Teach a man to fish...

Merrill instructing Haitian nurses on the Propac

At the request of the Adventist Hospital nursing director, Team Sinai's nursing staff prepared a formal teaching program for the local nursing staff of Adventiste Hospital. A total of 8 lectures were given during the week, on topics ranging from EKG interpretation, Post Anesthesia care, Types of Anesthesia, Pulmonary Embolus, Pediatric and Adult Physical Assessment, and Malignant Hyperthermia. Our nurse teachers included Gina Muscara, CRNA, Kim Hammond, RN, Tina Jorgenson, RN. The Haitian nurses came in to the hospital to attend these lectures even on their off days, and were very appreciative, even to the point of excitedly running after Kim Hammond throughout the week with EKG strips for her to affirm their readings. Adventist serves as a clinical site for many nursing schools in the Carrefour district of Port au Prince, and we often saw large groups of nursing students, in their school uniforms, including formal nursing caps.

Professor Bazzi and the Haitian Nursing Students

Burger King crowns all around at Mary Lou's Orphanage.

During a visit to Mary Lou's Orphanage on Sunday March 3rd, Merrill delivered a talk and workshop to the kids on Health and Hygiene, including hand washing and infection prevention.  Merrill left a refillable Purell dispenser for the kids, with a recipe for home made Purell consisting of Alcohol and Glycerine. Mary Lou was very appreciative that Team Sinai walked all the way up the mountain to her modest orphanage in Carrefour, bringing toys, food, Burger King Crowns, and joy to the 18 orphans she cared for. Mary Lou and Merrill connected, and in a tender gesture, Mary Lou and Merrill walked arm in arm all the way back to Adventist Hospital.

Mary Lou and Merrill walking back to Adventist 

Dr. Bazzi lecturing to the HUEH ortho residents.

Our good friend Dr. Lew Zirkle (http://signfracturecare.org/about/about-sign-founder/), who has been many times to the General Hospital in Port au Prince teaching the HUEH orthopedic residents, had suggested that we invite the HUEH residents to HAH for some formal teaching. We set up a four hour program that included various lectures by Dr. Ahmed Bazzi of Johns Hopkins, Drs. Hlad, Timeny, and Dr. H. Topics included pediatric elbow fractures, tendon transfers, pediatric femur fractures, calcaneus fractures, neglected clubfeet, tendon transfers about the foot, clubfoot, and supramalleolar osteotomies.
Job Timeny acted as our simultaneous translator. Our host, Dr. Francel Alexis, gave lectures on Tibia Vara, and on Introduction to the Taylor Spatial Frame, in his native Creole. At the end of the four hour lecture marathon, the 21 orthopedic residents from the Haitian University Hospital assembled with us for a proud group photo on the steps of Adventist Hospital.

HUEH residents and the Orthopedic/Podiatric Team Sinai docs.