It’s common to hear requests for support of worthy causes throughout the world. What differentiates MTSA’s Haiti Mission from the rest? The answer is sustainability through education.

Haiti is in need of many basic services, and there are myriad organizations that offer solutions. However, MTSA’s efforts are focused on providing education and training to local medical providers that will last a lifetime and have a compounding effect for years to come. Instead of rushing in only to provide healthcare services directly to patients, we will be educating nurses and doctors so they can improve clinical outcomes for an entire generation of patients. It’s a mission that keeps on giving.

A different approach

The School has planned a mission trip to Haiti that has two distinct components: a) providing Acute Surgical Pain Management (ASPM) care for a surgical hand team at Hopital Adventiste d’Haiti, and b) holding continuing education sessions and placing ultrasound machines into service at both the Visitation Clinic in the Nippes region and at Hopital Adventiste d’Haiti.

MTSA is pleased to be partnering with two companies that are adding vital support to the mission effort. Tenvision has donated an ultrasound machine that will be used by midwives and physicians of Visitation Clinic. The company has also added to their commitment by offering a lifetime service contract on any unit purchased by the School with donor support and put into overseas mission service. In addition, Halyard Health has generously donated block procedure trays for the hand surgeries.

Faculty and administrators are developing a team to educate providers on trauma stabilization, airway management, line placement, ultrasound-guided regional anesthesia (USGRA), and much more. Alexandros Coutsoumpos, MD, general surgeon at Hopital Adventiste, specifically requested that the team focus on educating nurses and local providers to help them reach their goal of providing care at an international standard.

Patient care in the operating room

The mission team will consist of several students who will get an opportunity to provide direct patient care in the operating room and the clinic, as well as serve as educators. The patients will be selected based on their advanced surgical needs, many of which will be invasive cases with extreme reconstruction and radical repairs. This patient population is the ideal group for ASPM, allowing the team to diminish the need for excessive pain medication and provide greater patient satisfaction.

MTSA will also interface with the local anesthesiologists who are looking forward to the team’s visit and learning about USGRA. The School’s students will be excellent role models, and the group as a whole will undoubtedly leave lasting impressions as a result of its work.

Unlike many mission trips that, quite appropriately, take care of immediate needs, MTSA’s Haiti mission has a different focus on having a lasting effect after it leaves. It follows the adage of “teach a man to fish,” which garners long-term outcomes.

The mission will take place Oct. 23-30, 2016. The team urges alumni, students and friends to consider adding their support by donating to this important effort that will provide help both now and in the future through education.

Donate now at www.mtsa.edu/donate.