Team Ange, Haitian Creole for Angel, was established after the recent catastrophic earthquake in Haiti. We are started as a small group of medical and non medical professionals that wanted to make a difference. We have no fear of “getting our hands dirty” and this seemed to inspire others. We now are quite a large organization and have even made a few of the news channels with our efforts.
We are located in a town called Cayes-Jacmel, in south Haiti. It is approximately 15 minutes from the Jacmel airport. Our original team brought enough supplies with them to set up a small hospital, so when we organized ourselves with the CME Hospital team, we were quickly working to save lives.
Our team has been caring for approximately 300 patients per day in outpatient care, approximately 30 inpatient beds (50% orthopedic cases and 50% infectious disease), and anywhere from 5-10 surgeries a day depending on many factors.
We are organizing teams weekly, but would LOVE if people can stay for 2 weeks. Each team should consist of:
2 orthopedic/trauma surgeons
1-2 general surgeons
Surgical assistants, OR nurses to cover the number of surgeons going
Anesthsiologist/CRNA
Dentist (optional)
Primary care: 2 family med and/or ED, plus 2 internists. This will cover both inpatient and outpatient care, if we have only internists, we’d want pediatrics as well
Nursing: 2-4 nurses for aid in outpatient and inpatient care
Rehab: one PM&R, one PT and one OT
Pharmacist (1)
Psychologist (if possible)
Translators 4 needed per trip
Logistics person: this person should be a great problem solver and willing to go to the Jacmel airport daily to aid in organization of supplies coming in, patients coming in and going out, willing to work hard to do what is needed. Does not have to be medically trained.
Handymen: as important as the surgeons!!!! 2-4 per trip. Just willing to do whatever is needed, the handymen on our first trip rigged up traction for patients that needed it to straighten out fractures! AMAZING! J
ORGANIZERS
Katie Gollotto—Team founder 610-209-5870 gollotto@hotmail.com
Mike Gollotto- anesthesia
Julia Helstrom-Coupet helstromdo@hotmail.com 610-715-3320 Coordinator of people/trip
Jack Cohen jcohenmd@yahoo.com 609-304-8524 Coordinator of flights and supplies
Verbo Jean-Julien is HTF Partnership Director in Haiti and is in Pedernales and will meet team in Jacmel
(see number below)
Rick Barger – HTF contact in states
Melinda and Elise-transportation coordinator
AFFILIATIONS
Doctors United for Haiti- grassroots NGO, dedicated to promoting education in Haiti and aiding in medical treatment, www.dufh.org
Hatian Timoun Foundation- www.hopeinhaiti.org
OTHER TEAMS IN THE AREAS WE WILL BE IN
Konpay.org
Melinda-coordinator
Karen Carr-Community Coalition of Haiti—on site in Jacmel at St Michel
Global Health Ministries/Catholic Health East–on site somewhere in Jacmel
USA contact-Sister Mary
Mary Gorman-MD anesthesia
Paullette Schank CRNA
2 ortho docs
IN LEOGANE
USA contact Ginny Ryan
Community Health Intiative (World Wide Village)–Chris Buresh
Angel Flights
Jen Hosco
Luckner Fond Rose (whom we know as “Maya”). He is our HTF Haiti liason and is also on our board. If things get sticky with space for both medical procedures or lodging/food, Maya may be able to garner some space at Trinity House.
HTF/Tetkole in Jacmel
Verbo Jean-Julien, Haitian Partnership Director
On the board of Tetkole are many of the who’s who in Jacmel, including the mayor’s office.
Partners whom HTF funds in Jacmel are Pazapa, Tetkole, Trinity House, and Lekol sen Trinite
Verbo will be your community liason, path clearer, and anything else you need.
CURRENT PLAN
- We would like each of you to buy a ticket to Santiago, Dominican Republic. It is easier for pilots to fly from Santiago then from Santo Domingo. We wish to avoid Port au Price due to the general chaos there, and that we have a few pilots that have been generous enough to work with us flying between Jacmel and DR, it is easier to get you by plane to Jacmel from the DR.
- We would like to staggar arrival of the team as the planes flying between DR and Haiti are small planes and it will take a few trips to get the entire team there. Ultimately, we would like at least a few key point people to be in Jacmel before the previous team is completely gone.
- If you have difficulty with cost of flight, please let us know. We don’t have much money donated to us yet, we’re working on fund raisers, but we might be able to help offset the cost some. We encourage you to take up a collection with friends, co-workers, bosses and family members as wellJ
- We do have a connection in Delta airlines that allowed our last team to take 6-8 bags each for free. We are working on that again. If you go through a different airline, please call and beg, borrow and plead to take extra luggage for free. This way you can bring the most supplies with you that you collect.
- You may have to spend a night in DR on entry and/or departure depending on the availability of flights between DR and Haiti.
- The most important thing is to be prepared to be mobile, there are other surrounding small facilities that may request some of you to go help them. If this were the case, we wouldn’t send you alone, we would go in teams of at least 2 or 3.
- If you need a hotel in Santiago: Hodelpa, formerly Marriott Courtyard. 809-612-7000. Special rate $89 per room with ONE included breakfast
**** THIS IS SUBJECT TO CHANGE AS COMMERCIAL AIRLINES ARE SUPPOSED TO BE FLYING INTO PORT AU PRINCE STARTING FEBRUARY 19TH. DO NOT BUY ANY TRAVEL UNTIL YOU SPEAK WITH US DIRECTLY!
WHAT TO EXPECT
- You will benefit from the fact that our team there has organized their hearts out.
- Team Ange has won the affection of many for their hard work treating patients and coordinating efforts with other NGOs.
- They are treating an average of 300 patients per day and average of 10 surgical cases a day. There are 3 functioning Ors
- Food/Laundry: each team member is asked to pay $15 per day for food and laundry. The locals are supplying three meals a day for each doctor (it is a one time meal though, so if you miss it, that’s it)
- Breakfast is usually juice, coffee, fruit and peanut butter and bread
- Lunch is “some kind of tuna” per Katie
- Haitian meal- usually goat (Cabret-pronounced cab-rete) rice and beans
- If you are not a fan of the food above, feel free to bring dried meals that you can get at a camping store
- Sleeping: there is a guest house, it was checked yesterday by a structural engineer and deemed to be safe, it has also served as storage for supplies. It may still be a good idea to bring a sleeping bag, camping mat and necessary to bring mosquito net.
- There is one working toilet and one functioning shower. Many people have been swimming in the river behind the hospital for a bath. I don’t know much about what direction the river flows, how fast it moves and where we are in location to the refugee camps. I caution you in doing this. There have been outbreaks starting this week of measles, thypoid, tetnus in the refugee camps and many Haitians are bathing in the river as well. We are hoping to have a few camping “solar showers” in the next week or two down to you guys. Please bring biodegradable soap, can be purchased at local camping store.
WHAT TO BRING (compliments of Ginny Ryan)
Money-everyone is asking what they should bring monetarily; I have no good answer to this, whatever you feel comfortable with, but we are thinking an estimate of 500-$1000 per person and DO NOT show it to anyone and try to save as much as you can in case of tough times getting home.
1. Clothes
• Two pair of light weight quick dry zip-off pants, such as REI thin nylon cargo pants (don’t forget a belt if needed)
• Two similar material (nylon-ish) long-sleeved shirts.
• Two T-shirts light colored cotton or under armor. Try not to bring dark clothing (the whole sun magnet thing.)
• underwear
• SOCKS! ?6 pair, that (if you do a lot of hiking) should be about three day’s worth.
• Hiking boots (with the terrain or rubble I would advise some kind of a ridged toe) and something comfy after a hike or blister relief. Do NOT bring new boots/shoes or u will get big blisters.
• Head cover: Boonie or brimmed hat
• Gym shorts (sleeping or R&R) Do not suggest wearing shorts during any medical op’s for BBP (blood borne pathogen) potential. There is high prevelance of HIV in Haiti.
2. Hygiene
• Tooth brush and paste
• Deodorant / antiperspirant
• Medications (malaria prophylaxis, anti-diarrheals, one week supply of cipro)
• Wet wipes (nothing like a field bath!) AND a roll of toilet paper (preferably biodegradable)
• Bar of soap (preferably biodegradable)
• Shampoo – if you wish,though many of the biodegradable soaps you can get in a bottle and can function for both body and hair
• Sunscreen
• DEET
• Ear plugs
• Camphor, Vicks vapor rub, or a smell blocker of sorts
• Lotion or aloe if you get a burn
3. Gear
• Micro fiber towel
• Sunglasses
• Multi-tool and / or knife (I found many uses for both and a utility knife with new blade)
• Water purification pump. Ideally we should each have one and an UV filter—Get at Rei
• Mosquito netting, at least head covering.
• Sleeping bag and pad.
• Iodine tabs (H2O purification)
• Compass (if you know how to use one, if you are planning on using gps from a phone, be sure you download Haitian maps!)
• Lighter / water proof matches
• Head lamp and a good small flash light
• Some kind of a day pack or fanny pack. Small enough to be stowed in your larger pack but efficient enough to carry a couple rolls of roller gauze, tape, SAM splints, and instruments (BP cuff, scope, hemostat…)
• Pen / pencil
• Journal
• Camera
- food if you wish – dehydrated camp food is most portable, protein bars, dried fruit
- Crystal Light, Tang, etc. to flavor treated water
- 2 Nalgenes or similar for carrying water
- large, durable travel mug or bowl, etc. for food; spoon
4. Communication
- We’ve had many questions about what to do to communicate there and to home. People that have iPhones and blackberries have had the most luck getting in and out. Text messaging works better than calling, but if you go to the right spot, where the stars and satellites align you can get to the states. Also if you have email set up to your phone, we’re having success with that
- Be sure to call your carrier and add international plan for the month
- Also let them know you’re going to Haiti for relief work. Some carriers (AT&T) have given our team free service for that time frame.
- The other option is satellite phones, they can be expensive, but generally work. This is a link to rent one if you are interested. Satelitephonestore.com
SAFETY
Immunizations: you should be up-to-date on standard immunizations and have H1N1, Flu, HepA and typhoid. You may want to consider a booster of MMR. Vaccines take at a minimum 2 weeks to be “functioning” so get these ASAP and don’t be careless when you’re there just because you were vaccinated. THESE ARE OF THE UTMOST IMPORTANCE! THERE HAVE BEEN OUTBREAKS IN THE LAST WEEK OF TYPHOID, TETNUS AND MEASLES!
Prophylaxis:
- Anti-malaria: You should be on doxycycline 100mg daily starting now (need to start 2 days prior to travel and take for 4 weeks after return). Make sure you take with water (don’t just try to swallow) or it will eat your esophagus (this happened to Katie!!).
- HIV proph—Rate of HIV is as high as 50% !!! In addition to Universal precautions, the previous pharmacist was working on getting antiretroviral meds in the event we come in contact with bodily fluid, I don’t know if she succeeded, but might be a good idea if you can get ahold of some.
We are taking every measure to keep everyone on TEAM ANGE safe. With the coordinated care of grass roots foundations, US based foundations, local government, etc, we have planned a mission that makes every attempt to protect everyone’s health and safety. With that said, unforeseeable events can occur. For this reason we recommend everyone buy travel health insurance. Here is the group we went with:
Access America: 1-800-284-8300, collect 1-804-281-5700
We obtained the Access America Deluxe Limited Plan, which had the best health
Coverage for about $50 per person.
I would also like each team member of Team Ange to register with the US embassy in Haiti (haiti.usembassy.gov/), so they have all of our information on travel arrangements in case of emergency. I am pretty sure it is destroyed, but here is the address/phone number:
The Embassy of the United States in
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Tabarre 41, Boulevard 15 Octobre
Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Tel: (509) 22 29 8000
https://travelregistration.state.gov/ibrs/home.asp (not working)
Please email Haiti-Earthquake@State.Gov, so at least we have something on file.
Lastly, we strongly recommend everyone get an international calling plan on their cell phones(prob no coverage) or a satellite phone is PERFECT but expensive. For those of you that have an iPhone, people have had the best luck with iPhones and blackberrys in terms of contacting the US. We have been mostly text messaging, but have been able to email and talk in certain “key” locations.
As far as supplies to collect: antibiotics (including chloroquine for treating malaria), pediatric antibiotic oral suspensions (powder, not liquid, they will go bad), pain medications (if you gather narcotics you need to fill out a 222 form through the DEA, this allows you to carry/buy large quantities of narcotics. Mike brought enough on the first trip to kill a town, so its fine), and valium (for tetnus).
I would say collect things you know you will need personally and that you’d like to bring with you. However, you DO NOT NEED to collect 6 bags worth. We have a barge that is leaving New Orleans in the next few days that should be arriving in Jacmel in the next few weeks with 2 tractor trailer’s full of supplies! People have been very generous!
Thank you all for your hard work in organizing to go. We know that it is not easy in all your schedules to arrange to do this and from our whole team and the Haitian people, we thank youJ
Julia Helstrom-Coupet
(with sincere thanks to Katie Gollotto for writing the first draft of this, let’s not reinvent the wheel people!)
