Stanford Hospital Medical Team Travels to Haiti to Assist in Relief Effort
JANUARY 15, 2010
A seven-person team of Stanford Hospital & Clinics physicians and nurse left Friday morning on their way to Haiti, where tens of thousands have died and many more injured in the 7.0 earthquake that devastated the country Tuesday.
“We are very proud of our team who are stepping outside their normal routines to provide care to the most needy,” said Nancy Lee, the Hospital’s Vice President of Patient Care Services and Chief Nursing Officer. “The dedication of our staff and faculty always shines the brightest when the world seems most dark.”
Stanford Hospital Medical Team Leader Bob Norris, MD, Chief of Emergency Medicine, discuss the supplies to take to Haiti with Denise Greci Robinson, RN, and Anil Menon, MD, another emergency medicine physician going with the team.
“What we want to do is start treating patients,” said the team’s leader Bob Norris, MD, chief of the Division of Emergency Medicine. He has worked in Iraq and India as a volunteer. He also has taken a week-long course in rubble pile medicine, the special care of people injured in building collapses.
The team will be working at two locations. During the day, they’ll be stationed at the general hospital near the Presidential Palace. At night, they’ll be at a makeshift clinic at the Villa Creole, a hotel in the hills above Port-au-Prince.
“A lot of what we will do is general health care, but we expect to treat broken bones, crush injuries, fever, dehydration and some of the emotional issues,” Norris said. “We’re taking a portable ultrasound so we’ll be able to diagnose internal abdominal injuries, but we won’t be able to do advanced medicine.”
The team is taking $18,000 worth of supplies, most of which were donated by Stanford Hospital, including basics like antibiotics, splints, thermometers, tongue depressors, scalpels, sutures, swabs, medication to treat pain and asthma, and much more. The team is flying on a chartered plane and can only take what they can carry in one medium and one large duffel bag, packed to full Thursday evening by volunteers from the Hospital.
A team of hospital employees work together to pack medical supplies that will go to Haiti.
Norris said he’s also taking a hard hat and work gloves, and a special set of lightweight scrubs that have lots of pockets. The temperature in Haiti is hovering in the 90s.
The team will stay three weeks, he said.
The Hospital’s team will work as part of the larger International Medical Corps group. IMC has four doctors in Haiti and another 13 on the way. The Stanford Hospital contingent is the largest team from a single source. All the Stanford team’s physicians are emergency medicine specialists.
In addition to Norris, the team also includes physicians Anil Menon, Ian Brown and Paul Auerbach, former chief of the Division of Emergency Medicine and medical relief volunteer in Guatamala and Nepal. In 2008, the American College of Emergency Physicians gave him their Hero award.
The nurses are Gaby McAdoo, Heather Tilson, Julie Rachioppi and Jonathan Gardner, who previously worked at the Hospital.
Anyone who wishes to support the Stanford Hospital physicians and nurses in their relief work in Haiti may send gifts payable to Stanford Hospital & Clinics (Attention: Stanford Hospital Haiti Relief Fund), c/o Office of Hospital Development, 145A El Camino Real, Menlo Park, CA 94025 or may contact Ema Williams, Manager of Finance & Administration, Office of Hospital Development at (650) 721-2460 or ewillia2@stanford.edu.
About Stanford Hospital & Clinics
Stanford Hospital & Clinics is known worldwide for advanced treatment of complex disorders in areas such as cardiovascular care, cancer treatment, neurosciences, surgery, and organ transplants. Consistently ranked among the top institutions in the U.S. News & World Report annual list of "America's Best Hospitals," Stanford Hospital & Clinics is internationally recognized for translating medical breakthroughs into the care of patients. It is part of the Stanford University Medical Center, along with the Stanford University School of Medicine and Lucile Packard Children’s Hospital at Stanford. For more information, visit http://stanfordmedicine.org.