Wilmington, DE – The devastation in Haiti caused by the January 12th earthquake and its after-shocks has left the country in desperate need of medical assistance. Like so many others from around the country and around the world, members of the Nemours medical staff were eager to support the relief efforts. When Miami Children’s Hospital, in coordination with Project Medishare, requested assistance, Nemours associates jumped at the opportunity to volunteer. On February 2, 2010, a 12-member team, comprised of Nemours health care workers from Delaware and Florida, was dispatched to Haiti.
“There was a great need to relieve these medical teams in Haiti, and with most teams in the greater Miami area already tapped, Miami Children’s Hospital reached out to us,” explained Cathleen Rossi-McLaughlin, MS, RN, Senior Director of Nursing, Chair Emergency Management Steering at Nemours/Alfred I. duPont Hospital for Children. Through Project Medishare, the Nemours Team is operating out of a field hospital at the Haiti Airport.
"I have met many great people who have come to help and many from Haiti. The kids seem to always make me smile,” says a member of the Nemours Team in Haiti. “We saw some of the devastation of the earthquake and the many adults and children who have been injured. It is really sad to see. I feel blessed to have the opportunity to serve."
The Nemours team took supplies consisting of medication, feeding tubes, and angiocaths. They are expected to return from Haiti on February 12 and a second 12-member team will make the trip after the first group returns.
In addition to these efforts, more Nemours teams have been submitted to the National Association of Children’s Hospitals and Related Institutions (NACHRI) for potential deployment by the National Disaster Medical System. These teams also include associates from throughout the Nemours system (Delaware, Orlando, and Jacksonville).