- a touching SKYPE presentation about her Haiti mission from physical therapist Mary Anne Kramer-Urner,
- an overview of the recent Walking Free conference in the Dominican Republic aimed at identifying best practices in sharing rehabilitation skills and knowledge across Hispaniola (Haiti and the Dominican Republic) by Dr. Gail Grisetti,
- a heartfelt appeal for funding by local Norfolk restaurateur and Moroccan native Omar Boukhriss, - and a husband and wife tag team presentation about the Morocco Surgical mission by anesthesiologist Dr. Dean Giacobbe and photographer Kris Giacobbe.

June 12 – Physicians for Peace Board of Trustees meeting. We are pleased to announce that new trustees elected to the board, effective October 2, include:
- Lawrence B. Colen M.D., F.A.C.S. - Norfolk Plastic Surgery, P.C. and Associate Professor of Plastic Surgery (Plastic & Reconstructive) at Eastern Virginia Medical School
- Maurice Jones - President and Publisher of The Virginian-Pilot
- Carmen Hooker Odom - President of the Milbank Memorial Fund
- Ivan Sable - Chairman of the Hanger/Ivan R. Sabel Foundation and Chairman of the Board of Directors of Hanger Orthopedic Group

We are also pleased that Eid B. Mustafa, M.D., F.A.C.S. has agreed to serve once again as a Trustee.

SNEAK PEEK – UPCOMING EVENTS
Physicians for Peace is moving its headquarters on West Bute Street to 500 East Main Street on the 9th Floor. The move will be completed on July 31. All phone and fax numbers will remain the same.

The 5th annual Physicians for Peace Gala Reception will be held on Saturday October 2, 2010. President Bill Clinton is the recipient of this year’s Charles E. Horton Humanitarian Award for his international work, especially in Haiti and in Asia after the Tsunami. Please reserve the date and contact Sallie Ray at sray@physiciansforpeace.org for corporate sponsorship opportunities or live auction donations.

APROQUEN (Asociación Pro-niños Quemados de Nicaragua) in Managua, Nicaragua will host the Burn Care Consortium’s annual meeting in August. The Consortium includes burn clinics in eight Caribbean and Latin American countries and was formed as the successful next step in the Burn Care program established by Physicians for Peace in the region.

Fun{run}RAISER will be a combination 8K, half marathon, and full marathon Physicians for Peace team racing in the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The team has a set a fundraising goal of $50K to support the medical missions for Physicians for Peace volunteers. Click here if you would like to support our race for health.

Our Medical Operations team is busy planning (and our development department is identifying donations to fund) upcoming missions to:

Upcoming Destination	Program
Guayaquil, Ecuador	Specialized Surgery
Leon, Nicaragua	Dental Program
Manila, Philippines	Walking Free
Dilla and Adigrat, Ethiopia	Specialized Surgery
Manila/Zamboanga, Philippines	Seeing Clearly
Managua, Nicaragua	Burn Care
Lilongwe/Blantyre, Malawi	Maternal & Child Health
San Salvador, El Salvador	Burn Care
Ramallah, West Bank	Specialized Surgery
Nagpur, India	Maternal & Child Health
Santa Cruz, Bolivia	Specialized Surgery

Gifts in Kind Keep the Programs Running

Friday, July 2, 2010 by Gifts Kind

Where Do the Eyeglasses, Prosthetics, and Surgical Equipment Go?

Over the last few months, we have received significant donations of medical supplies and equipment to help our Walking Free, Seeing Clearly, Burn Care and Specialty Surgery programs. Our warehouse and overflow storage spaces were bursting at the seams with donations of crutches, walkers, canes, wheelchairs, and prosthetic limbs from groups in Virginia, Indiana, North Carolina, Massachusetts, Illinois, California, Alabama, New York, Arkansas, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Idaho, Montana, Florida, and Nebraska just to name a few. All of these donations are in short supply in many places where we work and will be shipped wherever they are needed the most.

While we continue preparing shipments for Haiti during the second quarter, we also were able to send additional shipments to the Dominican Republic and the Philippines. We shipped a large amount of quality-certified prosthetic components to Haiti through Southern Prosthetic Supply. The components will be used to build new limbs for individuals that lost their limbs as a result of the earthquake in January. The Stryker hospital beds and mattresses have also been shipped to Haiti for the Hospital Albert Schweitzer.

As a result of our highly-publicized collection drive for Haiti’s disabled, we have to date received over 1,000 boxes (about 25,000 lbs.) of high quality prosthetic components from 244 Hanger Prosthetic offices in 44 states. Other especially noteworthy donations include:

Burn garment materials, compression gloves and UVEX sheets to help support our June El Salvador mission and an upcoming Guatemala mission.

Bone graft supplies from Ortho-vita, Inc. to be used by our physicians for an upcoming surgical mission to Ecuador on July 3-July 10.

Over 70 prosthetic limbs from Ability Prosthetics and Orthotics that will be used to help support our “Walking Free” program in Haiti.

30 hospital beds and 18 mattresses from Stryker Medical Products for delivery to Hospital Albert Schweitzer in Haiti.

Over $100,000.00 worth of medical supplies were donated by State of the Art Medical Products and will be used during upcoming surgical missions.

$25,000.00 worth of endoscopy equipment (video colonoscopies, video gastroscopes, and video processors) from The Endoscopy Center of Connecticut. This donation is currently headed to Philippine General Hospital, where it is sorely needed.

An opthamology chair, slit lamp, tonometers, phoropter, keratometer, and many other supplies to support our Seeing Clearly program in the Philippines were donated by Dr. Gene Grace, an optometrist in Durham, NC.

Shipments

On June 21, we shipped a forty foot long container to the Philippines that will be used to support the Walking Free, Seeing Clearly and Specialty Surgery programs. Supplies included eyeglasses, ophthalmology equipment, prosthetic components, wheelchairs, canes, crutches, and walkers, and endoscopy equipment. Paincare infusion pumps, accessory kits, and catheters are on their way to the Dominican Republic, where they will be used by patients for the management of post-operative pain.

During the next few months we are planning to ship containers to the Philippines, Haiti, the Dominican Republic, and El Salvador.

These medical programs are highly successful due to these generous gifts. If your organization would like to contribute to our gifts-in-kind program, please contact our gifts-in-kind manager at khudson@physiciansforpeace.org.

Celebrate Independence Day!

Thursday, July 1, 2010 by Ellen Libby

More than two decades ago, Physicians for Peace began an important journey to declare “independence” for those around the world who did not have “freedom” because they did not have access to adquate health care. When Physicians for Peace was launched, and every day since then, we have been another kind of force for freedom, freedom from suffering and disability as we mobilize volunteers to help those who can’t help themselves.

As we celebrate our freedoms this weekend, let’s remember all those Physicians for Peace “freedom fighters” who served and are serving on the front lines where poverty and disease make life unbearable for so many…giving them independence, friendship and peace through medicine.

Have an enjoyable and safe 4th of July holiday!

Train & Heels – the Physicians for Peace FUN{run}RAISER Team

Tuesday, June 29, 2010 by Volunteer Conection

Celebration RUN
Friday, July 9, 2010 by Ellen Libby

“Running is my personal time. I run as fast as I want. I run where my feet lead me. I run to clear my head. But, running for a cause gives extra motivation, even on the hottest of days." – Anne Klinkhammer, Team Physicians for Peace

Super turn out yesterday for our FUN{run}RAISER. The four runners from the previous training day were joined by three additional Physicians for Peace staff, a staff daughter, and a friend! The team split into two groups; one led by Mary for the team run/walkers and the other led by Laura for the “hard core” runners. Mary did ask Laura if she had her map of the route. Laura, pointing to her head, claimed she didn’t need it. Needless to say, we got off track in the twisting roads of Ghent. Luckily, two “Ghentinites” – both runners – were able to lead the team back on track.

This particular run marked a special day for our “flip-flop” runner, Anne, who enjoyed celebrating her birthday with the ladies on a particularly hot and humid day. Arriving fully prepped in socks and sneakers today, she was grinning to herself during the entire run. I think she was thinking flip flops would have been a bit cooler.

Hope to see you on our heels for the next run, September 7th at 5:00pm.

Hitting the Pavement for Charity with Team Physicians for Peace

"This is a great way to motivate myself, while at the same time remind me that running long distances requires a certain type of discipline. This race also gives me a chance to raise money for my favorite charity. Although I am not guaranteeing to finish in [my] record time, I wan

t people to know that I am serious about my challenge, more importantly I want to raise awareness for those who haven't even heard about the amazing work we do at Physicians for Peace." - Ellen Libby, Runner, Team Physicians for Peace

Just trying to get out of the office is pretty tough. But this 105 degree weather is making it tougher to get the motivation to run this evening. Mary was able to convince four out of the eight runners/walkers to join the run today. Eventually, we will get a day when the entire running team can meet and take over an entire lane... just kidding commuters.

You may notice in the photo below, Anne (Director of Global Health Programs) is running in a pair of flip flops. Talk about dedication...her feet are in pain from an old injury and wearing sneakers seems to aggravate the flair ups. Will she be running in flip flops for the half marathon? You'll have to come to the Outer Banks to find out.

As you know, Physicians for Peace not only provides primary and specialty patient care, but promotes sustainable health programs in our partner countries through education and training. Our hope to continue developing these programs in need can be met through your support. Click here to help us meet our FUN{run}RAISER goal today.

Team Run Schedule:

Tuesday, June 22nd: 5pm- 2 mile run/walk here in downtown Norfolk. Leaving from the office and ending at Baxters. (completed)

Thursday, July 8th: 5pm- 3 mile run/walk here in downtown Norfolk. Leaving from the office and ending at Baxters.

Monday, September 7th: 5pm - run/walk downtown Norfolk. Leaving from the office and ending at Baxters.

Sunday, October 10th: 1pm- 7mile run – Cape Henry Trail (Meet at First Landing Park)

Care for Salvadoran Children Burn Victims Has United Organizations

Monday, June 28, 2010 by Ellen Libby

Celebrating the Inauguration of a New Burn Clinic

June 24th, 2010 marked a very important day for the lives of Salvadoran children. A project that had begun in 2004 was brought to fruition at the inauguration of the Unidad de Ninos Quemados “Familia Meehan” (The “Meehan Family” Children’s Burn Unit). Speeches were given by representatives of each organization whose financial contribution made the burn unit a possibility: the Meehan Family Foundation, the Ministry of Health, the Benjamín Bloom Hospital, the Benjamín Bloom Foundation and APROQUEMES (the Association for Burned Children in El Salvador).

Those gathered recognized that “burn injuries are amongst the most painful that a person can endure" and thus “it was the very courage and faith shown by those children who had been treated in the main hospital building in past years that motivated the efforts to provide better treatment. Despite their pain, these children inspired all around them to recognize that many times, life’s barriers are nothing other than walls we ourselves create in our imagination.” said Dr. Antonio Bonilla-President of APROQUEMES.

Expressions of appreciation were made evident in the fact that walls mean nothing when collaboration amongst many people and organizations unite for a cause. In this case, the cause of providing care for Salvadoran children who have suffered from burn injuries has united many in the construction of the burn unit and, even more importantly, in the long term commitment to enhancing that care.

Physicians for Peace has been partnered with APROQUEMES since facilitating a Central American and Caribbean burn care association in 2006. As the new building begins to function, Dr. Bonilla and the staff of the burn unit will continue to be supported as Physicians for Peace supports their equipment, materials and training needs. The upcoming August 29-September 2 burn nurse and rehabilitation training mission will provide practical educational experiences as Physicians for Peace volunteers collaborate with seventeen Salvadoran nurses and seven therapists.

Please consider supporting this mission as we respond to requests from our partners to be one partner in a united front to help construct medical facilities around the globe.

The Husband - Wife Tag Team to Haiti

Thursday, June 24, 2010 by Walking Free

We've been mesmerized and brimming with tears listening to Mary Kramer Urner share her volunteer stories of Haiti. At our recent Board of Trustees event, she captured the hearts of Physicians for Peace staff and friends through our pilot videoconferencing on Skype - a big success! Mary has brought to us, through her power of words, the understanding of volunteers' yearning to continue their work through our medical missions. In the whirlwind of her trip to Haiti and barely enough time to get back into her regular routine, she spins around to wave good bye to her husband, Dave, who is off to Haiti to continue the Physical Therapy work.

Here is a brief update from Mary:

I spoke with Dave tonight. He sounded really good; exhausted and invigorated, all at the same time. He saw about 18 patients at the clinic on the first day, and really felt like he’d hit the ground running–it was all pretty much a blur. It was him and one other PT from Boston trying to manage a busload of people from Port-au-Prince. But, by today, they’d figured out some organizational methods that helped rein in the chaos a bit, and he felt much better about how the flow went.

He’s in awe of all the beautiful people he’s encountered. Their resilience and positive attitudes have been infectious. His patient handling skills have come right back to him which allows him to feel that his presence there is meaningful and effective (I knew that would happen!) He also said that he can really picture me, Sage [their daughter] and him there someday (so can I).

The tent hand-off went well at the airport, once Dave finally arrived there. The tent is still in Port-au-Prince, but hopefully it will get up to the mountain community of Duval this weekend (the thunderstorms have prevented travel there so far). Regardless of when the tent actually makes it up there, I’m happy to know that it’s in Haiti and that it will make it to Aunt Margaret and her family very soon.

Update: Day 3
Dave called from the clinic this morning just before the morning busload of folks arrived for prosthetic fitting and training. He told me something that happened yesterday. He worked with a 12 year-old girl who had lost her leg above the knee, and both of her parents, in the earthquake. He said that she mainly just stared out ahead of her, not really focused or engaged. As he described it, he started to choke up. That’s when it really hit me that he was describing someone Sage’s age. We were both just silent for a moment, feeling the deep sadness of that thought. I thought about her being in a deep state of shock. Broke my heart. Each story of loss and sadness is unique, yet all are so much alike. I’m glad that Dave is there, sharing his very big heart. He is doing really important work.

Update: Father's Day

Sage and I were able to speak to Dave yesterday for Fathers’ Day. He sounded great, having had his first day off since his arrival. He and some others took a 3 hour hike (all uphill!) to a place called Verrette Falls yesterday. It was hot, hot, hot—requiring lots of water—but the water fall was lovely.

He told me that the 12 year-old girl (Nahomi) I wrote about last week was better on Saturday when he worked with her. She’d begun to make eye contact, smile and even laugh a little. It seems like a bit of hope is seeping in.

He was gearing up for another busy Monday when a busload of people are brought in from Port-au-Prince for limb casting. That and the group of people who are staying at L’Escale (the nearby hospital housing for people training to use their limbs). There are now 2-3 P.T.s and a P.T. Assistant, so the clinic is well staffed with a great group of folks. He’s taking lots of pictures, so I’m looking forward to seeing how things have changed (and how some things have stayed the same!) since my time there.

Update: I'm Back!

Well, I’ve returned from Haiti and am safely and comfortably back home. What an amazing 2 weeks I have had, and I will have many stories to share once I start to process all I’ve experienced. Very short, simple version: I had an excellent time working with some great PTs, with quite remarkable patients--people who have so much life in them, in the midst of a devastated country, that you can’t help but admire and love them. I feel like I brought so much good will, from you all, and did some good things there, helped a lot of people. But it’s hard to escape the fact that there is still such overwhelming need. As a PT who was in Haiti some years ago said, “It is the most hopeless country, with the most hopeful people.” I think she got it right.

Thanks for all of your support through this. I am very glad to be back with Mary Anne and Sage in my most fortunate life. More later!