More than twenty-five years ago, The CRUDEM Foundation accepted from the Brothers of the Sacred Heart financial responsibility for the 11 in-patient beds and basic outpatient clinics that made up Hôpital Sacré Coeur. Then it amounted to a commitment to raise less than half a million dollars a year. And this was a struggle. Today, the hospital has 120 inpatient beds, more than 40,000 outpatient visits each year and provides for the public health needs for the more than 225,000 people who live in the region.
In 2013, Hôpital Sacré Coeur’s budget was approximately $3.5 million. With less than a third of this coming from patients who are able to pay and other local sources, Hôpital Sacré Coeur relies on CRUDEM to raise the rest from donors in the United States. This is an enormous burden in the best of times—and these are assuredly not the best of times.
In 2012, CRUDEM was able to meet its commitment thanks to the generous support of The Holy Name Medical Center Foundation, which provided direct financial support, loans and in-kind contributions of more than one million dollars. Without the support of The CRUDEM Foundation and the massive infusion of financial and technical assistance from Holy Name, Hôpital Sacré Coeur would have had to close its doors.
In the U.S. and other developed countries, when a hospital closes, the sick go elsewhere for care. In Haiti, when a hospital closes, people die—many, many people die. My colleagues and I are profoundly grateful for the very real sacrifices you, our donors, make to keep our doors open and hands extended to the poorest of the poor.
Thanks to your support and the leadership of Michael Maron, President and Chief Executive Officer of Holy Name Medical Center Foundation, we are doing much more than just keeping the doors open. The following strategic initiatives are currently underway at Hôpital Sacré Coeur:
Recruitment
The high-quality of Hôpital Sacré Coeur’s full-time medical, nursing and administrative staff has always been the hospital’s great strength. In order to preserve this distinction and build on it, I have focused on recruitment and retention of key staff since my appointment as CEO some 16 months ago. During that period, the following key individuals have joined or been promoted at Hôpital Sacré Coeur:
Jacques Julmice, M.D., J.D.
Chief Medical Officer
In addition to his CMO duties, Dr. Julmice is the staff orthopaedist and on-site legal counsel. My colleagues and I have come to rely on Dr. Julmice’s judgment and skill. He is a very important resource for the hospital and I am
very glad to have him with us.
Abdel Alexis
Director of Human Resources
Mr. Alexis is a graduate of the Faculty of Law, Economics and Management of Cape Town, a subsidiary of the State University of Haiti, where he obtained a license management. He also holds a degree in Human Rights. Mr. Alexis has brought much needed rigor and professionalism to the Department of Human Resources.
Jean Pierre Brisma, M.D.
Head of the Department of Cardiology and Emergency Medicine
Dr. Brisma studied medicine at the Medical School for Latin America (ELAM) in Havana, Cuba, where he graduated in 2005. He went on to specialize in cardiology and emergency medicine. Dr. Brisma joined Hôpital Sacré Coeur in January 2013 and was appointed Head of the Department of Emergency Medicine and Outpatient Care. He has already distinguished himself as a leader at Hôpital Sacré Coeur.
Natalie Jacques Dorcin, R.N.
Director of Nursing
Ms. Dorcin earned her degree in nursing from the School of Nursing at Our Lady of Wisdom in Cap Haitien. In 2011, Ms. Dorcin was awarded a degree in Community Health Specialist at the Haitian Institute for Community Health (INHSAC) in Port -au- Prince. Prior to being appointed director of nursing at Hôpital Sacré Coeur, she was the hospital’s Coordinator of Care and distinguished herself as a leader during the response to 2011 earthquake.
Chanlatte Valis, M.D.
Obstetrician and Gynecologist
Dr. Valis is a graduate of Université Lumière in Port-au- Prince. Prior to coming to Hôpital Sacré Coeur, Dr. Valis served as resident in Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Justinian University Hospital in Cap Haitien. He completed his residency in April of this year and joined Hôpital Sacré Coeur shortly thereafter. In the short time he has been with us, Dr. Valis has distinguished himself as a reliable, skilled and hardworking member of the medical staff.
Richard Toussaint, M.D.
General Surgeon
Dr. Toussaint joined Hôpital Sacré Coeur’s surgical staff from Justinian Hospital in Cap-Haïtien. Since coming to our hospital some six months ago, he has made a number of important contributions to the Department of Surgery and shown himself to be a very able colleague. Along with Drs. Julmice and Bernard, Dr. Toussaint was invited to Winthrop University Hospital in Long Island to participate in an advanced course on Laprascopic surgery. He has a promising future at Hôpital Sacré Coeur.
Sonel “Pipop” Charlot
Construction Manager
Mr. Charlot is a native of Milot where he graduated from The Good Sheppard School. Following secondary school, he apprenticed as a carpenter under the guidance of a town artisan. He then moved to Nassua, Bahamas to fulfil his dream of operating large earthmoving equipment. After a successful career in the Bahamas, Mr. Charlot returned to Haiti to assist Hôpital Sacré Coeur with its building program. He is a talented and hardworking craftsman. My colleagues and I are glad that Mr. Charlot is back in Milot and working at Hôpital Sacré Coeur. We are lucky to have him.
I am very pleased with these fine appointments to the hospital’s staff. For the duration of my tenure as CEO, recruitment and retention of key staff will remain among my highest priorities.
A practicing OB-gyn, CEO Dr. Harold Prévil lives on the hospital campus with his family so he is available 24/7.
We are in the process of building a new outpatient clinic and nutrition center. This facility will replace tents and other temporary structures to care for hundreds of patients each week. In addition to improving treatment conditions, privacy and infection control, the new building will be built to withstand earthquakes and other natural disasters.
Importantly, this new project will include a purpose built nutrition center, which Sr. Ann Crawley, CSJP has sought—indeed, strongly advocated for—since her arrival in Milot more than four years ago. Sr. Ann cares for the street children, the infirm and the forgotten in Milot. She is a vital presence on the campus and we are blessed to have her with us. The present Nutrition Center is located directly across from the powerhouse in a small, temporary site on the General Services Compound. The new, purpose built, Nutrition Center will care for malnourished children who come to the hospital in ever increasing numbers.
The Outpatient Clinic and Nutrition Center project is being funded by a major gift from a CRUDEM donor and with additional funding from the Catholic Medical Mission Board, Holy Name Medical Center Foundation, the Embassy of Japan, and several other donors who wish to remain anonymous.
Medical waste incinerator
The Catholic Medical Mission Board has funded, through a grant from the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, the installation of a medical waste incinerator to replace the open pit burning currently used at Hôpital Sacré Coeur. This new capability will substantially improve sanitary conditions and air quality at the hospital. The objective is to have the new incinerator on-line in time for the expected increase of cholera cases in the fall.
Isolation room
Funded by a donor who wishes to remain anonymous, work is nearly complete on an isolation suite with negative pressure ventilation. This new capability will enable medical staff to safely isolate TB patients from the general patient population thus reducing the opportunity for cross infection. These improvements will also add to the protection of attending staff, a high priority in all of the new work.
Employee dining hall and lounge
Since the very beginning, there has never been a place on campus for staff to congregate and rest during off hours. In meetings with employees over the years, the need for such a place has been a consistent theme. Funded by a gift from Holy Name, construction began in the Spring on Hôpital Sacré Coeur’s employee lounge. An important feature of the lounge is a kitchen and dining room, where subsidized meals will be served. No longer will staff have to leave the campus for meals. This new facility, and the accompanying meal program, will improve the quality of life for staff and likely be a major factor in retention.
Staff professional development
In addition to financial support, Holy Name is providing much needed professional development for medical, nursing and administrative staff. Holy Name staff frequently visit the Hôpital Sacré Coeur to mentor staff and a number of Hôpital Sacré Coeur staff have travelled to the Teaneck, NJ to spend time with their counterparts at Holy Name. This emphasis on professional development for our Haitian staff will assist us in retaining key employees and add a new level of best practices to our institution.
Pharmaceutical supply chain management
Another element of Holy Name’s technical assistance to Hôpital Sacré Coeur concerns the supply chain for the hospital’s pharmacy. After payroll, pharmaceuticals are the next largest expense at the hospital. John Grangeia, Holy Name’s Vice President for Professional Services and a pharmacist, has been working with Marcelle Etienne, Hôpital Sacré Coeur’s chief pharmacist, to build a reliable and safe supply chain management system. John negotiated a deal with a pharmaceutical supply house in the Dominican Republic that covers most of Hôpital Sacré Coeur requirements. The first shipment from this firm arrived in July. This project is a major step forward for the hospital.
Renovated library
The medical library on the CRUDEM campus is scheduled for renovation in October. In addition to housing Hôpital Sacré Coeur’s collection of medical reference materials, the renovated library will serve as office and principal classroom for Sr. Maureen Boggins, CSJP. Sr. Maureen leads Hôpital Sacré Coeur’s English as a Second Language (ESL) program and we are fortunate, indeed, to have her with us in Milot. She is a very popular teacher and her classes are always oversubscribed. Teaching English to staff is a major professional development priority at the hospital and the renovated library will be a much-needed addition to the ESL program. We are still seeking donors for this project, which is expected to cost $50,000. Holy Name will advance CRUDEM funding for this project so that work can begin in October.
CRUDEM President and HNMC CEO & President Michael Maron and HSC CEO Harold Prévil meet regularly in Milot.
While there is cause for genuine optimism about the future of Hôpital Sacré Coeur, I cannot overstate the tenuous financial condition of the hospital at present. Without Holy Name’s financial support, Hôpital Sacré Coeur would have to cease operations within a matter of weeks. This degree of dependence on a single donor is unsustainable over the long term. If Hôpital Sacré Coeur is to serve the people of northern Haiti for another twenty-five years and beyond, the donor base for CRUDEM must expand to include large foundations, major gifts, grants and other new sources of income. I hope each of you will not only continue to give generously to CRUDEM, but also help us identify and obtain new sources of funding.
I appreciate how difficult it is not to only share your daily bread, but to ask others to do the same. Perhaps there is more I could say to justify your support and advocacy for Hôpital Sacré Coeur, but no words of mine can equal the beauty and truth of the Gospel of Saint Matthew:
“Come ye blessed of my Father and possess you the Kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me to eat; I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink; I was a stranger and you took me in; Naked and you covered me; sick and you visited me; I was in prison and you came to me. Then shall the just answer him, saying: Lord, when did we see thee hungry, and feed thee; thirsty, and gave thee drink. And when did we see thee a stranger and took thee in? Or naked, and covered thee? Or when did we see thee sick or in prison and came to thee? And the king answering, shall say to them: Amen I say to you, as long as you did it to one of the least of my brethren, you did it to me.”
For more than twenty-five years, Hôpital Sacré Coeur has cared for the least of our brethren because you, our donors, have sought to live your lives in accordance with these Words. Thank you for caring about all of us at Hôpital Sacré Coeur and the people we serve in Haiti.
Harold Prévil, M.D.
