Can You Help?
We are always in need of supplies – especially non-perishable food items, soap, toothbrushes, toothpaste, washcloths, and gallon baggies – that we send to those in need. If you live in the Manassas area, items can be brought to our office at 9590 Surveyor Ct., Manassas, VA 20110. If you can’t make it to our office, please consider making a donation to Medical Missionaries to support this work.
After sending supplies to help families in Southwest Virginia, we received a message from the Rock Lick Food Pantry thanking us for the food and baby supplies. We thank them for sharing these photos of the food distribution. The food pantry is located in Buchanan County, which is one of the poorest counties in Virginia, and serves not only local residents but also many who live in nearby areas of eastern Kentucky and southern West Virginia. We thank all of our volunteers and donors who make it possible for us to help those in need, both right here in our own ‘backyard’ and throughout the world
International Aid
Last month, Medical Missionaries volunteers organized and loaded containers of medical and household supplies that were shipped to those in need in both Jamaica and the west African nation of Guinea-Bissau. We thank our volunteers and supporters for making this possible.
News from St. Joseph Clinic
At the end of January, a medical team made a trip to St. Joseph Clinic in Haiti to provide professional training for the Clinic staff in the Maternal and Infant Care program, ER, Lab, and Pharmacy. The team was led by Medical Missionaries Board Member Dr. Ken Kornetsky and included Dr. Dave Snyder and Gachard Jean Pierre, PA (both Board Members), along with Dr. George Bazaco, Dr. Chuck Stein, and nurses Sherry Pace and Kim Parker. They brought many supplies that were sorely needed at the Clinic. Pictured above left is Dr. Kornetsky leading an education session on electrocardiograms (EKGs).
In other Clinic news, eight new Lithium-ion batteries (pictured above center) were delivered to the Clinic and were installed by a team of volunteers from the US including Ron Burrell, Craig Flanagan, and Carl Wang. Since its opening in 2007, the Clinic has had to make its own electricity using solar panels and batteries. The batteries need to be replaced every few years, and it’s a great expense to import them. These new batteries should last for 10 years and provide the Clinic with a reliable source of electricity until the national electric grid reaches the Clinic.
The School Dental Hygiene Program has been expanding, and currently has 50 schoolchildren enrolled. They enjoyed a Christmas party that was filled with laughter and joy as the students engaged in activities led by the Clinic’s Dental Assistants (pictured above right)
Medical Missionaries Global Health Fellows 2019-2020
Medical Missionaries is pleased to announce the appointment of the 2019-2020 Global Health Fellows: Samuel Castro, Kyra Sarazen, and Logan Schulz. They will begin their year of service in Haiti in June 2019. Samuel, Kyra, and Logan will join their 28 predecessors who have served the people of Thomassique, Haiti, through this Fellowship since 2007.
The Medical Missionaries Global Health Fellowship offers recent college graduates, graduate students, or professionals interested in global health the opportunity to gain experience in health care delivery in a developing country. Fellows spend one year in Thomassique, Haiti, working at St. Joseph Clinic, where they act as liaisons between Medical Missionaries—the US-based organization that built and provides funding for the Clinic—and the Clinic’s all-Haitian staff. The Fellowship begins in June and ends in July of the following year.
During their year in Haiti, Fellows coordinate several health and community projects, traditional birth assistants, mobile clinics, water purification, malnutrition, salt iodization, and education.They work with community leaders to implement innovative health programs in Thomassique and its outlying villages. Fellows also fulfill a variety of administrative functions, including medication tracking, helping organize the Clinic and facilitating logistics for visiting medical teams. In addition to these responsibilities, Fellows have the opportunity to shadow the Clinic’s physicians, midwives, and nurses, and assist U.S. surgeons during their visits.