A Native American tradition emphasizes the importance of ‘calling back your spirit,’ especially after a traumatic event. Without a spirit, the tradition claims, the body loses health, life loses purpose and joy, and death closes in. While the daily distractions and irritations of life can chip away at people’s spirits, the full blown tragedies often suck the very life right out of them. The antidote requires a period of honest reflection, a reconnection to the Creator, and a return to authentic living: being who you were uniquely created to be. I think this maxim applies equally well to organizations.
After the earthquake of January 12, not just people but many social service and relief organizations were sent into a tailspin, distracted into disorganization and caught up in a seemingly endless cycle of assessment and inactivity. Way too many spin even now. Other organizations found themselves crushed by the new burdens of responsibility and they succumbed to death.
Not so CRUDEM/Hôpital Sacré Coeur. In the wake of Haiti’s devastating trauma, both the foundation and the hospital kept their focus and their unique spirit.
For almost 25 years, CRUDEM/Hôpital Sacré Coeur has balanced careful reflection and intentional action. We know we answer to a higher calling with a vision for a better world. Our mission has always been clear: to exemplify our Christian heritage of service and compassion by providing accessible quality healthcare, embracing all people, responding with faith, integrity, respect and excellence, meeting others with an open heart and open mind, and calling forth the self-empowerment of the people and Haitian communities we serve. The clarity of our identity and the singleness of our purpose move us to uphold, at all times and in all endeavors, the inherent dignity of every individual.
A large part of Hôpital Sacré Coeur’s uniqueness is that is 100% Haitian staffed, managed and operated. Even though the CRUDEM Foundation offers guidance and resources in partnership with the Haitian community, Hôpital Sacré Coeur is not an American hospital. Hôpital Sacré Coeur stands proudly as a Haitian hospital, a hospital primarily built by the minds, talents and many hands of the Haitian community. The high quality of medical care that earned Hôpital Sacré Coeur the coveted government designation as a Reference/Referral hospital resulted from the high standard of care provided daily by the Haitian medical team. And, the vision to expand the hospital to 120 beds, add an additional operating room, expand maternity services, and add an emergency room, comes from the hospital’s pondering well in faith. They know what is most needed in Haiti at this critical juncture.
In many ways, the CRUDEM community acts as a midwife, calling forth what struggles to be born, celebrating new life and humbly serving the growth of this authentic and treasured Haitian medical center. Without a doubt Hôpital Sacré Coeur is one of the finest hospitals in Haiti and we fully expect that in time, this authentic Haitian hospital will also become a Haitian created world class hospital and teaching center. And because we never lost our spirit and take care to embrace our authenticity; we fully expect that CRUDEM/Hôpital Sacré Coeur will be around for another 25 years, creating a healthier Haiti, one dignified life at a time!
Blessings!
Joni
