Volunteers

The Community Health Initiave is in need of volunteers to help with administrative work domestically as well as volunteers trained in medicine that would like to participate in a medical mission to Haiti.

If you would like to volunteer time and talent domestically to support our work in Haiti, please contact us at:

chivolunteers@worldwidevillage.org

Please indicate areas where you may have expertise, how much time you may have to volunteer, and the area of the United States where you live.

If you are a professional trained in medicine and you would like to participate in one of our medical mission trips please review the information below regarding possible expectations and concerns. When you are
ready, click the link below and complete our online application:

Click Here to Complete Online Application Form for Medical Mission Trip

If you have any questions about travelling healthcare teams, please contact:
chimedicalteams@worldwidevillage.org

Post-Earthquake Relief Team Volunteer Details

General

1. This is a fluid document. As needs and viability assessments occur, priorities and plans will necessarily change.
2. The current environment in the affected areas of Haiti is one of desperation and potential chaos. We will take all measures possible to minimize risk, but participants must accept that safety is not guaranteed.
3. Since the country’s resources are strained and focused on those affected by the earthquake, each team will likely be responsible for its own food, water, shelter, power, transportation, security, and supplies. All teams must plan to be entirely self sufficient, although we hope that this will not be necessary. Check with your team coordinator as your travel dates approach.
4. Participants should expect the possibility of working in areas that are unplanned. Leaving the country at a different time than originally scheduled may be necessary.  Attempts to leave early or alter the schedule based on personal needs makes it difficult to appropriately run a hospital with a supply chain, operational procedures, and inpatients, especially since rotating teams will often have new members.  Participants who must be home at a certain time or date should consider other opportunities to serve the people of Haiti.

Personal

1. Participants may be asked to purchase flights for themselves.
2. Participants will be provided a gear list. Please address every item to the best of your ability and minimize extras and personal items. If there is something you would like to bring, please ask. If there is something you cannot obtain, please notify us. Space is valuable and should be reserved for much needed supplies.  Contact team coordinators who will provide lists of needed supplies and will often be providing these supplies for you to transport.
3. Participants should expect World Wide Village leaders and team leaders to provide close supervision and direction. Opinions will be welcomed, but decisions will be made for the group based on safety, efficiency, effectiveness, and the general principles of disaster medicine. Personal agendas may mitigate the group’s efficacy.
4. We appreciate all gestures of support, but trip participants will be selected based on specific characteristics and skill sets that will allow for self-sufficiency and optimal disaster assistance for the people of Haiti.
5. Most work will take place in Leogane, though there may be the opportunity to travel to nearby villages for medical assessment and treatment.  This may involve hiking long distances.
6. Participants can expect to sleep in tents, eat freeze dried food, and drink water that tastes of bleach and/or iodine. Bathing facilities may not be available.
7. A phone tree will be established. You may not be able to personally call home, depending on our communications capabilities. It may only be possible to make a single contact in the US, who will then notify participant’s families of our news/conditions.
8. Out of necessity and lack of adequate resources, patients may be treated with suboptimal anesthesia or pain control, including during the setting of fractures or closure of wounds. Despite this unfortunate situation, participants will be asked to assist the providers.
9. Due to time and resources constraints, relatively minor medical issues may not be addressed by these particular disaster response teams.
10. Participants will be expected to remain with the team at all times and participate in group activities at all times in the interest of safety, efficiency, and productivity.
11. Individuals or small groups should not enter buildings or run errands without prior approval from the leadership.
12. Participants may be asked to stop what they are doing/eat/sleep/take a break by the group leaders in the interest of maintaining the group’s efficiency, productivity, and mental health.
13. Alcohol or sedatives should be limited and only used within the medical compound.
14. Participants are discouraged from traveling alone outside of the areas of operation. Women should not travel outside the compound at night without an escort.
15. Participants who disrupt the function of the group can expect to be sent home at their own cost.

Team

1. The intent of WWV CHI is to establish a continuous and self-sustaining clinic. To that end, teams that are brought in to replace teams already in country must abide by WWV scheduling and location choices barring significant environmental changes such as safety or supply considerations.
2. Safety will take priority at all times. Safety will supersede all patient care or infrastructural goals.
3. Teams in country are expected to remain in daily communication with WWV leadership.
4. Teams are expected to bring in needed medical supplies when they arrive, consistent with the gear list provided. We hope for, but cannot count on, the ability to restock in Haiti through in country resources.
5. Teams are expected to provide for the security of their members.
6. Teams may be expected to manage scene safety, latrine hygiene, and water supplies before patient care.
7. Teams are expected to carefully debrief their members prior to entering Haiti and after leaving Haiti. Managing the mental health of your team will be critical to our success.
8. Teams are expected to choose members based on criteria provided by WWV leadership.
9. Teams are expected to adhere to the principles of efficiency and disaster management.
10. Teams are expected to leave an area or the country immediately if instructed to do so.
11. Teams may be asked to submit to the direction of larger coordinated efforts such as the Red Cross or WHO.

What to Expect

The situation in Haiti is very fluid, and needs are constantly changing.  WWV / CHI will be assessing the situation as it unfolds, and will endeavor to keep team members up to date with events and needs on the ground.  In the meantime, donations to www.worldwidevillage.org will be designated directly to earthquake relief and may be used to defray the costs for future provider teams traveling to the country along with supplies, food, clean water, antibiotics, etc.

Our current goal is to provide teams of 10 – 15 healthcare providers cycling into the mobile hospital and remote clinics ~ weekly with overlap to optimize patient care and transition of knowledge and experience.  Priorities for the early teams will be on emergency care skills, self-sufficiency, good health, language skills, experience in Haiti, and flexibility. Transportation in and out of country continues to be uncertain, but promises to improve as the days go on. Flights / transportation will most likely be expensive (at least for the early teams), however, so please take this into account.

Learn more about health policy and conditions through the following resources:

• Haiti Health Cluster Bulletin 
• Reports from OneResponse Website
• Severe Acute Malnutrition - A Briefing for Doctors and Nurses
• Haitian Creole Resources
• Medical Tools and Information

See this weblink for immunization recommendations:
http://www.mdtravelhealth.com/destinations/mamerica_carib/haiti.php

If you plan to be on one of our travel teams, you should make an appointment with your local Travel Clinic, if possible. Basically, everyone traveling to Haiti needs:

A) malaria prophylaxis: chloroquine or mefloquine starting 1-2 weeks before the trip and continuing for 4 weeks afterwards, or other appropriate substitution

B) hepatits A at least 2 weeks before (with booster when you return)

C) typhoid

D) polio (need single booster as an adult)

E) hepatitis B

F) MMR 2 doses

G) tetanus / diptheria booster (within 10 years)

Packing List

1. Clothes

• Two pair of light weight quick dry zip-off pants, e.g. 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
• 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.
• Head cover: Boonie or brimmed hat
• Gym shorts (sleeping or R&R) I am not going to be wearing shorts during any medical op’s for BBP (blood borne pathogen) potential.

2. Hygiene

• Tooth brush and paste
• Deodorant / antiperspirant
• Medications (malaria prophylaxis, anti-diarrhea’s)
• Wet wipes (nothing like a field bath!) AND a roll of toilet paper (preferably biodegradable)
• Bar of soap
• Shampoo - though showers may be unavailable
• Sunscreen
• DEET
• Ear plugs
• Camphor 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)
• Mosquito netting, at least head covering.
• Sleeping bag and pad (check with team coordinator).
• Lodine tabs (H2O purification)
• Compass
• Lighter / water proof matches
• Head lamp and a good small flash light
• Pair of leather gloves (in case we are moving rubble)
• 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
• Tent or tarp (early teams especially)
  Consider gear available here: 

  http://www.longroad.com/cgi-local/SoftCart.100.exe/?E+scstore

• Food enough for the full stay (early teams especially) - dehydrated camp food is most portable
• 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
• Carabiners
• Light is fast and heavy is heavy. If anyone wears glasses don’t bring contacts.