Health Care News Updates

Report from Haiti: Day 7

Orthopaedic Team No. 9, with physicians, physical medicine-rehab technicians and nurses from The Methodist Hospital, is working at Sacre Coeur hospital in Milot, Haiti, on a medical relief mission.  The team continues to work and provide some care to the residents of a country devastated by an earthquake that struck a little over a month ago.

Nurse practitioner Art Encarnacion is filing regular reports.

Friday, March 5 - Last night in Haiti … what an experience for us all!  It is with deep sorrow that we have to leave tomorrow because these people need long-term help and rehab, I hope and pray that more medical teams that follow us will transition and continue the solid work that Dr. Lawrence Nguyen has set in place!

But with that said we all long to be home and hug our spouses and children.  I am honored to be have been given this opportunity to help the people of Haiti and share our Methodist I CARE values!  God bless Haiti.  Art out!

Thursday, March 4 -Today has been a much slower day which is a good thing because all the nurses are doing their own wound care in their respective tents.  One of the ladies had to go to surgery because when Celita (Paladio) and I went in to change her dressing, flies were all over her sheets and the odor was tremendous.

Her wound was massively infected and pus was pooling in the middle of the wound bed.  One of the orthopedic surgeons from our team rushed her to the operating room for wound debridement.  I was told by one of the physicians that approximately 90 percent of all the wounds (they are seeing) are infected and they are trying to put all the patients on long-term antibiotics.

This evening, the pediatric ward was given a surprise party by all of us on the nursing and medical staff.  It was quite an experience!

On a personal note, I lost it and had to leave and compose myself.  I just hope and pray that all these wonderful, beautiful children can recover physically and emotionally.  Art out!

Wednesday, March 3 -Kudos to my Methodist colleagues Sarah Alexandre and Chris Windham.  They are physical therapy techs in the United States but here in Haiti they are the cream of the crop!  Also, for nursing representation, mega-kudos to Celita Paladio of Dunn 7 West, who is the only nurse for a tent of 40 female patients, doing what a nurse practitioner does in the United States.

More mega kudos to Rachid El Karrazi, Dunn Operating Room Technician, who is proving his expertise in running a well-organized OR.  I am so proud to be associated with them and they are making The Methodist Hospital proud by spreading the I CARE values here in Haiti!

Dr. Lawrence Nguyen continues to demonstrate his God-given leadership skills and run this relief operation here at Sacre Coeur hospital.  Art out!

Tuesday, March 2 -Today’s weather felt like Houston in the middle of August - super hot and humid! I was sweating non-stop all day and had to keep hydrated.  I learned two Haitian words today: “sho” which means hot, and “swey” which means sweat.

I flew solo today and treated about 15 patients with some foul-smelling wounds.  My heart about broke today because I had to change a dressing on a two-month-old who was found under her dead parents.  She is the little jewel of the pediatric ward!  Busy day, so this will be a short one.  Goodnight.  Art out.

Monday, March 1 - What a day!  Went on wound rounds with a plastic surgeon from (Washington) D.C.  Lots of infections in the wounds, especially with all the flies, no circulating air, bed pans full of feces, urine under the cots … needless to say, a lot of infection.

The cots are inches apart, so it’s only a matter of time for communicable diseases to erupt.  Tomorrow my fellow nurse practitioner wound care specialist leaves, and I’m flying solo.

I want everyone at Methodist to know how proud they should be of Dr. Lawrence Nguyen, medical director of inpatient rehab on West Pavilion 9-10.  He has taken the role of physician leader of all medical personnel (60 total).  Before we got here, there was no organization whatsoever and Dr. Nguyen most definitely righted the ship.  More to come on that later.

Time to get some rest!  Art out.

Read more about this mission to Haiti