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GRAND RAPIDS (WZZM) – Dozens of medical personnel from West Michigan are going to Haiti to help earthquake survivors.

Nearly a dozen doctors from Metro Hospital alone are in Haiti or will be there soon.

Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan is just one medical practice that is helping out in Haiti. One doctor left as soon as possible after the quake. A couple more flew down on an Amway plane earlier this week.

When Dr. James Ringler of Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan saw the devastation in Haiti, he was ready to go. Dr. Ringler says, “We feel that we’re particularly suited to this, given that an earthquake results in a great deal of crush injuries. And that tends to be our specialty, working with injured limbs and injured patients.”

But, they know they will be practicing medicine without the technology they are accustomed to. Dr. Ringler says, “And so we really have to think back to what our predecessors used more than likely 30, 40, 50 years ago to help us treat these patients.”

While these doctors help in Haiti, their partners back in West Michigan are trying to make up the difference. Dr. William Schwab, President of Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan, says, “Fortunately we’re a group of 35 physicians. So, we have the ability to absorb that fairly well. And try to make sure that there’s no lack of continuity of care here.” But, he says some patients have had to reschedule surgeries and they have been very understanding about the changes.

Dr. Robert Dean of Anesthesia Medical Consultants will help ease the pain of victims of the earthquake in Haiti. Dr. Dean explains, “We’ve packed as much equipment for as many different contingencies as we could. We don’t know if we’re going to have anesthesia machines and regular anesthesia equipment. So, we took as much stuff as we could do by hand ourselves, IV anesthetics.”

Dr. Dean is just one of many West Michigan doctors ready to fly off and help those in need. He points out “We’re all doctors and most of us went into it to help other people. And there’s great need down there right now. And we have a skill set that can help those people in great need. So, let’s go.”

Orthopaedic Associates of Michigan plans to send two doctors at a time to Haiti for at least the next two months.

Doctors from OAM are working out of a hospital near Port au Prince run by Partners in Health. It was built to withstand hurricanes, and survived the earthquake as well.

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