Brown's Response to Haiti

3 weeks after forming the Haiti Relief Response Committee at Brown, we have raised tens of thousands of dollars, collected thousands of pounds of in-kind donations, sponsored several fundraising events from bake sales to dance competitions, held vigils to remember those lost, created a website and sent half a dozen doctors and nurses down to help in Haiti. Our plans include both short term and long term goals. As co-chair of the medical working group I've been working to identify the best way Brown can provide relief that will mobilize the Haitian medical community as opposed to simply aiding it. I'm in the process of drafting long-term growth plans for the public health training program at Pwoje Espwa that will continue to educate and train youth and interested adults to become knowledgeable community health workers in their villages. When I return to Haiti, I will be holding supplemental classes for the already trained PH team to bring focus to the areas that are most important following the recent natural disaster, such as first aid techniques, organization, delegation and teaching skills to spread their knowledge of public health care and preventative medicine to others in their community more easily.

The following is a summary of the short and long-term goals that we have drafted for the medical working group at Brown regarding Haiti. The work that myself and Dr. Flannigan have been doing to develop a partnership between Brown Med School and medical schools in PAP has been made all the more difficult and for that reason all the more important, now that the medical schools in PAP are no longer standing and the med students are without schooling. Bringing advanced level med students from Haiti to do some of their training at some of Brown's affiliated hospitals is a primary focus of ours.

Short-Term Goals:

1. Fundraising
--Monetary . In conjunction with the Fundraising Working Group, collaborate regarding fundraising ideas that specifically tap into the medical community at Brown and in Providence.
--In-kind donations (i.e., basic medical supplies).
–Work through Partners in Health: http://standwithhaiti.org/haiti/news-entry/how-you-can-help-volunteer-and-donate-supplies/
--Other organizations with which we can partner?

2. Mobilization of the Brown Community
--Assess levels of interest and capabilities of Brown community including students, deans, professors, doctors and staff
– Work through Partners in Health: http://standwithhaiti.org/haiti/news-entry/how-you-can-help-volunteer-and-donate-supplies/ Inform the medical community of this opportunity for those who are able to be deployed to Haiti. According to their website, they are looking for 2 orthopedic surgeons; 2 anesthesiologists or nurse anesthetists; and 5 nurses (2-3 OR nurses and 2-3 post-op/critical care nurses).
--Identify people interested in working within Haiti or for Haitian causes

3. Identify Haitian organizations in need during this crisis period.
--Example: In Providence, the Haitian Project at Crossroads on Broad Street. This may be a good place for Brown students to volunteer and get involved.

4. Identify Haitian organizations interested in building long-term collaborative partnering relationships with Brown.

5. Identify Haitian medical schools with which Brown has Memoranda of Agreements and/or a history of exchange.

Long-Term Goals:

1. Identify key partnerships which can benefit from the strengths of the Brown community in health care and in development
– Conference call with Clinton Foundation currently being planned.

2. Develop opportunities for advanced Haitian medical students to do clinical rotations at Brown based on short-term goal above.

3. Develop sustainable commitments with organizations, groups and projects in Haiti.
--Find opportunities for members of the Brown community to work, volunteer and visit Haiti

To learn more about what we are doing at Brown in response to the earthquake that hit 3 weeks ago, you can visit www.brown.edu/haiti-response

Fr. Marc, the founder of Pwoje Espwa, is keeping a great blog updating what's happening on the ground at pwojeespwa.blogspot.com Check it out when you can and see if there is anyway that you can help with any of their needs.