HOMBRE 2017

Part of global health: learning how to work around unexpected problems.

As part of our clinical work, on this trip we have been comparing random blood sugars and A1c measurements (which provide a 3-month average sugar estimate) to better detect diabetes.

The A1c devices were noted to be usable to around 82º F. Evidently, our exam rooms were warmer than this, and the machines would not read reliably.

So: we made a refrigerator. One cooler, filled with ice; a plastic bag sling to keep the devices above the ice, cardboard to keep the devices level. And the machines worked fine after this.

Stay tuned for results!

Getting ready for clinic: 23 volunteers and boxes of medications, counting out the pills, and the pharmacy ready to roll!

June 2017: arrivals

January 2016

We are in the DR for our Winter medical service trip. This is now the 11th consecutive January working with our community and undergraduate partners. We continue to try and streamline/enhance the work we do, with an increased focus on chronic illness (non-communicable diseases, or NCDs) such as hypertension, diabetes, and the like. We have piloted the use of a simple open-source electronic health record as a way to better track patients past treatments and to assess our progress towards goals. We have partnered with a Dominican medical school to both help our team as interpreters and also to help enhance the care we provide our patients. We have focused medical purchases on necessary treatments for chronic illnesses. And we continue to realize that all this is not the long term answer our community needs. Tomorrow we set up, and patient care starts Monday.

Our next DR service trip

We are preparing the team to travel in June to provide medical care to our partner communities.

This will be one of the largest teams thus far: 28 and counting!

The team includes 10 medical students, 4 pharmacy students, 2 physical therapy students, 5 providers, 3 additional medical team members, and 4 interpreters.

Belated photo of our medical service team from January 2015.

La noche antes de viajar

Siempre me cuesta dormir la noche antes de viajar a Santo Domingo para un operativo medico. Aunque será el décimo enero durante cual pasare tiempo en el país, siempre me quedo con nervios. Mañana empezamos una aventura nueva.

Padre de la Patria

A somewhat backlit photo of the HOMBRE 2014 team.

Working at Fundacion Sol Naciente

Housecalls

Scenes from clinic

Wrapping up clinic at the end of the first day.

Look--we're sorta famous!

And so it begins--a carful of meds headed to the airport. HOMBRE 2014!