P H Y S I C I A N VO LU N T E E R S
Volunteering with Global Health Teams In Rural Haiti By Alexandra Myers, DO
THE PRACTICE OF MEDICINE offers numerous opportunities and challenges. One of the great opportunities is to connect with people from other cultures and countries. In the past several years we’ve both had the honor to work in Leon, Haiti with Global Health Teams (GHT, formerly known as the Seattle-King County Disaster Team). GHT began going to Haiti 20 years ago initially to help their members develop skills in responding to a domestic disaster, but the experience in Haiti transformed their directive. The group decided to continue going
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back to Leon to set down roots in a clinic and serve the Haitian people with large clinics each February, June and October. Over the years, GHT has expanded its reach to two other locations in southwestern Haiti: Abricots and Castillon. Clinics are also offered in those locations in April and October. Located in the mountains of southwestern Haiti, Leon is a beautiful place with unfortunate circumstances. It is no more than a dirt road in the middle of the forest, about an hour’s drive from the nearest city, Jérémie. Most of the inhabitants of the Leon region
are subsistence farmers. Their livelihoods are subject to the whims of nature. Natural disasters like the earthquake in 2010 and Hurricane Matthew in 2016 devastated the region. Access to basic services is limited, and medical care is sparse. Thankfully, through a public/private partnership, GHT has been able to provide consistent medical care to the region for 20 years. A clinic building was developed and is funded through GHT as well as a Catholic parish in Maryland. The government provides funding for a nurse and sometimes a physician in the clinic year-round. For all of the various clinic locations, GHT organizes nine separate week-long trips with 6-9 providers. The providers include MDs, DOs, PAs, NPs, RNs, clinical laboratory scientists, paramedics, and EMTs. A mix of provider specialties including emergency, family and internal medicine are welcome and contribute to the effectiveness of the teams. There is a role for everyone on the team from intake to evaluation and management of patients. People interested in volunteering on trips to Leon often have many questions - where do we stay? What can we do for the patients in such an austere environment? How do ensure our safety on the trip? Thankfully, GHT is more than prepared on each trip. Each medical team meets in Miami and travels together through Port Au Prince to Leon. The teams have a designated leader and team physician. Orientation on safety, security, clinical practice and cultural information is provided both prior to the tip as well as before starting work in country.