Evening Wednesday January 27, 2010

Phone call from Jay Bridgeman:

Our team's operation is the best medically staffed camp in the local region. Which is great. But, when other overseeing oganizations see what is happening, they are immediately impressed, but also want the medical staff (which includes our team, the 2 main ED docs running the show (who are not from PIH), and some Dominican nurses) to split up to different local sites to meet their medical needs-- which are not surgical. The site previously considered on the border (Jimani) was being run by a second year medical student from UCLA-- so one doc and one nurse at each location would be a luxury at this point. So, there are some issues that need to be resolved as to the priorities and mission of the team. Our team feels strongly that they have come to share their particular surgical skills which are greatly needed-- not do primary care, which is out of their realm of expertise. But Jay says that each day brings not only new issues but also new solutions to the problems faced the day before. They had a meeting among the "chiefs" this evening to discuss some of those issues.

Jay reports that they are greatly in need of additional help. And each day the staff change-- some people move on and leave, and new folks come in. They are in desperate need of adult crutches, a physical therapist, and primary care docs like internists to take care of the non-surgical issues.