In the news...

Click on the link below to see a story of the team in the news in Belize:
http://www.7newsbelize.com/sstory.php?nid=27601

Safe Arrival

Dearest friends and family,

           All of us arrived back in the US safely.  Many, many thanks for your prayers for us.  We completed very good days of trainings with KHMH A&E staff and the BERT staff.

           On Thursday evening, our last night in Belize, the KHMH administration treated the Core Group and the US team to a Farewell Dinner at Old Belize.  We had the opportunity to talk informally with our Belizean cohorts.  On Friday morning, prior to our departure,  Mark and I met with the KHMH administrators again to discuss "next steps".  We all believe that much was accomplished during the days of trainings.  

           The next MCW team should travel to Belize in May.  Please continue to lift up these efforts in prayer.  We look forward to seeing much growth in the Emergency Medical Services in Belize.

            Blessings, Moira Bruce (team leader)

Volunteer trips

For more information about volunteering with Hope Without Borders, please go to our website at: www.hwb-intl.org

You can also give a tax deductible donation to support our many projects and mission by clicking the "Donate" button below:

Travels to Cahal Pech Ruin

SLRT families with US team

Loretta with CG nurse Charity

Afsaneh with patient

KHMH

Core Group Physicians Nurses and Paramedics with US Team

BERT EMT's and Paramedic with Curt

Dr. Mark Bruce with Dr Marta Habet before a case presentation

ER shift at the trauma center

Drs.Mark Bruce and Nate Brown

Dr Habet, Dr Chaudhry, Nurse Samuels and Dr Siu

Airtraq pics

Volunteer Trips

To learn more about our volunteer trip opportunities, please go to our website at: www.hwb-intl.org
and click on the "Volunteer Trip" tab.

Simulation

Since the end of last week....

Dear Friends and Family,

         We completed two EMT/paramedic trainings last Friday and a four days of rotations through the shifts at KHMH for the nurses and doctors.Over the weekend, we had some relaxing times in San Pedro and Orange Walk. Duane spent the weekend in Spanish Lookout doing ride-alongs with the Spanish Lookout Response Team (SLRT). On Sunday, we headed west for a church service in Banana Bank, lunch in Spanish Lookout with the SLRT families and a tour of Cahal Pech (a Mayan ruin).

          This week, our paramedics have observed teachings at BERT and done ride-alongs with the BERT EMT's and paramedics.  Today, Curt and Duane did a patient-simulation ambulance run into KHMH.  We are seeing progress with the patient encounters and transfers between BERT and KHMH.

            Morning case presentations by the Belizean physicians followed by lectures from the US physicians have continued this week.  Suneel has taken some of the A&E physicians to the operating room to practice intubation. Tomorrow, he will do suturing and sterile technique training with them.  All the US physicians and nurses have continued to rotate through the hospital shifts.  There have been some busy and strenuous shifts. Dr Nate Brown from the MCW Emergency Medicine residency was here with us for two days in the beginning of the week.

             We have made observations and have prepared recommendations for KHMH and BERT.  Our team is developing roles and assignments for our Belizean counterparts to continue in the coming months before the next MCW team arrives.  Joy will remain at KHMH through next week.  Everyone in our team has worked very hard!  We have renewed relationships here and built new ones. 

              We will finish up our schedule tomorrow.  We do appreciate your prayers and ask that you continue to lift us up in prayer as we conclude this first module in the Emergency Medicine Development Program.  Please pray for safe travel for us!  Blessings, Moira

KHMH trauma center

Doctora Paiz Airtraq

Greeting the ambulance

Update.....

Many thanks for your prayers.  Mark and I arrived on January 4th.  One of our team members, Joy, an emergency medicine resident from Rhode Island, was here before us.  We met with physicians from Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital on the afternoon of January 5.  We discussed our plans for the trainings for the A&E (Accident and Emergency- ER) for doctors and nurses at KHMH and also for the paramedics and EMT's from the Belize Emergency Response Team (BERT), the ambulance service for Belize District, and for SLRT (Spanish Lookout Response Team). 

The rest of our team members were scheduled to arrive on January 6th.  Donna and Steve, from New York, were the only ones who arrived that day, due to the frigid weather in the midwest.  Marching onward, Donna presented the opening lecture for the training.  Mark, Donna and Joy rotated through the emergency room on all shifts that day. 

Chris, Erin, Duane, Bob, Curt, Afsaneh and Suneel arrived on January 7th.  Despite having to overnight in Houston and Miami they jumped right in that afternoon to begin trainings at KHMH and BERT.  On January 8th, Loretta arrived from Milwaukee via Chicago and Miami.

There has been a Belizean Core Group (CG) of physicians, nurses and paramedic/EMT's identified for whom our trainings are directed.  It is with these people that we are focusing the trainings, although others have been welcome.  Our schedule is below.

At 7am each morning a case presentation is given by a Belizean physician followed by a lecture on that presentation topic by a US physician.  This is attended by all Belizean CG participants.

Afterwards, physicians begin dailly rotations through the A&E, nurses begin topical trainings and rotations in the A&E, paramedics go to BERT to give classes for all paramedic/EMT's from BERT and SLRT.

Suneel has begun AirTraq intubation trainings with doctors and nurses during the day and will do the same at BERT.  He will also begin sterile suturing technique trainings next week.  Steve has had meetings with doctors involved with administration at KHMH and the A&E primarily to develop quality assurance measures for the A&E.  Steve has contributed many good ideas for followup trainings and continuous improvement.

I have tried to keep everyone in the right place at the right time.  There have been quite a few trips to the airport!  I try to make sure that everyone gets where he or she needs to be each day!

Thankfully, we are all well and safe and in good humor!  There has been lots of discovery in this endeavor.  Everything that we're doing has been well received.  There are many more things to work on! 

Please continue to pray for our safety and for wisdom.  People are working at night.  The paramedics have started to do ride-alongs at night in Belize City.  Duane will overnight tomorrow in Spanish Lookout to do ride-alongs with SLRT.  We need to know how to address issues at KHMH and BERT.  Progress is being made and that is very exciting!

We are all learning many things!

We do appreciate your prayers for us.  This is a great team- I could not be more pleased with the professionalism and expertise being presented to our Belizean friends.  We are all doing well.  Blessings, Moira

Dr Suneel Chaudry lecturing at KHMH to doctors, nurses and paramedics.

Trainings at BERT

Trainings with the AirTraq intubation system. KHMH nurses.

Consultations with A&E (accident and emergency aka ER) physicians

most of the group finally arrives via Houston and Miami 1/7

Welcome to our adventure

We are all excited to be working with the medical staff in Belize at the Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital offering the first training module for physicians, nurse and paramedic. There will be a two-day Trauma Nursing Core Course. This is one of several steps to improve the emergency medical services in Belize. More to follow....