Caring for patients in the mountains

Here's a typical exam room! Little space, lots of noise, lots of stuff on the tables and Robyn and Charlie trying to assess the problem.

The UND Gang goes home

Well, it's December 9th and it's time to go back to the USA! We have loved our stay and hopefully in a small window of time have helped HHF make a difference in the people they serve!

Kristin weighing babies

The best way to know that babies are going to survive and thrive is by watching their weights. Kristen has her hands full at post weighing lots of infants.

St Pierre School

Prior to heading to the mountains on Thurday morning we stopped at St. Pierre school. We had lots of notebooks, crayons and pens to give to the teachers. Children from the poorest area of Jeremie go to this school and are served a hot meal each day. It's hard to learn on an empty stomach!

It's been a good day

Here's a group picture as a group gets ready to leave a mountain post after a day of hard work.

Trauma in the Mountains

Trauma happens all over the world. Charlie and Mary Ann are cleaning and debriding a burn on this girls arm.

Carol and her baby

There are lots of babies in Haiti. The Haitian Health Foundation does a wonderful job of teaching all mothers to breast feed. The are checked frequently in their first year of life, immunizations are given and lots of teaching is provided to the mothers. Carol is taking the opportunity to hold one of these beautiful babies.

Pediatric Exams

Nadia and John are busy at post seeing peds. Common conditions seen include malaria, scabies, pneumonia, parasites and fungal skin infections.

New born exams

As the PA students arrived at a post one morning they were greeted by these twin girls waiting to have their newborn exams.

Clipping Children's Nails

It's very important to keep children's nails short in Haiti. It helps in preventing the spread of germs. Lisa had a busy day in the mountains cutting nails!

Treating Pneumonia in Infants

Terry's focus is listening to this infant's lung sounds. How fast is her rate? Do you hear rales? One of the causes of infant mortality in this country is pneumonia. We can make a difference by diagnosing these children correctly.

The women of Grace Lutheran Church

Today half of our group traveled to a
town in the mountains called Robin.
Our mission was to provide pediatric,
adult and prenatal care to the
people. Included in our supplies was
a big bag of layettes made by women
from Grace Lutheran Church in
Wildrose, North Dakota (Annette's home
town). Mothers were given the
layettes on their post partum visit.
We examined the babies and the
mothers. If the mother had three
prenatal visits she was given one of
these wonderful layettes. Thank you
ladies of Grace Lutheran for your
continued support to Haitian women!

High Risk Pregnant Women

We watched a demonstration today of
Haitian Health Agents and Nurses in a
mock situation responding to a
pregnant woman in pain. First they
showed us the proper method for the
matron (mid-wife) to assist in the
delivery. They followed by teaching
us how the community responds when a
woman starts bleeding post partum and
needs to be transferred to the
hospital.

Orientation Day

We began the morning in orientation to
the Haitian Health Foundation System.
We learned about COMBIT. It's the
name given to a grant that develops
and supports efforts to reduce the
maternal/infant mortality rate

UND South Campus PA Program

Please see the picture of the UND PA
Program South Campus. We are at the
18 degree latitude.

Robyn and Patti

The buddy system of pill counting!

Noah counting pills

Noah...are you counting out 15 pills
for the bottle?

Preparing vitamins

It's time to prepare vitamins and
medications for the posts in the
mountains. Mary Ann is putting the
group to work counting pills

Haitian Health Foundation

It's time for us to go back to the
Haitian Health Foundation for a good
meal and class time. The topic
tonight is on Malnutrition. A
condition we are going to see much too
often this coming week.

Kristen.....what are you doing?

Brandon...did you tell Kristen that
this was a nude beach?

Kirk and Charlie

Are you having fun at the beach?

A group picture

The beach is so fun!

Brandon and Kristin Churchman

What are the two of you thinking about
as you relax in the sun? Do you know
they have been married for two years?

A trip to Bette's house

After the beach we traveled to Bette
Gabrian's house to spend some time in
her her back yard. It's been a great
relaxing day before starting our
mission of medical work for the poor
and underserved of Haiti.

An afternoon at the beach

Before we start our work week we had
the chance to go to the beach. Look
at these lovely ladies having fun in
the Caribbean waters.

Waking up in Haiti

How can a country so beautiful be so
poor? Here is the scene we wake up to
each morning in Jeremie.

The chief

It's been easy to spot Mary Ann
today. She's the chief in the green
hat.

It's cloudy and getting dark

Here's the airport in Jeremie. We
arrive at dusk with clouds in the sky
but beautiful green trees in the
Caribbean. We're all safe!

YEA....The plane arrives

Look at all that luggage that needs to
go on that plane.

We continue to wait

Another group shot as we wait for the
plane to take us to Jeremie.

Robyn starting her journal

Robyn is busy writing her initial
impression of Haiti in her journal!

PA Students playing cards

We spent more time in the airport
waiting for the flight to Jeremie than
we had hoped. John Jeffrey got the
group playing a card game!

Look at all the luggage

16 of us prepare to leave for Port au
Prince each with two suit cases
weighing 50 pounds each! We are
bringing lots of supplies for HHF!

UND PA Students

The PA students are ready to go to
Haiti. We're gathered at the Miami
airport dressed in gray and green!