The Christian Medical & Dental Associations, the nation's largest faith-based organization of Christian doctors, today announced a new initiative to encourage doctors to give of their time and resources to help the poor.
"We are pleased to be introducing the Four-Percent Solution program to doctors around the country," said Dr. Al Weir, Director of Campus and Community Ministries and Director of Medical Education International for the 17,000-member CMDA. "The Four-Percent Solution offers very practical, tangible ways for doctors to put their faith and compassion into action.
"What we're asking doctors to do," explained Dr. Weir, "is to consider and commit to specific strategies to use God's blessings to them in a way that blesses someone far less fortunate."
"For example," Dr. Weir said, "a doctor may choose to spend two weeks a year--about four percent of the year--in overseas mission work that directly impacts the healthcare, housing, job skills or nutrition of the poor."
Doctors can accomplish their goal through the CMDA's Global Health Outreach or Medical Education International, or through other mission organizations. Global Health Outreach offers over 40 trips a year to minister directly to poor patients, and Medical Education International sends doctors to teach doctors in other countries about the latest patient care techniques. Both outreach programs emphasize not only physical care and training but also spiritual ministry.
Dr. Weir explained, "Other options that doctors may consider for service and giving include accepting one uninsured patient out of every 25 patients--four percent of all the patients they see in their practices. Some doctors may choose to volunteer about eight hours a month in a healthcare clinic for the poor. Others may want to supplement their local church giving by contributing an additional four percent of their net profits to the poor--through the church or another Christian ministry serving the poor."
Dr. Gene Rudd, CMDA Associate Executive Director added, "We doctors often get so busy that we sometimes neglect the very things we consider most important. The Four Percent Solution program helps busy doctors nail down specific commitments that help them to translate their values and their faith into action."
Dr. David Stevens, CMDA Executive Director and author of the book, Jesus MD, added, "The Christian Medical& Dental Associations is pleased to partner in this program with the Baptist Medical Dental Fellowship, the Church Health Center, the Christian Community Health Fellowship and Christ Community Health Services. Each of the groups involved in the Four Percent initiative have a proven history of reaching out to the poor with both physical and spiritual help."
"Our common goal," Dr. Stevens noted, "is to encourage and provide opportunities for thousands of doctors to honor God and His Word by caring for the poor and uninsured. We're convinced that Jesus--the Great Physician--would encourage doctors to focus on opportunities to minister to the needy among us."
Doctors who have already committed to this level of service to the poor, and those who wish to begin are urged to contact Dr. Al Weir at 1-888-230-2637 or by e-mail at 4percentcmda.
To schedule an interview please contact Margie Shealy at (423) 844-1047 or e-mail at Margie.Shealycmda.
cmda
воскресенье, 31 июля 2011 г.
четверг, 28 июля 2011 г.
UNICEF Moving Relief Supplies to Quake-Affected Areas of Pakistan
UNICEF said it is supplying immediate assistance to the government of Pakistan in the wake of Saturday's massive earthquake, adding that in a region where one-fifth of the population is under age five the death toll among young children could be very high.
Just hours after the quake struck, UNICEF began moving supplies from a Karachi warehouse into the affected region. The supplies include blankets, clothing, tents, emergency medical supplies, food for infants, and water purification tablets. UNICEF will work closely with the Government of Pakistan to determine what additional relief supplies may be needed. UNICEF is standing by to mobilize needed supplies from its operations elsewhere in the region and from its global supply hub in Copenhagen.
Speaking from New York, UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman said that the agency is preparing for a response to match the scale of the disaster, noting that children make up half the population of the affected areas.
"Children in the affected areas will be vulnerable to hunger, cold, illness, and trauma," Veneman said. "Getting immediate life-saving relief into the region will be our priority for the next hours and days, even as the search and rescue effort goes on."
Teams will be deployed from UNICEF's Peshawar office in Pakistan's North West Province early on Sunday morning into the countryside as part of a joint UN response team. A quarter of the population in the area hit by the quake is under the poverty line, with limited resources to cope with disaster.
Omar Abdi, the head of UNICEF's operations in Pakistan, said that UNICEF and WHO are providing logistics support and supplies to the surgical teams sent by the Pakistan Government to care for the most badly injured.
UNICEF said that emotional trauma will be an important concern, especially for children. Many people are likely to be too frightened to sleep in their houses or apartments tonight because of aftershocks. Schools that were not damaged or destroyed will likely remain closed or disrupted for several days but the agency said that returning children to school as soon as possible will be important to their recovery.
UNICEF has staff, supplies, and ongoing operations in each of the three countries affected by the earthquake. In Pakistan, UNICEF focuses on maternal and child health, education, water and sanitation, and protection of children from exploitation. In 2003, UNICEF worked closely with Pakistani authorities after devastating floods hit Sindh province and affected more than 800,000 people.
"This is more sad news in a year that has seen more than enough already," Veneman said. "We are very concerned about children in the affected areas of Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. We'll do whatever we can to help them, their families, and their governments."
For further information, please contact:
Gordon Weiss, UNICEF Media, Tel: 212 326 7426 e-mail:
gweissunicef
Kate Donovan, UNICEF Media Tel: 212 326 7452 e-mail:
kdonovanunicef
unicef/media/media_28590.html
Just hours after the quake struck, UNICEF began moving supplies from a Karachi warehouse into the affected region. The supplies include blankets, clothing, tents, emergency medical supplies, food for infants, and water purification tablets. UNICEF will work closely with the Government of Pakistan to determine what additional relief supplies may be needed. UNICEF is standing by to mobilize needed supplies from its operations elsewhere in the region and from its global supply hub in Copenhagen.
Speaking from New York, UNICEF Executive Director Ann Veneman said that the agency is preparing for a response to match the scale of the disaster, noting that children make up half the population of the affected areas.
"Children in the affected areas will be vulnerable to hunger, cold, illness, and trauma," Veneman said. "Getting immediate life-saving relief into the region will be our priority for the next hours and days, even as the search and rescue effort goes on."
Teams will be deployed from UNICEF's Peshawar office in Pakistan's North West Province early on Sunday morning into the countryside as part of a joint UN response team. A quarter of the population in the area hit by the quake is under the poverty line, with limited resources to cope with disaster.
Omar Abdi, the head of UNICEF's operations in Pakistan, said that UNICEF and WHO are providing logistics support and supplies to the surgical teams sent by the Pakistan Government to care for the most badly injured.
UNICEF said that emotional trauma will be an important concern, especially for children. Many people are likely to be too frightened to sleep in their houses or apartments tonight because of aftershocks. Schools that were not damaged or destroyed will likely remain closed or disrupted for several days but the agency said that returning children to school as soon as possible will be important to their recovery.
UNICEF has staff, supplies, and ongoing operations in each of the three countries affected by the earthquake. In Pakistan, UNICEF focuses on maternal and child health, education, water and sanitation, and protection of children from exploitation. In 2003, UNICEF worked closely with Pakistani authorities after devastating floods hit Sindh province and affected more than 800,000 people.
"This is more sad news in a year that has seen more than enough already," Veneman said. "We are very concerned about children in the affected areas of Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. We'll do whatever we can to help them, their families, and their governments."
For further information, please contact:
Gordon Weiss, UNICEF Media, Tel: 212 326 7426 e-mail:
gweissunicef
Kate Donovan, UNICEF Media Tel: 212 326 7452 e-mail:
kdonovanunicef
unicef/media/media_28590.html
понедельник, 25 июля 2011 г.
General Practice Fact Sheet - Flooding And Its Impact On Mental Health, Australia
The Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP) has developed a general practice fact sheet providing useful information and resources to help with the impact of flood in relation to mental health.
GPs have been reported to be the most consulted group of health care professionals for people with mental illness, with 71 percent of patients in Australia initially presenting to their GP. Thus, it is likely that GPs will be the most likely health professionals consulted by people who have been affected by the recent floods and are experiencing some difficulties with their mental health.
The fact sheet contains key information about:
- Trauma and response to natural disasters
- Telephone counseling and help lines for patients
- Mental health services directly involving general practitioners
- Useful mental health resources for GPs needing support.
Professor Claire Jackson, RACGP President and GP in Brisbane, said that it is important that GPs take good care in regards to health of their patients, as well as their own mental health, during the coming weeks and months.
"GPs are most likely to be the first point of contact for patients experiencing mental health problems as a result of the floods; hence they should maintain a high level of awareness for depressive and anxious symptoms when treating patients. Also, GPs who look after themselves will be better equipped to provide the best possible care to their patients and the wider community during this unprecedented disaster," she said.
The full 'General practice fact sheet - flooding and its impact on mental health' and other useful information is now available on the College website. Please visit here.
Over the next few weeks the College will be developing further resources and the RACGP website will be updated regularly with clinical information, practice support solutions and useful links to assist general practitioners and their teams to respond appropriately.
Source:
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
GPs have been reported to be the most consulted group of health care professionals for people with mental illness, with 71 percent of patients in Australia initially presenting to their GP. Thus, it is likely that GPs will be the most likely health professionals consulted by people who have been affected by the recent floods and are experiencing some difficulties with their mental health.
The fact sheet contains key information about:
- Trauma and response to natural disasters
- Telephone counseling and help lines for patients
- Mental health services directly involving general practitioners
- Useful mental health resources for GPs needing support.
Professor Claire Jackson, RACGP President and GP in Brisbane, said that it is important that GPs take good care in regards to health of their patients, as well as their own mental health, during the coming weeks and months.
"GPs are most likely to be the first point of contact for patients experiencing mental health problems as a result of the floods; hence they should maintain a high level of awareness for depressive and anxious symptoms when treating patients. Also, GPs who look after themselves will be better equipped to provide the best possible care to their patients and the wider community during this unprecedented disaster," she said.
The full 'General practice fact sheet - flooding and its impact on mental health' and other useful information is now available on the College website. Please visit here.
Over the next few weeks the College will be developing further resources and the RACGP website will be updated regularly with clinical information, practice support solutions and useful links to assist general practitioners and their teams to respond appropriately.
Source:
Royal Australian College of General Practitioners (RACGP)
пятница, 22 июля 2011 г.
First American Donation To WFP's Global Network Of Humanitarian Response Depots
The United Nations World Food Program (WFP) has welcomed
a US$500,000 contribution from the US government to WFP's network of
Humanitarian Response Depots around the world.
"This contribution demonstrates US support for a global emergency
warehouse network that provides provisions to people in need when an
emergency strikes," said Jordan Dey, Director of WFP's US Relations Office.
Humanitarian Response Depots (HRDs) comprise the cornerstone of a global
emergency response system that enables humanitarian supplies to be
pre-positioned in five key locations across the world: Accra in Ghana,
Brindisi in Italy, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Panama City in Panama
and Subang in Malaysia.
The depots stock basic supplies (food, shelter, medical kits) and
operational support equipment including prefabricated offices and living
accommodation, communications gear and logistical items for the
humanitarian community. The depots also serve as staging areas and have
training facilities for humanitarian workers.
Run by WFP, HRDs are a collaborative venture between NGOs, government and
UN organizations. They house supplies from different organizations in the
same warehouse, enabling quick, effective and cost-efficient deployment of
materials into emergency zones. Users of the HRD network include World
Vision, Mercy Corps US, World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
For example, in June, supplies were sent from the HRD in Accra to help
refugees from Darfur, Sudan that have fled to the Central African Republic.
Last month food and other supplies were sent from the HRD in Brindisi,
Italy to feed people in Chad and Somalia.
The US donation, its first for the HRDs, came from USAID's Office of
Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), which has been a strong supporter of
WFP. 2007 contributions include US$4 million to support humanitarian air
operations in Darfur and US$1 million to populations affected by conflict
in Nepal. The recent donation to HRDs brings total contributions from OFDA
in 2007 to over $8 million.
The US donation will help strengthen the depot network and the
pre-positioning of logistical supplies and relief items at all depots.
WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency: on average, each year, we
give food to 90 million poor people to meet their nutritional needs,
including 58 million hungry children, in 80 of the world's poorest
countries. WFP -- We Feed People.
wfp
a US$500,000 contribution from the US government to WFP's network of
Humanitarian Response Depots around the world.
"This contribution demonstrates US support for a global emergency
warehouse network that provides provisions to people in need when an
emergency strikes," said Jordan Dey, Director of WFP's US Relations Office.
Humanitarian Response Depots (HRDs) comprise the cornerstone of a global
emergency response system that enables humanitarian supplies to be
pre-positioned in five key locations across the world: Accra in Ghana,
Brindisi in Italy, Dubai in the United Arab Emirates, Panama City in Panama
and Subang in Malaysia.
The depots stock basic supplies (food, shelter, medical kits) and
operational support equipment including prefabricated offices and living
accommodation, communications gear and logistical items for the
humanitarian community. The depots also serve as staging areas and have
training facilities for humanitarian workers.
Run by WFP, HRDs are a collaborative venture between NGOs, government and
UN organizations. They house supplies from different organizations in the
same warehouse, enabling quick, effective and cost-efficient deployment of
materials into emergency zones. Users of the HRD network include World
Vision, Mercy Corps US, World Health Organization (WHO) and the UN Office
for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA).
For example, in June, supplies were sent from the HRD in Accra to help
refugees from Darfur, Sudan that have fled to the Central African Republic.
Last month food and other supplies were sent from the HRD in Brindisi,
Italy to feed people in Chad and Somalia.
The US donation, its first for the HRDs, came from USAID's Office of
Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), which has been a strong supporter of
WFP. 2007 contributions include US$4 million to support humanitarian air
operations in Darfur and US$1 million to populations affected by conflict
in Nepal. The recent donation to HRDs brings total contributions from OFDA
in 2007 to over $8 million.
The US donation will help strengthen the depot network and the
pre-positioning of logistical supplies and relief items at all depots.
WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency: on average, each year, we
give food to 90 million poor people to meet their nutritional needs,
including 58 million hungry children, in 80 of the world's poorest
countries. WFP -- We Feed People.
wfp
вторник, 19 июля 2011 г.
Five American Health Care Professionals Arrested In Zimbabwe
Five Americans, two of them doctors, two nurses and an organizer who worked with AIDS patients and orphans in Zimbabwe have been arrested for not having appropriate medical licenses, according to their attorney, Jonathan Samukange. Chairwoman of an AIDS program run by the Allen Temple Baptist Church, Oakland, California, Gloria Cox is among those arrested, the lawyer said - the organization supports AIDS orphans and people with AIDS in Zimbabwe. The church serves a mainly African-American congregation.
The five were arrested on Thursday and have remained in jail since.
Samukange adds that a Zimbabwean doctor was also arrested.
Their lawyer said that the arrested individuals have been accused of:
Practicing medicine without proper licences
Running a pharmacy without a pharmacist's licence
Running a pharmacy without the supervision of a pharmacist
Samukange refutes the accusations, saying the Americans do have proper licenses. He added that the pharmacy they were supervising gave out mainly medications for the treatment of AIDS.
The defendants are expected to appear in court on Monday. They were to appear on Saturday, September 11, but according to their lawyer, the police still have some paperwork to finish off. According to local and US media, they are being kept in smelly and badly ventilated cells at Harare Central police station.
Zimbabwe's health system relies heavily on help from charitable organizations. The team had brought antiretroviral drugs for about 800 AIDS patients - according to The New York Times, they came with four-months' supply.
The Herald, a state-run newspaper in Zimbabwe, quoted a police spokesman who said:
It is our duty to ensure that all clinics and medical institutions are registered for easy monitoring.
There is a risk of dispensation of expired drugs. When premises are not licensed, it is difficult to check if the act is being complied with.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation there are almost two million people living with HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, representing the third largest HIV/AIDS burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Zimbabwe has among the highest rates of HIV/AIDS prevalence in the world.
USAID informs that the first reported case of AIDS in Zimbabwe occurred in 1985; by the end of that decade approximately 10% of the nation's adult population was thought to be infected with HIV. By 1997 over 36% of Zimbabwe's adult population was infected with HIV. Since then, USAID says HIV prevalence has been dropping; Zimbabwe is one of the first African countries to experience a decline.
Sources: Herald (Zimbabwe), USAID, Kaiser Family Foundation, New York Times.
Written by
The five were arrested on Thursday and have remained in jail since.
Samukange adds that a Zimbabwean doctor was also arrested.
Their lawyer said that the arrested individuals have been accused of:
Practicing medicine without proper licences
Running a pharmacy without a pharmacist's licence
Running a pharmacy without the supervision of a pharmacist
Samukange refutes the accusations, saying the Americans do have proper licenses. He added that the pharmacy they were supervising gave out mainly medications for the treatment of AIDS.
The defendants are expected to appear in court on Monday. They were to appear on Saturday, September 11, but according to their lawyer, the police still have some paperwork to finish off. According to local and US media, they are being kept in smelly and badly ventilated cells at Harare Central police station.
Zimbabwe's health system relies heavily on help from charitable organizations. The team had brought antiretroviral drugs for about 800 AIDS patients - according to The New York Times, they came with four-months' supply.
The Herald, a state-run newspaper in Zimbabwe, quoted a police spokesman who said:
It is our duty to ensure that all clinics and medical institutions are registered for easy monitoring.
There is a risk of dispensation of expired drugs. When premises are not licensed, it is difficult to check if the act is being complied with.
According to the Kaiser Family Foundation there are almost two million people living with HIV/AIDS in Zimbabwe, representing the third largest HIV/AIDS burden in sub-Saharan Africa. Zimbabwe has among the highest rates of HIV/AIDS prevalence in the world.
USAID informs that the first reported case of AIDS in Zimbabwe occurred in 1985; by the end of that decade approximately 10% of the nation's adult population was thought to be infected with HIV. By 1997 over 36% of Zimbabwe's adult population was infected with HIV. Since then, USAID says HIV prevalence has been dropping; Zimbabwe is one of the first African countries to experience a decline.
Sources: Herald (Zimbabwe), USAID, Kaiser Family Foundation, New York Times.
Written by
суббота, 16 июля 2011 г.
Urgent Food Airlift By French NGO For Niger's Hungry
In response to repeated appeals to the international community to help stave off the deepening hunger crisis in Niger, the United Nations World Food Programme announced today that a much-needed airlift of food commodities from R?unir, a French aid agency, arrived early today in Maradi, one of the hardest hit areas of the country.
An estimated 3.6 million people are highly vulnerable and 2.5 million are in need of food aid.
Today's airlift consisted of 16 tonnes of oil, sugar and Plumpy'nut (a highly nutritious paste for young children) sent aboard an Antonov 12 aircraft from Marseille, France. A further airlift on Transall aircraft will take place over the weekend, with 40 tons of millet and 28 tons of oil delivered from Ndjamena in neighbouring Chad, to Maradi, thanks to the help of the French government.
These food supplies will help to replenish dwindling food stocks in Niger, where WFP is providing emergency food aid to 1.2 million of the most needy people.
This month, WFP almost tripled the number of beneficiaries due to rising malnutrition rates, especially among children. The woes of the annual "hunger season" have increased exponentially due both to poor rains and the devastation to crops and grazing by the worst locust invasion in 15 years.
"People are truly desperate. We need to provide as much urgent nourishment as we can to stop the appalling scenes of children slowly dying before their parents' eyes." said Gian Carlo Cirri, WFP Niger Country Director.
"It is extremely important to act quickly in this kind of situation," said Bernard Kouchner, former French Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, who also founded and heads R?unir. The NGO gathered foodstuffs from French companies such as Carrefour, l'Oreal and Total and organised the airlifts to Niger.
Noting that until now, relatively few images depicting the horror of starvation in Niger have been shown, Kouchner said he hoped that the airlifts would save lives and that the efforts to rapidly mobilise airlifts would encourage similar humanitarian response from France and beyond.
Veolia Environnement, a world leader in environmental services, donated US$ 12,000 (Euros 10,000) to WFP for the hungry in Niger.
So far, WFP's appeal for US$ 16 million for its emergency operation in Niger has received just US$ 5.2 million dollars, representing a 68 percent shortfall. Besides multilateral donations amounting to US$1.8 million; donors include: Italy (US$1.2 million); UK (US$912,000); Germany (US$627,000); Luxembourg (US$323,000); Denmark (US$279,000); Private donor (Veolia) (US$12,000).
WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency: each year, we give food to an average of 90 million poor people to meet their nutritional needs, including 56 million hungry children, in at least 80 of the world's poorest countries. WFP -- We Feed People.
WFP Global School Feeding Campaign - For just 19 US cents a day, you can help WFP give children in poor countries a healthy meal at school - a gift of hope for a brighter future.
Visit our website: wfp
For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastnamewfp):
Brenda Barton,
Deputy Director Communications,
WFP/Rome,
Tel. +39-06-65132602,
Mob. +39-3472582217
Christiane Berthiaume,
WFP/Geneva,
Tel. +41-22-9178564,
Mob. +41-792857304
Trevor Rowe,
WFP/New York,
Tel. +1-212-9635196,
Mob. +1-6468241112,
roweun
Gregory Barrow,
WFP/London,
Tel. +44-20-75929292,
Mob. +44-7968-008474
An estimated 3.6 million people are highly vulnerable and 2.5 million are in need of food aid.
Today's airlift consisted of 16 tonnes of oil, sugar and Plumpy'nut (a highly nutritious paste for young children) sent aboard an Antonov 12 aircraft from Marseille, France. A further airlift on Transall aircraft will take place over the weekend, with 40 tons of millet and 28 tons of oil delivered from Ndjamena in neighbouring Chad, to Maradi, thanks to the help of the French government.
These food supplies will help to replenish dwindling food stocks in Niger, where WFP is providing emergency food aid to 1.2 million of the most needy people.
This month, WFP almost tripled the number of beneficiaries due to rising malnutrition rates, especially among children. The woes of the annual "hunger season" have increased exponentially due both to poor rains and the devastation to crops and grazing by the worst locust invasion in 15 years.
"People are truly desperate. We need to provide as much urgent nourishment as we can to stop the appalling scenes of children slowly dying before their parents' eyes." said Gian Carlo Cirri, WFP Niger Country Director.
"It is extremely important to act quickly in this kind of situation," said Bernard Kouchner, former French Minister for Humanitarian Affairs, who also founded and heads R?unir. The NGO gathered foodstuffs from French companies such as Carrefour, l'Oreal and Total and organised the airlifts to Niger.
Noting that until now, relatively few images depicting the horror of starvation in Niger have been shown, Kouchner said he hoped that the airlifts would save lives and that the efforts to rapidly mobilise airlifts would encourage similar humanitarian response from France and beyond.
Veolia Environnement, a world leader in environmental services, donated US$ 12,000 (Euros 10,000) to WFP for the hungry in Niger.
So far, WFP's appeal for US$ 16 million for its emergency operation in Niger has received just US$ 5.2 million dollars, representing a 68 percent shortfall. Besides multilateral donations amounting to US$1.8 million; donors include: Italy (US$1.2 million); UK (US$912,000); Germany (US$627,000); Luxembourg (US$323,000); Denmark (US$279,000); Private donor (Veolia) (US$12,000).
WFP is the world's largest humanitarian agency: each year, we give food to an average of 90 million poor people to meet their nutritional needs, including 56 million hungry children, in at least 80 of the world's poorest countries. WFP -- We Feed People.
WFP Global School Feeding Campaign - For just 19 US cents a day, you can help WFP give children in poor countries a healthy meal at school - a gift of hope for a brighter future.
Visit our website: wfp
For more information please contact (email address: firstname.lastnamewfp):
Brenda Barton,
Deputy Director Communications,
WFP/Rome,
Tel. +39-06-65132602,
Mob. +39-3472582217
Christiane Berthiaume,
WFP/Geneva,
Tel. +41-22-9178564,
Mob. +41-792857304
Trevor Rowe,
WFP/New York,
Tel. +1-212-9635196,
Mob. +1-6468241112,
roweun
Gregory Barrow,
WFP/London,
Tel. +44-20-75929292,
Mob. +44-7968-008474
среда, 13 июля 2011 г.
Increasing Demand For Earth Observing Satellite Data Addressed At European Conference
For more than 40 years, Earth observing satellites have delivered valuable data about our planet and have enabled a better understanding and improved management of the Earth and its environment. Demands for these data are increasing daily as decision-makers are faced with responding to environmental change, managing sustainable development and responding to natural disasters and civil security issues.
In order to address these needs, ESA, the German Space Agency (DLR) and the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI) have jointly organised a conference aimed at identifying the challenges ahead and exploring specific needs for the future.
European experts from ESA and DLR attended the conference held on 27 and 28 May on the occasion of the ILA Berlin Air Show in Germany to provide an overview of existing Earth observation (EO) applications in the area of climate, environmental management and the civil security sector.
Representatives from public authorities, private companies and international organisations attended the conference entitled 'Earth observation: Solutions for Decision Making' to explore specific demands for EO products.
Speaking at the conference, Dr Volker Liebig, ESA's Director of Earth Observation, outlined ESA's vigorous EO programmes, which include launching 17 satellites over the next seven years.
These include the family of Earth Explorers that will measure key Earth system processes to understand their role in climate change and the Sentinels that will provide operational information services for global monitoring of the environment and security.
ESA's Head of Science, Applications and Future Technologies Department Dr Stephen Briggs introduced ESA's Climate Change Initiative, a new Programme Proposal that will be presented to the ESA Ministerial Council in November 2008.
The objectives of the programme will focus on the delivery of satellite-based 'Essential Climate Variables' to support climate change modelling and prediction.
"Satellite data are critical in providing the basic information for modelling and predicting climate change," Briggs said. "The new initiative will ensure that ESA's potential in this area is fully realised."
The fleet of ESA's EO satellites has gathered enormous amounts of data relevant for providing this information. Archived over 30 years and increasing daily, these data will form the basis for extracting the variables most relevant to climate change.
ESA and its member states will process the information in a form readily usable by the scientific community and governmental bodies in order to achieve their policies and to support the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and United Nations' conventions.
Source: Simonetta Cheli
European Space Agency
In order to address these needs, ESA, the German Space Agency (DLR) and the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI) have jointly organised a conference aimed at identifying the challenges ahead and exploring specific needs for the future.
European experts from ESA and DLR attended the conference held on 27 and 28 May on the occasion of the ILA Berlin Air Show in Germany to provide an overview of existing Earth observation (EO) applications in the area of climate, environmental management and the civil security sector.
Representatives from public authorities, private companies and international organisations attended the conference entitled 'Earth observation: Solutions for Decision Making' to explore specific demands for EO products.
Speaking at the conference, Dr Volker Liebig, ESA's Director of Earth Observation, outlined ESA's vigorous EO programmes, which include launching 17 satellites over the next seven years.
These include the family of Earth Explorers that will measure key Earth system processes to understand their role in climate change and the Sentinels that will provide operational information services for global monitoring of the environment and security.
ESA's Head of Science, Applications and Future Technologies Department Dr Stephen Briggs introduced ESA's Climate Change Initiative, a new Programme Proposal that will be presented to the ESA Ministerial Council in November 2008.
The objectives of the programme will focus on the delivery of satellite-based 'Essential Climate Variables' to support climate change modelling and prediction.
"Satellite data are critical in providing the basic information for modelling and predicting climate change," Briggs said. "The new initiative will ensure that ESA's potential in this area is fully realised."
The fleet of ESA's EO satellites has gathered enormous amounts of data relevant for providing this information. Archived over 30 years and increasing daily, these data will form the basis for extracting the variables most relevant to climate change.
ESA and its member states will process the information in a form readily usable by the scientific community and governmental bodies in order to achieve their policies and to support the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) and United Nations' conventions.
Source: Simonetta Cheli
European Space Agency
воскресенье, 10 июля 2011 г.
New Dementia Care Guidelines For Use In Disaster Situations - Coalition Provides Insights Into Caring For Persons With Cognitive Impairment In Emergen
A coalition* of long term care and consumer organizations, released today a new guide to providing care for persons with dementia during emergencies, such as a major disease outbreak, hurricane or fire.
Care practices in the guide are for non-licensed staff of nursing facilities, assisted living residences or other residential care settings as well as lay people, such as volunteers, who may become involved more directly in care giving during an emergency.
"In stressful times, when change is occurring, it is especially important that people with Alzheimer's and dementia receive consistent, effective care," said Peter Reed, Ph.D., director of Care Services for the Alzheimer's Association. "In unfamiliar situations, there is increased risk for wandering, and agitated or inappropriate behaviors. This new guide provides basic and reliable care guidelines that can be incorporated into planning and training for providing high quality dementia care, even in difficult times."
Since an average of 50 percent of a facility's residents and patients have some form of dementia and decreased cognitive ability, these persons require special assistance during an emergency. Each facility needs to adapt procedures based on its unique features and circumstances and the population it cares for, and this guide is a roadmap that allows that flexibility.
The Web-based training document (PDF)
The Dementia Care Training Guide is a companion to previous work completed by the coalition at the behest of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop resources for health professionals, government and business leaders and individuals, especially relating to an influenza epidemic or pandemic (available at pandemicflu). The previous work of this coalition completed for the HHS/CDC project is available at Long-Term Care and Other Residential Facilities Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist
*The coalition includes: the Alzheimer's Association, American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA), American Health Quality Association (AHQA), American Medical Directors Association (AMDA), National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration (NADONA), American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL).
The American Health Care Association and the National Center For Assisted Living are the nation's leading long term care organizations. AHCA/NCAL and their membership are committed to performance excellence and Quality First, a covenant for healthy, affordable and ethical long term care. AHCA/NCAL represent nearly 11,000 non-profit and proprietary facilities dedicated to continuous improvement in the delivery of professional and compassionate care provided daily by millions of caring employees to more than 1.5 million of our nation's frail, elderly and disabled citizens who live in nursing facilities, assisted living residences, subacute centers and homes for persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.
ahca
Care practices in the guide are for non-licensed staff of nursing facilities, assisted living residences or other residential care settings as well as lay people, such as volunteers, who may become involved more directly in care giving during an emergency.
"In stressful times, when change is occurring, it is especially important that people with Alzheimer's and dementia receive consistent, effective care," said Peter Reed, Ph.D., director of Care Services for the Alzheimer's Association. "In unfamiliar situations, there is increased risk for wandering, and agitated or inappropriate behaviors. This new guide provides basic and reliable care guidelines that can be incorporated into planning and training for providing high quality dementia care, even in difficult times."
Since an average of 50 percent of a facility's residents and patients have some form of dementia and decreased cognitive ability, these persons require special assistance during an emergency. Each facility needs to adapt procedures based on its unique features and circumstances and the population it cares for, and this guide is a roadmap that allows that flexibility.
The Web-based training document (PDF)
The Dementia Care Training Guide is a companion to previous work completed by the coalition at the behest of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to develop resources for health professionals, government and business leaders and individuals, especially relating to an influenza epidemic or pandemic (available at pandemicflu). The previous work of this coalition completed for the HHS/CDC project is available at Long-Term Care and Other Residential Facilities Pandemic Influenza Planning Checklist
*The coalition includes: the Alzheimer's Association, American Association of Homes and Services for the Aging (AAHSA), American Health Quality Association (AHQA), American Medical Directors Association (AMDA), National Association of Directors of Nursing Administration (NADONA), American Health Care Association (AHCA) and the National Center for Assisted Living (NCAL).
The American Health Care Association and the National Center For Assisted Living are the nation's leading long term care organizations. AHCA/NCAL and their membership are committed to performance excellence and Quality First, a covenant for healthy, affordable and ethical long term care. AHCA/NCAL represent nearly 11,000 non-profit and proprietary facilities dedicated to continuous improvement in the delivery of professional and compassionate care provided daily by millions of caring employees to more than 1.5 million of our nation's frail, elderly and disabled citizens who live in nursing facilities, assisted living residences, subacute centers and homes for persons with mental retardation and developmental disabilities.
ahca
четверг, 7 июля 2011 г.
PAHO Releases New Wind Hazard Maps For The Caribbean
The Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief Coordination unit, through Applied Research Associates, has developed new state-of-the-art wind hazard maps for Caribbean islands and nearby coastal areas of Central and South America. The maps use the most up-to-date meteorological records and methods and are intended to replace older maps currently in use for structural design and risk assessment. They are an important aid for engineers, developers, and others whose work requires knowledge of wind hazards.
The new maps, created by PAHO's Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief Coordination unit through Applied Research Associates, benefit from more than 20 years' worth of new data collected since the last Caribbean regional wind hazard map for engineering design purposes was developed in 1985. Moreover, they are based on the latest developments in hurricane forecasting and tracking and estimation of wind speed and direction, which are recognized by consensus in the scientific community.
Reliable wind hazard information is crucial for the work of engineers whose projects must resist hurricane-force winds, for building developers or owners who wish to specify the level of safety of their facilities, and for insurance providers who wish to know the risks they underwrite. Financial institutions also sometimes wish to specify wind design criteria for their projects.
Currently, regional building standards for wind resistance are laid out in the 1985 Caribbean Uniform Building Code (CUBiC). The higher-than-normal hurricane activity in the North Atlantic over the past 13 years has led to the questioning of wind design criteria incorporated in the present standards in the Caribbean. A project funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and executed by the Caribbean Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) is currently developing new regional standards to replace the CUBiC. However, this project does not include new wind hazard maps for the region. The new PAHO Caribbean Basin Wind Hazard Maps are consistent with the CDB-CROSQ process in that both are based on U.S.A. "International" codes that reference the wind load provisions of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The new Caribbean Wind Hazard Maps were developed in consultation with regional meteorologists, officials and experts from PAHO member countries, regional engineers and architects. This open consultation process, coordinated by Caribbean engineer Tony Gibbs, was followed to facilitate the adoption of the maps by Caribbean communities. Funding for the project was provided by the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance of the U.S. Agency for International Development (OFDA/USAID).
Link of Interest:
The New Caribbean Basin Wind Hazard Maps (informational web page)
PAHO, founded in 1902, works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of their peoples. It also serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Pan American Health Organization
The new maps, created by PAHO's Emergency Preparedness and Disaster Relief Coordination unit through Applied Research Associates, benefit from more than 20 years' worth of new data collected since the last Caribbean regional wind hazard map for engineering design purposes was developed in 1985. Moreover, they are based on the latest developments in hurricane forecasting and tracking and estimation of wind speed and direction, which are recognized by consensus in the scientific community.
Reliable wind hazard information is crucial for the work of engineers whose projects must resist hurricane-force winds, for building developers or owners who wish to specify the level of safety of their facilities, and for insurance providers who wish to know the risks they underwrite. Financial institutions also sometimes wish to specify wind design criteria for their projects.
Currently, regional building standards for wind resistance are laid out in the 1985 Caribbean Uniform Building Code (CUBiC). The higher-than-normal hurricane activity in the North Atlantic over the past 13 years has led to the questioning of wind design criteria incorporated in the present standards in the Caribbean. A project funded by the Caribbean Development Bank (CDB) and executed by the Caribbean Regional Organization for Standards and Quality (CROSQ) is currently developing new regional standards to replace the CUBiC. However, this project does not include new wind hazard maps for the region. The new PAHO Caribbean Basin Wind Hazard Maps are consistent with the CDB-CROSQ process in that both are based on U.S.A. "International" codes that reference the wind load provisions of the American Society of Civil Engineers.
The new Caribbean Wind Hazard Maps were developed in consultation with regional meteorologists, officials and experts from PAHO member countries, regional engineers and architects. This open consultation process, coordinated by Caribbean engineer Tony Gibbs, was followed to facilitate the adoption of the maps by Caribbean communities. Funding for the project was provided by the Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance of the U.S. Agency for International Development (OFDA/USAID).
Link of Interest:
The New Caribbean Basin Wind Hazard Maps (informational web page)
PAHO, founded in 1902, works with all the countries of the Americas to improve the health and quality of life of their peoples. It also serves as the Regional Office for the Americas of the World Health Organization (WHO).
Pan American Health Organization
понедельник, 4 июля 2011 г.
JCR And The Joint Commission To Host Emergency Preparedness Conference
Earthquakes, tornadoes, heat waves, floods, oil spills, fires, nuclear accidents, dirty bombs, pandemic flu, hurricanes, blackouts, blizzards -- all health care facilities should be ready at any time for all types of disaster. However, many do not have adequate plans for how to respond and recover from such emergencies.
The 2009 Annual Emergency Preparedness Conference: If It Happened Tomorrow, Is Your Community Ready? will help health care organizations prepare for the unexpected. The April 14-15 conference at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, D.C. is being presented by Joint Commission Resources (JCR), a non-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission.
This conference will highlight case studies focused on The Joint Commission's "all-hazards" approach that drills down on six critical areas of emergency response-communication, resources, safety, staff, utilities and clinical activities for effective emergency management.
The conference will feature real-life examples of organizations that have dealt with emergencies, beginning with a keynote address by Commander Chris Yates of the U.S. Public Health Service that examines the federal response to Texas Hurricanes Gustav, Ike and Dolly. Conference participants will learn new processes, technologies, techniques and tools that offer sustainable strategies to achieve a level of preparedness sufficient to address a range of emergencies, regardless of the cause. Follow-up workshops will focus on how to apply concepts in participants' organizations.
Participants who register at least 30 days prior to the conference receive a $100 discount on the $849 cost per person. Organizations with three or more participants at the conference may register for $629 per person. To register, please call JCR Customer Service at 1.877.223.6866. Additional details and a conference agenda also are available online here.
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,200 other health care organizations that provide long term care, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. In addition, The Joint Commission also provides certification of more than 600 disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at jointcommission.
Joint Commission Resources (JCR), a not-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission, is the official publisher and educator of The Joint Commission. JCR is an expert resource for health care organizations, providing consulting services, educational services and publications to assist in improving quality and safety and to help in meeting the accreditation standards of The Joint Commission. JCR provides consulting services independently from The Joint Commission and in a fully confidential manner. Please visit our web site at jcrinc.
Joint Commission Resources
The 2009 Annual Emergency Preparedness Conference: If It Happened Tomorrow, Is Your Community Ready? will help health care organizations prepare for the unexpected. The April 14-15 conference at the Omni Shoreham in Washington, D.C. is being presented by Joint Commission Resources (JCR), a non-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission.
This conference will highlight case studies focused on The Joint Commission's "all-hazards" approach that drills down on six critical areas of emergency response-communication, resources, safety, staff, utilities and clinical activities for effective emergency management.
The conference will feature real-life examples of organizations that have dealt with emergencies, beginning with a keynote address by Commander Chris Yates of the U.S. Public Health Service that examines the federal response to Texas Hurricanes Gustav, Ike and Dolly. Conference participants will learn new processes, technologies, techniques and tools that offer sustainable strategies to achieve a level of preparedness sufficient to address a range of emergencies, regardless of the cause. Follow-up workshops will focus on how to apply concepts in participants' organizations.
Participants who register at least 30 days prior to the conference receive a $100 discount on the $849 cost per person. Organizations with three or more participants at the conference may register for $629 per person. To register, please call JCR Customer Service at 1.877.223.6866. Additional details and a conference agenda also are available online here.
Founded in 1951, The Joint Commission seeks to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public through the provision of health care accreditation and related services that support performance improvement in health care organizations. The Joint Commission evaluates and accredits more than 15,000 health care organizations and programs in the United States, including more than 8,000 hospitals and home care organizations, and more than 6,200 other health care organizations that provide long term care, behavioral health care, laboratory and ambulatory care services. In addition, The Joint Commission also provides certification of more than 600 disease-specific care programs, primary stroke centers, and health care staffing services. An independent, not-for-profit organization, The Joint Commission is the nation's oldest and largest standards-setting and accrediting body in health care. Learn more about The Joint Commission at jointcommission.
Joint Commission Resources (JCR), a not-for-profit affiliate of The Joint Commission, is the official publisher and educator of The Joint Commission. JCR is an expert resource for health care organizations, providing consulting services, educational services and publications to assist in improving quality and safety and to help in meeting the accreditation standards of The Joint Commission. JCR provides consulting services independently from The Joint Commission and in a fully confidential manner. Please visit our web site at jcrinc.
Joint Commission Resources
пятница, 1 июля 2011 г.
Health Providers Travel To Haiti To Care For Those Injured During Quake
The challenges were almost countless. Most were deadly serious, including life-threatening injuries, amputations and pervasive infection.
Some were a bit less serious, including a rogue rooster that insisted on providing 4 a.m. wakeup calls.
Through it all, a medical team organized by a physician assistant at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) labored under grim conditions to treat hundreds of victims of the earthquake in Haiti. And throughout their weeklong stay in that devastated country, orthopaedic surgeon Milan Sen, M.D., kept his followers on Twitter updated. Sen is an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, part of UTHealth.
"Haitian people have a tremendous spirit and they are going to need support for many years to come. Please don't forget them," wrote Sen in his final "tweet" after the team returned to the United States on March 7.
"I can't say enough about what the University of Texas team did for us," said Carol Fipp, who has been coordinating a complex schedule of medical teams since an earthquake smashed the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12. In addition to the estimated 230,000 people killed, many thousands were severely injured by collapsing buildings and falling debris.
Fipp has worked long hours contacting individual doctors, nurses, physical therapists and others as she assembles teams to come to Haiti. When she received a call in February from Jerry Buchert, UTHealth orthopedic surgery physician assistant and instructor, she couldn't believe her good fortune.
"When I have someone call me and say, 'We'd like to bring a team of 15 or 20 or 25 people' and I have to talk to only one person to get it all set up, that's a tremendous help," Fipp said. "It's a huge job to build a team. It was a tremendous gift to us and to Haiti."
Buchert and others in the 27-member group say the gift went both ways. He said he will always remember the experience and the people he worked with, and he believes they would gladly go back if called upon.
"The people of Haiti had a need and we were all blessed with the ability to help people in this type of situation," said Buchert, who works with Rex Marco, M.D., associate professor, orthopaedic oncologist and spine surgeon at the UTHealth Medical School. "It was a gift that we had the opportunity to go down there and help."
In some of his tweets as the group prepared to return home, Sen wrote about the Haitians' gratitude.
"Said our goodbyes. Translators were so grateful," he tweeted on March 6. "Said that without our help, they would have to watch their people suffer, unable to help them."
A short time later, he wrote about the patients' expressions of thanks. "Pts very grateful, sad to see us leave," Sen tweeted. "I think it is hard for them also. They get attached, learn to trust you, and then you leave."
"I have never received so much gratitude just for doing my job," Sen added. "God blesses me and will protect me, they say."
The team worked at Sacred Heart Hospital in the town of Milot, about 90 miles from Port-au-Prince. Fipp, a resident of Jacksonville, Fla., who is preparing to start nursing school, is a board member for CRUDEM, the American nonprofit foundation created to support the hospital.
More than 500 patients injured in the quake have been treated surgically at Sacred Heart, a 23-year-old hospital. While Sacred Heart typically had 10 to 12 volunteers at work during normal times, Fipp said the volunteer base has stayed at about 90 since the earthquake. New orthopaedic surgical teams are being brought in every Saturday and volunteers are asked to stay for at least a week so that a level of continuity can be maintained.
The Texas Medical Center team was organized after Buchert heard from a friend who went to Haiti with a group in late January. Buchert said he was trying to think of how he could help after the earthquake, and his wife, Jennifer, urged him to aim high.
"I was thinking pretty much about what I could do myself, but she challenged my effort level and helped push me to figure out what to do," he said. "I figured out that we could accomplish a lot more if a whole team went."
Sen, an attending physician at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, said the team realized quickly that, in addition to the severe injuries that needed treatment, infection was a major problem. With the hospital at its capacity (300 patients in a space designed for 73 beds), victims were housed in a small school across the street and in six tents, each of which held about 40 patients on cots.
"These cots were better than being on the ground, but it still was not a good situation," Sen said in an interview after returning. "There were a lot of pressure sores, a lot of flies and the bedpans were being kept under the cots."
During their week in Milot, the surgeons performed 94 operations or procedures. Buchert said they worked hard to prevent infection, installing mosquito netting to keep flies out of the operating rooms and helping people understand the importance of such measures as keeping doors closed and digging latrines.
The surgeons decided that, except for spinal cases, they would rarely use internal hardware in orthopaedic surgery because at least half of the patients developed infections, Sen said. Doctors also had to make difficult decisions in prioritizing patients because of the scarcity of some equipment. The pediatric cases were hard to deal with, he said, noting that many injuries that might be treated routinely in the United States could be fatal for Haitian children because of the high infection risk and their malnourished condition.
Among those was 3-month-old Faina, who was rescued after five days in the rubble under the bodies of her parents. Faina's broken leg had become septic and she had no intravenous access, raising fears that she would die if she were not taken to the United States. The Houston medical team finally had to head home with the issue still unresolved, but Peter Kelly, M.D., president of the CRUDEM Foundation, reported on March 15 that doctors had managed to treat her with antibiotics and she had recovered without losing her leg.
The team members focused on getting the job done, Sen said, and even surgeons sometimes carried patients on stretchers. "We understood from Day 1 that there was no hierarchy," he said.
In addition to Sen, Marco and Buchert, volunteers from UTHealth's orthopaedic surgery department were Timothy Achor, M.D., assistant professor; and residents Matt Camarillo, M.D.; John Wesley Munz, M.D.; and Michael J. Connally, M.D.
Didier Sciard, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology at the UTHealth Medical School, also joined the team. Nurses who participated were from Shriners Hospitals for Children Houston, The Methodist Hospital and Memorial Hermann-TMC.
"We couldn't have done it without the residents," Sen said. "Those guys ran a tight ship. Everybody worked hard, but they were particularly impressive."
Despite long hours treating patients, Sen kept up a steady stream of reports on Twitter and displayed his humor amid chaos. After arriving in Haiti on Feb. 27 and triaging patients, he tweeted: "Dinner of champions! Macaroni, Hamburger Helper and Guinness!"
Fipp said the Haitian people are extremely grateful for the help that has poured in from the United States and other countries. And a lot of medical professionals have expressed gratitude that they got the opportunity to help, Fipp said.
"I hear from many, many people who go down there and then, afterward, they tell me, 'It changed my life.' "
Buchert said that, since recruiting the team, he has received at least 2,000 e-mail and Facebook messages from medical professionals and others asking how they can help.
Source: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
Some were a bit less serious, including a rogue rooster that insisted on providing 4 a.m. wakeup calls.
Through it all, a medical team organized by a physician assistant at The University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston (UTHealth) labored under grim conditions to treat hundreds of victims of the earthquake in Haiti. And throughout their weeklong stay in that devastated country, orthopaedic surgeon Milan Sen, M.D., kept his followers on Twitter updated. Sen is an assistant professor of orthopedic surgery at The University of Texas Medical School at Houston, part of UTHealth.
"Haitian people have a tremendous spirit and they are going to need support for many years to come. Please don't forget them," wrote Sen in his final "tweet" after the team returned to the United States on March 7.
"I can't say enough about what the University of Texas team did for us," said Carol Fipp, who has been coordinating a complex schedule of medical teams since an earthquake smashed the Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince on Jan. 12. In addition to the estimated 230,000 people killed, many thousands were severely injured by collapsing buildings and falling debris.
Fipp has worked long hours contacting individual doctors, nurses, physical therapists and others as she assembles teams to come to Haiti. When she received a call in February from Jerry Buchert, UTHealth orthopedic surgery physician assistant and instructor, she couldn't believe her good fortune.
"When I have someone call me and say, 'We'd like to bring a team of 15 or 20 or 25 people' and I have to talk to only one person to get it all set up, that's a tremendous help," Fipp said. "It's a huge job to build a team. It was a tremendous gift to us and to Haiti."
Buchert and others in the 27-member group say the gift went both ways. He said he will always remember the experience and the people he worked with, and he believes they would gladly go back if called upon.
"The people of Haiti had a need and we were all blessed with the ability to help people in this type of situation," said Buchert, who works with Rex Marco, M.D., associate professor, orthopaedic oncologist and spine surgeon at the UTHealth Medical School. "It was a gift that we had the opportunity to go down there and help."
In some of his tweets as the group prepared to return home, Sen wrote about the Haitians' gratitude.
"Said our goodbyes. Translators were so grateful," he tweeted on March 6. "Said that without our help, they would have to watch their people suffer, unable to help them."
A short time later, he wrote about the patients' expressions of thanks. "Pts very grateful, sad to see us leave," Sen tweeted. "I think it is hard for them also. They get attached, learn to trust you, and then you leave."
"I have never received so much gratitude just for doing my job," Sen added. "God blesses me and will protect me, they say."
The team worked at Sacred Heart Hospital in the town of Milot, about 90 miles from Port-au-Prince. Fipp, a resident of Jacksonville, Fla., who is preparing to start nursing school, is a board member for CRUDEM, the American nonprofit foundation created to support the hospital.
More than 500 patients injured in the quake have been treated surgically at Sacred Heart, a 23-year-old hospital. While Sacred Heart typically had 10 to 12 volunteers at work during normal times, Fipp said the volunteer base has stayed at about 90 since the earthquake. New orthopaedic surgical teams are being brought in every Saturday and volunteers are asked to stay for at least a week so that a level of continuity can be maintained.
The Texas Medical Center team was organized after Buchert heard from a friend who went to Haiti with a group in late January. Buchert said he was trying to think of how he could help after the earthquake, and his wife, Jennifer, urged him to aim high.
"I was thinking pretty much about what I could do myself, but she challenged my effort level and helped push me to figure out what to do," he said. "I figured out that we could accomplish a lot more if a whole team went."
Sen, an attending physician at Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center, said the team realized quickly that, in addition to the severe injuries that needed treatment, infection was a major problem. With the hospital at its capacity (300 patients in a space designed for 73 beds), victims were housed in a small school across the street and in six tents, each of which held about 40 patients on cots.
"These cots were better than being on the ground, but it still was not a good situation," Sen said in an interview after returning. "There were a lot of pressure sores, a lot of flies and the bedpans were being kept under the cots."
During their week in Milot, the surgeons performed 94 operations or procedures. Buchert said they worked hard to prevent infection, installing mosquito netting to keep flies out of the operating rooms and helping people understand the importance of such measures as keeping doors closed and digging latrines.
The surgeons decided that, except for spinal cases, they would rarely use internal hardware in orthopaedic surgery because at least half of the patients developed infections, Sen said. Doctors also had to make difficult decisions in prioritizing patients because of the scarcity of some equipment. The pediatric cases were hard to deal with, he said, noting that many injuries that might be treated routinely in the United States could be fatal for Haitian children because of the high infection risk and their malnourished condition.
Among those was 3-month-old Faina, who was rescued after five days in the rubble under the bodies of her parents. Faina's broken leg had become septic and she had no intravenous access, raising fears that she would die if she were not taken to the United States. The Houston medical team finally had to head home with the issue still unresolved, but Peter Kelly, M.D., president of the CRUDEM Foundation, reported on March 15 that doctors had managed to treat her with antibiotics and she had recovered without losing her leg.
The team members focused on getting the job done, Sen said, and even surgeons sometimes carried patients on stretchers. "We understood from Day 1 that there was no hierarchy," he said.
In addition to Sen, Marco and Buchert, volunteers from UTHealth's orthopaedic surgery department were Timothy Achor, M.D., assistant professor; and residents Matt Camarillo, M.D.; John Wesley Munz, M.D.; and Michael J. Connally, M.D.
Didier Sciard, M.D., associate professor of anesthesiology at the UTHealth Medical School, also joined the team. Nurses who participated were from Shriners Hospitals for Children Houston, The Methodist Hospital and Memorial Hermann-TMC.
"We couldn't have done it without the residents," Sen said. "Those guys ran a tight ship. Everybody worked hard, but they were particularly impressive."
Despite long hours treating patients, Sen kept up a steady stream of reports on Twitter and displayed his humor amid chaos. After arriving in Haiti on Feb. 27 and triaging patients, he tweeted: "Dinner of champions! Macaroni, Hamburger Helper and Guinness!"
Fipp said the Haitian people are extremely grateful for the help that has poured in from the United States and other countries. And a lot of medical professionals have expressed gratitude that they got the opportunity to help, Fipp said.
"I hear from many, many people who go down there and then, afterward, they tell me, 'It changed my life.' "
Buchert said that, since recruiting the team, he has received at least 2,000 e-mail and Facebook messages from medical professionals and others asking how they can help.
Source: University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston
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