Blogs

Frist Travels to Haiti for Medical Mission with Supplies

Jan 18 2010

Read More - Frist Travels to Haiti for Medical Mission with Supplies
By Bill Frist, M.D.
January 18, 2010

The medical need in Haiti is desperate -- in particular for surgeons. Having responded in this capacity just after the tsunami in Sri Lanka and four days after the levees broke following Katrina, I decided to join fellow physicians from Samaritans purse in Haiti.

On Sunday I spent the morning at Centennial Medical Center in Nashville going through their basement, picking out medical supplies most notably antibiotics and intravenous fluids, they generously provided for the victims of the earthquake in Haiti.

Frist Arrives at Baptist Mission Hospital

At First Glance

Jan 18 2010

Read More - Frist Arrives at Baptist Mission Hospital
By Bill Frist, M.D.
January 18, 2010

At First Glance

Baptist Mission Hospital -- Fermathe, Haiti

Its 3:30pm and we have been on site for 5 hours. The Baptist Mission Hospital here in Fermathe has two doctors and about 100 beds. Since the hospital is 20 miles north of Port au Prince, it is normally used as a referral hospital. But it is all pretty simple; it did not have even a basic lab until last month; it does not have blood for transfusions; and it is very elementary.

Addressing the Haitian Crisis: What You Can Do

Jan 13 2010

Read More - Addressing the Haitian Crisis: What You Can Do

January 13, 2010

As the facts slowly emerge revealing the extent of the devastation in Haiti in the aftermath of the earthquake yesterday, we are learning that perhaps over half a million lives have been lost.

Major officials and dignitaries lost their lives yesterday. Moreover, governmental buildings, the national palace, and other historic buildings have collapsed.

Haiti is the poorest country in the western hemisphere suffering from extreme poverty. This natural disaster will create extraordinary need in a country where it is being estimated 1 in 3 Haitians have been affected by the earthquake.

Many have written and asked: Where should we send money? Hope Through Healing Hands will be collecting a fund where 100% of the monies will be donated to the best organizations, on the ground in Haiti, with whom we partner and work. You can donate directly to Hope Through Healing Hands: Haiti Disaster Relief Fund in the next 24 hours on our website.

We will give you updates from these organizations as to the usage of the funding over the next month.

How can you help? Donate today.

And, please keep the people of Haiti in your thoughts and prayers.

Yours,

Bill Frist, M.D.

P.S. The Haitian Disaster Relief Fund will be up shortly, if it is not already. Please check back soon if the website has yet to have it posted. Thanks for your patience.

 

Call to Action: Write a Letter to new USAID Administrator

Jan 11 2010

Read More - Call to Action: Write a Letter to new USAID Administrator
January 11, 2010

From: PneumoALERT at preventpneumo.org

Call to USAID to Take Action on Pneumonia and Diarrhea

Dear Colleagues,


I am excited to tell you that on January 7, 2010, Dr. Rajiv Shah was sworn in as USAID Administrator. This is a great opportunity to welcome Dr. Shah to his new leadership position and to call on him to take up the cause of pneumonia and diarrhea, the world's two leading causes of child mortality.

Dr. Shah has led and worked with many of the initiatives that are defining best practice in the field of development, including the Global Alliance for Vaccines and Immunization, the Global Fund for AIDS, TB and Malaria, the Alliance for a Green Revolution for Africa, and the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation. His tireless efforts to immunize children around the world have helped save countless lives.

FGHL Blog: Danielle Dittrich - Saying Goodbye to Primeros Pasos

Jan 11 2010

Read More - FGHL Blog: Danielle Dittrich - Saying Goodbye to Primeros Pasos
I was welcomed back to the United States with those infamous words, "is there a doctor or a nurse on board" over the loud speaker of the airplane. Though I was the closet to the patient and the first to volunteer, I was happy to hand over my responsibilities to the doctor that eventually came from the back of the plane. Besides, there was not too much that anyone could do for shortness of breath related to pulmonary hypertension in mid-air other than apply the oxygen mask. Until that trip, I never knew how many gadgets and medical contraptions were hiding out in that first overhead bin on the airplane. Though we were met by EMS when we taxied into the gate, the patient walked off the plane without difficulty. Needless to say, it was an eventful homecoming.

FGHL Blog: Danielle Dittrich - The Obstacles of Giving Birth in a Guatemalan Hospital

Dec 17 2009

Read More - FGHL Blog: Danielle Dittrich - The Obstacles of Giving Birth in a Guatemalan Hospital
This week one of my prenatal patients that I had been caring for since I first arrived here in Xela had her baby. She was a gestational diabetic, so although she had had her last 5 children at home with a comadrona she agreed to go to the public hospital for the delivery. She borrowed a cell phone from her neighbor to call me when she started went into labor and decided to go to the hospital. I met her there as soon as a finished seeing my patients at the clinic. I couldn't play any major role at the hospital, but I think it was good to see a familiar face; she cried when she saw me at the OB triage station.

FGHL Blog: Kelly Tschida - Nyamata Health Center Report

Dec 15 2009

Read More - FGHL Blog: Kelly Tschida - Nyamata Health Center Report
Nyamata, Rwanda

The last few weeks I have been leaving the Nyamata Hospital to work in the community health centers. Getting to the centers often entails a few hours of travel in a four-wheel drive over rough, dirt roads. There are 11 centers in the Burgessa district and more than 400 in Rwanda.

These health centers are the front line healthcare for most Rwandans. Each center is responsible for a population of roughly 20,000 people. Patients using the public hospitals must start at these community based centers. If the case is complicated, they are transferred to a district hospital like Nyamata. The staff care for sick patients, deliver babies, provide vaccinations, distribute food given from the government and non-governmental organizations. They also have daily classes on topics such as family planning, gardening for nutrition, and proper sanitation and food preparation. These centers are truly the best hope the country has in the areas of disease prevention and early intervention.

Update on Olken Foncine: Haitian Orphan

Dec 11 2009

Read More - Update on Olken Foncine: Haitian Orphan
Do you remember the story of Olken Foncime? He was the Haitian orphan who had congenital heart disease and received surgery from Dr. Christian Gilbert in October.

We just received a photo and an update. His doctor reports that since the surgery, he has gained 10 lbs. and has a remarkable increase in activity. He's doing really well.

Thanks to Dr. Gilbert for the update!

World AIDS Day: Frist at Vanderbilt University

Dec 02 2009

Read More - World AIDS Day: Frist at Vanderbilt University
by Jenny Dyer, Ph.D.
December 1, 2009

by Jenny Dyer, Ph.D.

Last night, Senator Frist spoke at Vanderbilt University's Student Life Center to over 250 friends, students, faculty, and guests in honor of World AIDS Day. The title of the talk: "Celebrating Life, Mourning Death: Continuing the Fight against Global AIDS" focused on where we've come from and where we're going, especially in terms of policy. Recounting his personal experiences in Africa with the AIDS pandemic and how he was able to use those experiences to shape and inform President Bush's decision to move forward to commit historic funding to fight a single virus, the Senator relayed the beginning of the President's Emergency Plan for AIDS Relief (PEPFAR) in 2003.

FGHL Blog: Danielle Dittrich - Fertility Necklaces and Family Planning: Guatemala

Dec 01 2009

Read More - FGHL Blog: Danielle Dittrich - Fertility Necklaces and Family Planning: Guatemala
Everyone in Xela is getting geared up for Christmas and consequently the patient load throughout the clinic is winding down. This week marks the last week of women's group meetings for the year. They will start again in January. I lead the closing project with the Tierra Colorada Baja group today. We made fertility necklaces out of brown, black, cream and red wooden beads. The placement of the different colors on the necklace indicate when the woman is most fertile and can be used either for family planning or to help conceive. The project was a big hit, but most importantly it sparked some interesting conversation and important questions.
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