Did you know “super” means the same in English and Creole? No better word could describe our team here and the work that they are doing. Dr. Josh and Kelly Suter RN have been running the triage clinic like veterans from day one. They have worked constantly, and have delivered a few babies and saved a few lives along the way. Really!
Our team of nurses can only be described as “awesome” and “inspiring”. We just said good-bye to Team 4B made up of Amy Creswell, Marjorie Fournier, Larinda Marker, and Sarah Marshall. They will surely be missed. We thanked them for setting the standard of excellence in both the OR, PACU, and for showing us what “transferring a patient to the floor,” really means. The nurses of Team 5 from Grand Rapids (Mary DeGraaf, Raelyn Prelewitz, and Sara VanderZwaag) jumped in immediately and continued the example of “rolling up your shirt sleeves” and pant legs and got right to work. They all are a true tribute to the nursing profession and have shown us that care can be delivered anywhere. We are so fortunate to have Marie Lanueville with us. She has been invaluable. Her knowledge of French and her compassion for the people here is only outdone through the miracles she works everyday by getting our patients up and walking.
Our anesthesia duo of Dr. Dave and Dr. Brandon are providing the most up-to-date care possible in this remote location. Even in the middle of the night ultrasound-guided blocks and epidurals for delivering moms are the standard of care in Haiti now. It is amazing to see the patients who have a fracture fixed in the morning and then bump into them by the scrub sink walking around a couple hours later. Or fix their broken arm and discharge them to home from the recovery room, even though it is an hour plus walk home. Dr. Scott has been awesome running around to wherever he is needed and keeping the ship afloat. From orthopaedics to pediatrics he has done it all and we sure are grateful. He even is teaching us Creole in his spare time.
A special THANK YOU, has to go out to the fine men and women of the 82nd Airborne. They came by yesterday and fulfilled their promise of helping us transfer several patients to other hospitals where their complex fractures could be fixed since we lack the proper facilities for these injuries. All of these patients have been steadily waiting for 5 weeks – most of them in traction. We were so happy to see that they finally were going to get the treatment they need. The patients had tears of joy in their eyes as they were loaded carefully onto the US transfer vehicles. So did the nurses and doctors. We also had a chance to share some food with the soldiers and they permitted us to take pictures with them. It made for a great day. Captain Ivey, Lt. Dan Johnson, Lt. Cleveland Bryant, SFC Chris Whelan, and SFC Matthew Nickeson, you guys are the best. Thanks again.
Godspeed
Thomas A. Matelic, M.D.
