Saturday, February 6, 2010

Day 4...

So I realized I never introduced who we are. I'll try to get pictures of everyone today and post them to give you a look at what each of us is doing, but in the meantime, here's a list of the people in our group:

Mark Walsh ER
George Friend General Surgery
Rick Skupski Anesthesia
Michelle Crawford OR Nurse
Donna Dickens OR Nurse
Kyonna Charlston Critical Care Nurse
Meredith Wierman Infectious Disease
Jeff Lindquist Anesthesia
Doug Gibson Critical care RN
Mike Yergler Ortho
Fred Ferlic Ortho
Randy Ferlic Ortho
Henry DeLeeuw Ortho
Dana Brackett Ortho NP
James Wierman Critical Care Internist
Joey Garcia ER/Critical Care

People come and go just about every day. A sad but necessary part of the turnover of care as the duration of committment ranges from 1 week to several months. It's difficult because we are constantly orienting new arrivals every day and there is really no "routine". Most of us relocated to rooms last night (and some even had real beds!). That meant no mosquito netting, a better and more comfortable nights sleep.

Lastly, I just found out I will be the new Medical Operations leader for the next few days until I leave on Wednesday... This means I have to direct the ever-changing climate here. The past few days we found ourselves moving out of the school which we were using temporarily into the "tent city". We are trying to discharge our paraplegics to a local hospital that can provide them better accommodations than military cots in a tent to as to prevent decubitus ulcers. We also find ourselves becoming dedicated to wound care. The rumor is there will be no new patients coming or redistributing, but that is an ever-changing target and at the whim of the military since 2 days ago we heard we would be getting 100 new patients and we were ramping up to prepare for that.

I have better internet now, so will try to let you know more about our group, what life is like down here for the local people here and our patients who have been displaced from their homes.

PLEASE keep the comments and the prayers coming. The group is able to see your posts and it provides us a boost in moral at the end of our exhausting days.

-Joey

10 comments:

  1. Amazing work guys! - wish I were there to help. Will keep you all in our prayers (J. Miller)

    ReplyDelete
  2. Thank you so much for the information you are passing along to those of us at home. The pictures and vivid descriptions of what you are experiencing are incredible. God bless all of you!

    ReplyDelete
  3. Thank you for posting everyone who went with you. God bless all of you for providing such expertise care to the Haiti patients. You all are in my thoughts and prayers. Keep up the great job and thanks for the updated post everyday.
    Brenda Futa RN ACC

    ReplyDelete
  4. Thanks for the posts. We are proud of all of you!! You are all in our thoughts and prayers. Sounds like you are doing tremendous work for the Haiti people. Keep up the good work. God Bless you all. Darcy Baker, SBO

    ReplyDelete
  5. We are all praying for everyone of you!! We miss our Dr.'s at Allied!! It is really awesome that you post a daily report, we are all following this and can't wait to see and hear about everyone you have touched!!! Glad to see Skupski is doing better, I really thought it would have been Mike!!!!! Glad everyone is doing well, stay safe and we will see you soon!!
    Courtney RT Allied

    ReplyDelete
  6. Thanks for posting the names. I am so impressed with the work you are doing. I actually work for an organization that credentials clinicians in wound care. If I can put a call out for wound care help, let me know. Not sure how it would all work, but, I can try to help!

    Hugs to Dr. Deleeuw and everyone!

    Linda Dolezan

    ReplyDelete
  7. All of you are incredibly dedicated and compassionate. Thank you for the work that you are doing. You are in the prayers of many back here.

    ReplyDelete
  8. Michigan Temperature today = 24 degrees F with a reel feel of 9. 25 mph winds. Blizzards in Baltimore. Hopefully that will help keep all of your spirits up while being gone :) Your work is appreciated, admired, life-changing, inspiring, and your good karma is through the moon. Be safe, stay healthy (get healthy if you are Rick) and safe travels when you make your way back to the Frozen Tundra!

    ReplyDelete
  9. Dr's Mike, Fred, Randy, Henry, Dana
    We are so proud of you. Your patient here are being tended to without any problems but we miss you and are excited for your return. What a wonderful thing you are doing. It is special people like yourselves that make us Americans. God bless all of the doctors nurses staff and other volunteers that have come to the aid of Haitians.
    Dr Will and Pattie Yergler
    Love you Mike!!

    ReplyDelete
  10. God bless all of you for the wonderful work you are doing for the Haitian people. I am so proud to know the SBO doctors and Dana. My prayers are with you all to be safe and wishing you all God's blessings on your safe return home.
    Jo Coats from SBO

    ReplyDelete