Brown Medicine Magazine - A magazine for alumni & friends of The Warren Alpert Medical School of Brown University

Brown Medicine Magazine - Haiti to Hollywood

The New England Association for Healthcare Philanthropy

I've been invited to give the opening keynote address at the annual NEAHP Conference in Newport, VT on March 13th. I haven't quite decided what I'd like the talk to hit on yet but I'm beginning to brainstorm some ideas. It's so great to see that an organization like this exists! Below is a little more about the NEAHP and the website where you can learn more!

The New England Association for Healthcare Philanthropy (NEAHP) is a not-for-profit membership association for healthcare development professionals, founded in 1960.

NEAHP seeks to enhance the value of philanthropy and advance the professionalism of those who serve non-profit health care organizations. Currently we have over 300 members who represent, community hospitals, academic medical centers, specialty hospitals, community health centers, affiliated health organizations, long term care facilities, VNA’s, Hospices and resource providers throughout New England. (neahp.org)

2011 NEAHP Conference
March 13-15, 2011

Talk at Roger Williams University

Polina and I after the presentation

Last night was my presentation at Roger Williams. It was my first time ever visiting and put simply, I couldn't have been more impressed with the coordination and maturity of the students who both organized the event and those who attended. A few days after I accepted one of the Do Something Awards on VH1, I was emailed by a young lady from RWU who was interested in helping my cause in any way she could. I told her about my upcoming speaking tour and how I would happily make room for a visit to RWU. Over the next few months, this woman, Polina (a junior at RWU) organized everything from the pre-event dinner with select students to the actual presentation itself. Since she did this on her own and not as a part of a student group, she had more obstacles than usual to overcome in order to have her university approve and pay to bring me in as a presenter.

After a wonderful dinner with about 15 of the RWU students ranging from Freshman to Seniors, we made our way over to the auditorium. My presentation was set to go and the cameras were set up and ready to record the entire event. I was most grateful for three things: 1. Nearly all of the seats were filled

2. Even though my talk was scheduled for 45 minutes, I went for just over an hour and no one left :)

3. No one fell asleep

These are the three things that any presenter hopes for!

Talking with three highly motivated seniors on their way to medical school.

Meeting some of the students after the talk

Dinner with Dr. Paul Farmer and Wyclef Jean

Me with Dr. Paul Farmer and Wyclef Jean

Me with Edwidge Danticat, Haitian author

Last night was incredible. I received an invitation last week from the office of the president of Brown University inviting me to dinner with Dr. Paul Farmer and Edwidge Danticat. I nearly jumped out of my seat. Though I’ve been sick for the last several days, I pulled myself out of bed and popped one of the IBUprofen that the doctor gave me and made my way to the dinner. I was the first to arrive and got a look at the guest list. I was shocked to see that of all the guests, only a few handful of people had been assigned a particular table to sit at and I was one of them. I nearly lost my balance when I saw who else would be sitting at my table. I was first of all, seated right next to the man who inspired me from the very beginning when I decided to dedicate my life to working in Haiti, Dr. Paul Farmer. Also sitting at my table was the president of Brown University, Ruth Simmons and the one and only music superstar Wyclef Jean. Also in attendance at the dinner was a great mentor of mine, Patricia Symonds and several prominent figures at Brown like Patrick Sylvain (Haitian studies professor), Dr.Susan Cu-Uvin (Director of the Global Health Initiative), Dr. Tim Empkie (Director of the Global Heatlh Concentration Program) and Africana studies professor Tony Bogues. It was an unforgettable night.

When Dr. Farmer first walked in, he was arm in arm with my mentor Pat Symonds. When I went to go reintroduce myself, he had already known who I was (Prof. Symonds reminded him on his way over, I’m sure). He congratulated me on the Do Something Award and continued to tell me how proud he was of the work that I’m doing in Haiti. We could hardly believe that it was six years ago when we first met. I was a freshman in college waiting in line to get my book signed by him and to tell him how badly I wanted to spend the rest of my life working in Haiti. He wrote in my book, “I hope you never lose your drive to better the world.” Six years later, a medical student, I would never have thought I’d be sitting next to him having dinner telling him about the public health work I’ve been up to over the last three years. He interrupted me twice, put down his fork, folded up his napkin and shook my hand, congratulating me on what I’ve accomplished thus far. When I told him about raising $250,000 during my year in Haiti and getting jetBlue to sponsor my flights to the Dominican Republic, he was shocked and told me that he couldn’t have done at my age what I’ve been able to do. While he was being very modest, I was touched by that and my heart was immediately filled with a renewed drive to continue in my passion for Haiti.

We talked about my public health training program and the struggle of balancing med school curriculum and my trips back to Haiti every few months. He paused to think of what advice he could give me and told me to weigh my priorities. He told me to go the Dean of Medicine and tell him what I’m doing and why it’s important. “Tell Ed I sent you,” he told me. “Just be careful not to ask for more than what they can give you,” he warned me. We talked about how med school is pretty much the same routine for everyone and that it’s important to get through it., even when it doesn’t always seem relevant to what I’m doing or what I want to do with my medical degree. He told me not to worry about honors, but to do well on the boards and if I need to pack up and leave for Haiti (fake an illness) and miss a few classes, that I be sure to make some flash cards and study at every opportunity I get. “When your bus breaks down in Haiti, pull out your flashcards and study, study, study,” he told me.

Last night was my first time meeting Wyclef and Edwidge Danticat. Edwidge is a beautiful, powerfully spoken woman who commands an audience with every word that leaves her mouth. Her books are inspirational, mind-boggling and heart-breaking. It was an honor to be in the presence of such an incredible writer and woman. Wyclef on the other hand, had a very different aura to him. He walked in and introduced himself to me as “Hello, I am Wyclef.” I wanted to say “Of course you are!” but instead, I said, “Hi, I’m Will.” Throughout the night, Dr. Farmer who was sitting next to me and Ruth Simmons who was across from me kept leaning over to me to tell me how great of a mind Wyclef had. President Simmons even stood to give a speech on how brilliant of a man Wyclef was. Before last night, I was only a fan of the music artist Wyclef and definitely not a fan of his involvement in Haitian politics, but now, I am even more a fan of the music artist Wyclef and even less a fan of his political involvement in Haiti. While Dr. Farmer kept reassuring me that Wyclef was a musical genius, he never once commented on Wyclef’s ability to succeed in politics. After the dinner, I spoke to a friend of mine about how confused I had been about what to believe concerning Wyclef. Two people who I admire greatly, Ruth Simmons and Paul Farmer, had repeatedly told me how brilliant of a man he was that I had began to believe it myself. Not to say that he isn’t an incredible artist, I was taken aback by the fact that two power house figures would be such great supporters of a man who has repeatedly embarrassed himself and his country in the eyes of the media over the last few months. Then it hit me. While Paul Farmer is an incredible doctor and Ruth Simmons is the best president Brown has ever had, they are both unbelievably successful at what they do because they are indeed incredibly talented politicians. While Wyclef may not be much of a politician, he is a Haitian, grammy award winning music artist who has an enormous fan base. That alone is all it takes to make friends in high places.

Upcoming talks

When I first began learning about Haiti back in high school, I was given the book Mountains Beyond Mountains by 6 people. After reading the book, my first thought was " I want to meet this man!" When I was on my way out of my high school library, the librarian saw the book under my arm and asked me how I liked it. When I told her that I loved it and would love to meet either the author or Dr. Farmer himself, she told me that Tracy Kidder was her neighbor. She gave me Tracy Kidder's email address and in a heartbeat I was sitting at a computer typing him up a long email telling him about my life and how I made it to an elite boarding school on a full scholarship having come from a lifetime of poverty. He wrote me back with his telephone number and asked for me to call him. That night, I sat in my dorm room chatting with Tracy Kidder himself for nearly an hour about what it was like to follow Dr. Farmer in Haiti and how he ever put into words what he experienced. I'll never forget what he told me that night when I mentioned how much I would love to go to Haiti and work someday. He said, "We're talking about life and death here. Working in a poor country like Haiti is not as romantic as it sounds." That line has resonated with me for the last six years. After that conversation, he put me in touch with Dr. Farmer's office and over the next several years I met Dr. Farmer on several occasions and was ultimately convinced by him to defer medical school for a year and follow my passion for public health in Haiti. Next week, President Ruth Simmons has invited me to join her and Dr. Farmer for dinner. I haven't seen him in over two years so I'm very excited.

Following Tracy Kidder's invite to Roger Williams University yesterday, I've been invited to give a presentation on my work in Haiti and to discuss the book Mountains Beyond Mountains written by Tracy Kidder and how the book inspired me to work in Haiti. The talk will be on October 6th at 7pm at MNS 200. A dinner with faculty and students will precede the presentation.

March 24th-25th, 2011, I've been invited to Wilmington College in Ohio to be a speaker as a part of the Issues & Artists Series. A dinner with students and faculty will precede the event. The formal program begins at 7:30 p.m. (45 minute presentation followed by 15-30 minutes of Q&A), followed by a reception.

An Overview of the Issues & Artists Series:

The Issues & Artists series at Wilmington College provides an opportunity for cultural and intellectual enrichment for students, faculty, and the community-at-large. Wilmington College is a Quaker-affiliated liberal arts college whose mission requires the integration of character-building into the curriculum and mandates that students be educated on global issues. This series of lectures, performances, and presentations helps fulfill this mission by broadening cultural horizons and educating the audience on compelling social issues. The series also seeks to foster a respect for and an awareness of each individual’s place in the global community.

The audience for these events is made up of students (75%), faculty and staff (15%), and members of the wider community (10%). The size of the audience for previous events has ranged from 175 to 450 people, depending on the appeal of the program, the connection to courses offered at the time, and factors outside of our control – weather, other events in the College and surrounding community, etc.

jetBlue has generously sponsored my next 5 flights to get me to Haiti. Since they do not fly directly to Haiti, they will fly me to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic. I am still fundraising for the short round trip flight from Santo Domingo to Port au Prince (~$250). Please consider donating. Every little bit counts!

I am currently working with American Airlines to have them become my long-term sponsor but jetBlue stepped forward and offered to support me until I find another airline that flies directly to Haiti.

Thank you jetBlue!!!

Hope for Haiti, Brown University student team up to bring medical know-how to Haiti

-Naplesnews.com

Brown University medical student Will Perez, center, teaches a first-aid lesson as part of a public health program during the summer of 2008 in Haiti. The students of the program and Perez visited a local clinic to practice their CPR and Heimlich Maneuvers skills. Perez has since teamed up with the Naples-based Hope for Haiti to implement the public health programs at a larger scope within the Caribbean nation. Photo courtesy of Will Perez.

NAPLES — Mike Stewart knows that getting a small cut in Haiti could mean the difference between life and death.

Stewart, the country director for Naples-based nonprofit Hope for Haiti, said preventive care is a necessity for residents who might not have easy access to a doctor or a hospital.

“Prevention saves so much in the long run,” he said. “A minor cut that is untreated can lead to tetanus. A minor cold can turn into pneumonia.”

Hope for Haiti’s mission has always been about helping Haitians lead better lives, particularly with education and medical initiatives. Now, with the help of a 24-year-old Rhode Island medical student, the organization is looking to take that next step _ educating Haitians about preventive health care.

Hope for Haiti was approached for the project by Will Perez, a 24-year-old Brown University medical student. Perez, who was living and working at Proje Espwa orphanage in Les Cayes, Haiti, in 2008-09, met Stewart and Hope for Haiti’s Vice President Tiffany Kuehner when he was living and working in the country.

“We would have meetings in the Hope for Haiti house,” he said. “They would give me medical supplies.”

Perez’s idea was to create a program to empower Haitians to identify and address issues like first aid, nutrition and malaria eradication within their community to better public health.

Quotable

“The main (issues) we’re dealing with come from dirty water, hygiene issues and sanitation. We are talking about villages with no doctors to speak of,” said Will Perez, a 24-year-old Brown University medical student. “We want to train the Haitian youth to become health leaders in their communities because there are no doctors.”

“The main (issues) we’re dealing with come from dirty water, hygiene issues and sanitation. We are talking about villages with no doctors to speak of,” he said. “We want to train the Haitian youth to become health leaders in their communities because there are no doctors.”

Perez’s timing was perfect, as Hope for Haiti was embarking on its own public health initiative, a community health outreach to be implemented at 25 primary schools.

“We have been putting out fires for so long, it is nice to be to a place where we can focus on public health,” Kuehner said. “I think the idea of bringing preventive care to Cayes is exciting.”

Since starting the initiative, more than 2,500 children and families have been educated in hygiene, clean water and the importance of Vitamin A in Hope for Haiti’s primary schools, according to the organization. About 6,000 Vitamin A pills, de-worming medication, prenatal and multivitamins have been distributed among the 25 schools, according to Hope for Haiti.

Kuehner said Perez’s program was a good supplement to what Hope for Haiti was already trying to do.

“Our program was so successful, we were looking for a way to build on it,” she said. “We can be the ones who implement Will’s plan because he is still in medical school. It is the best way to leverage our resources.”

Kuehner said the first order of business was to adapt Perez’s training manual to Hope for Haiti’s needs. Perez had designed his training

How to help

For more information on relief efforts still going on in Haiti:

■ American Red Cross: To find out more of the American Red Cross’ efforts in Haiti visit www.redcross.org/Haiti.

■ Hope for Haiti: To find out more of Hope for Haiti’s ongoing efforts in Haiti, visit the nonprofit’s office at 1021 Fifth Ave. N. in Naples or call (239) 434-7183. Visit www.hopeforhaiti.com.

■Nehemiah Evangelical Church: To find out more of the church’s efforts in Haiti, go to www.thenem.org or call (239) 304-8648.

program around the Proje Espwa orphanage and the manual needed to be adapted to work with schools and local communities, Kuehner said.

Perez, who hopes to continue working in Haiti after he graduates _ practicing “political medicine” _ flew to Les Cayes earlier this month to meet with Hope for Haiti’s community nurses. They had nine days to work on the 100-page training manual, which will be used to train community workers in everything from how to treat malaria to CPR.

“We want to make them the most adaptable and the most sustainable that we can,” he said.

The plan, Perez said, is that community leaders chosen by their villages will participate in the program. For six months, they will come to a central location once a month to be trained in one aspect of the public health manual.

“After three or four days, they will go back to their villages. It will be up to them to make presentations and give speeches and talks,” he said. “It will all be documented. Every month they will come, learn the material, go back and teach it to the people in their villages.”

Kuehner said editing of the manual is continuing and will be approved by Hope for Haiti’s health-care director, Dr. Steeve Victory, and the organization’s board before the program is implemented.

Last month, Perez was one of five young social entrepreneurs chosen as a finalist for the Do Something Awards, which aired on VH1, Comcast cable 23, and honors the best young world-changers under 25. Perez received a $10,000 grant and was up for the $100,000 prize, which he was going to use to help Hope for Haiti implement his program. Although he didn’t win, Perez said the notoriety has been good for his cause.

“It’s great to keep Haiti in the limelight like this,” he said. “The Wyclef thing (Haitian musician Wyclef Jean was denied a run for the presidency by the Haitian government) has been taking precedence. Everyone wants to know about Wyclef. The Do Something Awards has allowed me to show people the public health programs and the effect they’ve had and how they’ve grown. It’s really exciting to see where this is going to go.”