OUTLINE OF PROPOSED RELATIONSHIP WITH OUR
“ADOPTED HAITIAN CENTRAL PROVINCE CLINIC”
WITH PAUL FARMER IN CANGE
From: Glenn Geelhoed
To: paulhaiti@aol.com
Date:
Subject: Re: You have photos from PhotoWorks
Dr. Paul Farmer
Dear Paul:
It was wonderful visiting your hilltop oasis in Cange! I had only envisioned it as you had described it in writings so I was surprised to see how closely it followed that verbal image- - to be more of a "recollection" on my part than an "introduction."
Both Jackie at Cange, and Marie at Thumonde have greetings to relay from me, along with some articles I had left with them for your review. I had brought down all my recent Tropical Medicine and Surgery journals, and will continue to collect some things that may be beneficial, like a few basic texts of Med/Surg/Peds/Ob
Dr.
Raphael of the
Bryan J Schaaf is a GWU MPH student after having been the PCV for Thumonde, and was invaluable in introducing me to this region as well as my tour guide, in your absence, of Cange. Danielle M Foster is a rising Sophomore GW Med Student, and with classmate Julie Turig will coordinate our next medical student trip down to the Central Plateau, which may be as soon as December and may be repeated in May.
I am meeting with them and with our Medical School Dean, Vice President of Health Affairs (covering both medical school and school of public health) and Provost of the GW University (Yes, this is all the same person!) Skip Williams, this afternoon.
He is interested in
If this sounds like a good idea, it may be more than just Monmart that we adopt!
I am completing the reading of your "Uses of Haiti" and have a lot more "backgrounding" to complete, but I am on a fast track, since it looks so much like my continuing experience as an Africanist!
I will also refresh the continuing invitation we have to you for consultation and lectureship here at GWU where we are attempting to put together a Global Health Institute, with our Department of Microbiology and Tropical Medicine taking the lead in developing it.
We
had met with my "running mate" (of marathons, only!) Senator Bill
Frist at the time he was our GWUMC Commencement speaker, and we have been
invited to discuss the idea of our Global Health Institute further. I have
spoken with fellows in the Office of Majority Leader, Senator Bill Frist where
we met just before leaving for
The defined areas within the isolated Central Plateau province would be an ideal model for the test site for the hookworm vaccine clinical trials to be instituted within the coming year.
I
am invited to come to the Ambassador's meeting in PAP and meet with
representatives of the Soros Foundation and the Bill and Melinda Gates at which Kim Green may be previewing a
clip of the video they were working on when we visited. It may be difficult for me to return to
I will attach a brief summary of our recent experience, and hope that we can be working together soon- - - both there and here!
Cheers!
GWG
Addendum One:
I haven't heard a response concerning lectures during the trip. Is anyone interested or have suggestions?
In
a message dated
Hello Everyone: (Coordinators could you please forward to Dr. Moreno)
We
are in final phases of planning the itinerary for our next trip to
We have 2 new doctors joining us this trip - Dr. Jose Moreno (his son is a first year) and Dr. Glen Geelhoed (who is from George Washington University and has many more years than Medishare does in providing health care in developing countries). Our returning docs are Dr. Barth Green (President and co- founder of Medishare), Dr. Arthur Fournier (former president and co- founder of Medishare), Dr. Paul Pietro (board member of Medishare), Dr. Arturo Brito, Dr. Dhiraj Patel, Dr. Ernst Danier, and Marie Chery, R.N. (starting in June she will be the Manager of our community health program in Thomonde). In addition to UM med students, we also have students from GW and Northwestern. And a journalist and photojournalist from the Miami Herald are also coming. Kimberley Green from the Green Family Foundation (a donor to Medishare) and a film crew are also planning on coming though only spending a few days.
Each day we will be splitting into 2 groups and conducting health fairs in different areas. There is a possibility that during the week some changes will be made to the itinerary based on accessibility to the area (rain) or a need to return a second day to the same place.
I would like to add more to our evening de- briefing by having lectures by some of the doctors on the trip. With that said - - if anyone is interested in presenting something (it is very informal) or has other suggestions let me know. Thanks
See you on the 8th!
Ellen Powers, MPH
Executive Director
Project Medishare
(305) 757- 9555
Addendum Two:
I am regrouping after the rapid transit between third and first worlds with examples on the extremes of each bell shaped distribution of the globe's resources. The entry level experience for a large group of freshman medical students in their first clinical encounters was instructive, and liaisons were set up for further sustaining clinical experiences to the poor Central Plateau Province of Haiti as well as outreach programs for several medical student classes were initiated.
An outline of these experiences is attached with the full text forthcoming upon request, with the inevitable deluge of clinical tropical medicine's photography to follow- - brought to you by the rainy season endemia of Thumonde!
Enjoy the mini- tour of the rainy season of the Haitian interior!
GWG
JUN- B- 1 MEDICAL MISSION TO HAITI WITH PROJECT MEDISHARE Jun- B- 1 Index to the Haiti Medical Mission 2 The contact numbers for the Haiti trip and preparation suggestions 3 Launch the Haiti trip from Derwood to BWI through Fort Lauderdale FL for the Miami contingent, and join forces to prepare for the Thomonde medical mission 4 Welcome to Thumonde, Haiti: destination travel for Project Medishare 5 Clinic Day One: Montmart—a poor area in the Central Plateau, and my “Women’s Health Clinic” in teaching a series of pelvic exams and pre- natal care for entry level medical students, followed by my thorough didactic tropical medicine and motivational session for “Instruction and inspiration” 6 Clinic Day Two: Salmondare—a village not reached because of the impassable flooded river and the gumbo mud- rutted roads of the rainy season—but the resourceful patients crossed the river ahead of the rain to be examined in a tar paper shack as a pre- natal and gynecology “Women’s health” screening clinic continues Clinic Day Three: Cass—a rather well- designed clinic with improved performances by my freshman medical students, and a walk by an Africanesque River in gumbo mud in the rainy season 7 Clinic Day Three: Paradone—a makeshift screening clinic in a Catholic Church followed by a tour of Cange hospital, concluding in a Voodoo Ceremony in Thumonde 8 The contrast of populations from two different planets: the squalor and luxury of the Port au Prince capital of Haiti—where the rich get richer 9 Aboard the delayed American Airlines A- 300 Airbus from Port au Prince to Miami 10 A Miami layover enroute for return between one world of undernourished kids through another world of bulimia and obesity and other consumerism
>>> <PIHPaul@aol.com> 02/19/03 07:16PM >>>
In
a message dated
This note may remind you, as you consider your calendar, that you have an open invitation to visit us as Consultant/Visiting Professor in Microbiology/Tropical Medicine at a time that may be convenient to you!
thank
you so much for this! i'd be honored- - but i am already en route
back to
good luck with the marathon!
more soon
paul