In light of the horrible situation in Haiti, we wanted to share with our members ways they might offer aide. There are numerous orthopaedic teams – supported and/or organized by hospitals or health plans – headed to Haiti to provide orthopaedic assistance and/or surgery. A few examples:

Piedmont Health Care

Piedmont Health Care in Atlanta is sending down a team of orthopaedic surgeons with specific expertise (hands, trauma, head, etc) to work with local doctors at the Hospital Albert Schweitzer in Port-au-Prince.

Surgical Implant Generation Network (SIGN)

A non nonprofit group out of Seattle, the Surgical Implant Generation Network, is sending down a surgeon who specializes in a novel bone-mending technique; he’s bringing 400 pounds of equipment/devices.

Dr. Zirkle, SIGN Founder, and Jeanne Dillner, SIGN CEO, along with other medical NGOs, are currently working out of Kings Hospital in Port-au-Prince. Equipment has been organized and prepared for surgeries and several have been completed. The hospital operating room just went online recently and is receiving a flood of cases.

King’s Hospital has 300 beds to treat the most seriously injured patients. Jeanne e-mailed SIGN with instructions to ship out more instrument sets and implants. That shipment was sent and received last night. Jeanne reports they are receiving a massive influx of patients.

SIGN is working directly with Medical Teams International. World Relief, another humanitarian organization, is also working out of King’s Hospital providing medical aid to the earthquake victims. Please follow our blog for up to date information about our work in Haiti.

We appreciate your prayers for the Haitian people.

Medical Teams International

Medical Teams International (a Christian-focused non-profit) based in Portland, OR, is sending down a team of doctors and surgeons to assist in the relief effort. They have also committed to raising $500,000 for the effort…. but this is what they do, this is their mission.
On Wednesday, January 20, we sent six more volunteers, including three doctors, two nurses and an experienced hospital administrator. One of the volunteer doctors is a Haitian anesthesiologist working for Legacy Hospital in Portland.

The team that left on Wednesday went to Port-au-Prince on a private jet supplied by TEC Equipment Inc., who own Volvo and Mac truck dealerships on the West Coast. Dave Thompson, TEC Equipment Inc.’s president, made the decision to donate the flight after his employees donated the funds to pay for the fuel.

One of the members of the team is Andrew Davidson, president and CEO of the Oregon Association of Hospital and Health Systems OAHHS. Davidson is a part of the team because he is an expert in health logistics in disaster situations. In addition, the OAHHS, and its counterpart in Washington State, has committed to raising more than $560,000 in cash and medicines to help Medical Teams International respond to the Haiti crisis.

Hospital for Special Surgery in New York

The Hospital for Special Surgery in New York sent down a team of orthopaedic trauma surgeons to assist the effort.

HSS anesthesiologists, nurses and orthopedic surgeons left for Haiti Friday to join other medical teams from around the world in this humanitarian effort.

Manufacturers

Myriad device manufacturers – including J&J, Abbott, Roche, BD, GE, and numerous others – are working with various organizations like the American Red Cross to send medical supplies, and also to provide financial assistance.

Associations

AAOS – is working with a group called Operation Outfit Haiti and an AAOS member in Miami to collect and assemble orthopaedic devices and tools that can be donated to on-site groups in Haiti.

AANS – is working with Sanjay Gupta, MD – CNN correspondent and a neurosurgeon – to solicit volunteers to come to Haiti; there is an extreme shortage of neurosurgeons and a great need right now.

You can donate funds to support the working being done in Haiti through the following groups:

American Red Cross
Doctors Without Borders
Clinton Bush Foundation