By Fran Juste, MA, RN, Director of Clinical Coordination, The CRUDEM Foundation
Holy Name Medical Center (HNMC), Hôpital Sacré Coeur (HSC) and The CRUDEM Foundation are three entities intertwined into one mission. Their collaborative relationship is unique and the only one of its kind in Haiti. Unfortunately, Haiti is a country where, at times, it is associated with poverty, corruption, earthquake, and fraud. Hopefully, upon reading this article, the perception of the reader will recognize that it is a different story for the staff and personnel of the three organizations mentioned above.
The three entities, although located miles apart, share a similar observation about Haiti. They see harmony, vision, unity and love. Most volunteers, after a brief stay in Milot, come back to the United States wanting to do more to serve the people in need of Haiti.
Medical volunteer teams visit HSC in Milot on a weekly basis, throughout the entire year. They all have one optimal priority: to deliver the best quality medical care to patients. The coordination among the team members is extremely vital in order to convey the same message to the staff, patients and their families. It is known that there might be one or more ways to treat patients; hence, the importance of creating a consistent and dependable operating environment. The responsibility of each volunteer group is to teach and engage the HSC staff as much as possible.
The ultimate goal is to equip the HSC staff with the necessary tools to fully align with the hospital’s mission which is to “help our community achieve the highest attainable level of health through education, prevention and treatment in a manner that is practical, consistent and sustainable for the limitations of the environment.”
In order to achieve this objective, the entities and volunteer staff will need to focus on the following:
• Continuously assess, identify, and analyze areas of process improvements in clinical and non-clinical operations and patient care at HSC
• Collaborate with the HSC leadership group, including but not limited to, physicians, nursing, pharmacists, the chief financial officer, and the leadership of key clinical departments to ensure fully integrated, interdisciplinary, streamlined, high quality, cost effective care for HSC
• Set and maintain the highest level of patient care at HSC with the support of Holy Name Medical Center (HNMC) and in collaboration with HSC leadership
• Identify HSC staff to visit HNMC for intensive training and exposure to clinical practice excellence In collaboration with HSC executive team
• Provide organization, consistency, uniformity, with the volunteer groups to work as a unified team with the HSC staff
• Provide guidance to HSC staff to promote a team centered approach to facilitate the achievement of HSC’s and HNMC’s goals
From the moment a patient in need of care steps onto the HSC premises, his/her needs are identified and evaluated by the first group of medical providers, then appropriate care is provided through the collaborative efforts of physicians, nurses and competent volunteer staff. The following observation illustrates this point: Andy, a 2 week old newborn is brought to the ER by his aunt with a complaint of not eating for the past 3 days and not responding to verbal, tactile or painful stimuli. Mom stayed home, taking care of her other children, unable to make it to the hospital. The entire HSC pediatrician team, including the volunteer coordinator from the US, was at the bedside of baby Andy. He was immediately admitted as an inpatient and a series of neurological tests were conducted and the proper treatment was initiated.
The next 48 hours were critical for Andy. His family never left his bedside and every minute felt like an hour. After less than 48 hours, Andy was on his way to a full recovery and he eventually got discharged to go home. This outcome would not have been possible without the collaboration and team work between the HSC staff and the pediatric volunteer team.
As you know, HSC is located in the town of MIlot, in the northern region of the Haiti, where the logistics and resources required for the rendering of consequential care to the community, are scarce and in continuous need of betterment. But despite all of these challenges, the medical staff at HSC provides the much needed medical care in a courageous, unselfish and compassionate manner.
While the suffering and poverty that is commonplace in Haiti is painful to contemplate and worse to witness, it is a blessing to serve the people who come to HSC for help.
It gives all of us an important opportunity to rise above the rhetoric and demonstrate our commitment to improve the lives of the poorest of the poor. But none of this would be possible without the financial assistance that comes from The CRUDEM Foundation. All of us at CRUDEM, the HSC staff and the people they serve are genuinely grateful to you, our donors, for your faithful and generous support.
Fran Juste, MA, RN is the Director of Clinical Coordination for The CRUDEM Foundation
