How You Can Have a Chance to Serve in Haiti

Many of our members have sought to volunteer and go to serve the sick and wounded in Haiti following the devastating earthquake on January 12. Unfortuantely, the earthquake also devastated the port, airport, roads, and communications in Port Au Prince and the surrounding area. Those who are getting are going with ministries and organizations with a long-term relationship with Haiti and its people. The TSA office continues to ask anyone who wishes to volunteer to contact us ( This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it ) and we will send you a short questionaire so that we can have your information on file if an opportunity to serve arrives with short notice.  In addition, the CDC recommends vaccinations for those going to Haiti. You may want to get those now if you plan to go.

And do not get discouraged at how hard it is to go and serve now. The medical needs of Haiti arising from the earthquake will require medical trips for many more months. Some members have been able to join teams from many places, and to the left is the group including Dr. Jane Easdown, from Vanderbilt with a group from Operation Smile (follow in their blog).  Dr. Bruce Johnson of Cookeville arrived in Haiti January 27 with a team from Erlanger Hospital in Chattanooga. Dr. Johnson's team replaced a team that included Dr. Chris Young from Chattanooga, who has served on trips to Haiti before the earthquake.

To give yourself a greater chance to go, we have listed organizations with which TSA has shared the desire of our members to serve. Some of these require you to fill out an application, so you can click on these linksbelow  to do so.

These Organizations Are:

Project HOPE Mullins (540-837-9414 - anticipates deploying volunteers to assist onboard the USNS Comfort.  Additionally, Project HOPE is working to identify additional needs in several of the local hospitals in Port-au-Prince and the surrounding area.  All interested volunteers will need to register through their website at www.projecthope.org.  By registering online, interested volunteers will be notified as additional details and opportunities are identified.  See separate details.  To volunteer:  http://www2.recruitingcenter.net/clients/ProjectHope/publicjobs/controller.cfm?jbaction=JobProfile&Job_Id=10316&esid=az 

Also, these organizations are accepting funds for Haiti, and some are taking applications for medical volunteers.

1. MSF/Doctors without Borders: 
2. Samaritan's Purse/World Medical Mission:  (not accepting volunteers at this time
3. Partners in Health   Boston:  617-432-5256; looking at teams weeks down the road; online application: http://standwithhaiti.org/haiti/news-entry/update-on-volunteer-request/
4. Community Coalition for Haiti
5. CRUDEM - please email This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it for more information about CRUDEM and to learn what information they want from volunteer
6. Surgical Volunteers International
7. Hopital Albert Schweitzer   online application: http://www.hashaiti.org/C2a_w1.html
8. International Medical Corps  skills needed and how to volunteer: https://www.cytiva.com/cejobs/cojobsIMC.asp#imcorp1003
9. Mercy Ships   volunteer online at http://www.mercyships.org/page/s/apply
10. Medical Teams International   503-624-1030; volunteer online at: http://www.medicalteams.org/sf/get_involved/volunteer/disaster_response_volunteer.aspx

1. Sign Post  volunteer online at  http://www.sign-post.org/ 
2. Partners in Health   617-432-5256  (Boston); volunteer online at: http://standwithhaiti.org/haiti/news-entry/update-on-volunteer-request/
3. Operation Giving Back – volunteer online at:  http://www.operationgivingback.facs.org/site/haiti.php
4. International Medical Alliance of Tennessee (Knoxville) Dr. Mark Cramolini is their contact for anesthesiologist needs has just returned from Haiti and the Dominican Republic. Their hospital in the Dominican Republic is about 24 miles from Port Au Prince
5. Global Outreach
6. American College of Surgeons    volunteer online
7. Children's Nutrition Program of Haiti  Founded by Dr. Mitch Mudder (on the TN Board of Medical Examiners) CNP's work centers in Leogane, Haiti, outside of Port Au Prince. Their hospital was severely damaged and cannot be used (90% of Leogane was destroyed by the earthquake). CNP has repaired and now has in use several mobile medical units. To volunteer for the medical teams working with the mobile medical units. email CNP at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it . 
8. Operation Smile

1-888-OPSMILE (888-677-6453)1-757-321-SMILE (757-321-7645)Volunteer online at: http://www.operationsmile.org/haiti/applications/disaster-relief-general.pdf Subject: Haiti Relief Efforts: Volunteer UpdateDear Volunteers,

Operation Smile is fortunate to have you as a committed and compassionate volunteer. We appreciate your desire and willingness to be a part of our relief efforts to the people of Haiti. Below is an update on our current situation and opportunities for medical volunteers.

 

Unfortunately we will not be able to utilize the number of non-medical volunteers who have offered their help, although we very much appreciate the generous offer of your time and talents. 

 

Medical volunteers: please review the information below and respond with the required details so we may begin connecting our volunteers with our partners in the Haiti relief effort.

 Surgical Team in Haiti

We are currently mobilizing a surgical team, along with over 25,000 lbs of surgical equipment and supplies, to join Partners In Health in their efforts on the ground in and around Port-au-Prince. This initial team, hopefully leaving this week, will remain in Haiti for several weeks. Our goal is to replace them with a second team in a few weeks. Haiti will need our long-term support and we hope to be able to provide enduring surgical capacity to the victims of the January 12^th earthquake. To participate requires a minimum of a two-week commitment.  While the logistics surrounding this plan are quite involved, we are optimistic that we will be able to deliver a much needed service to earthquake victims in need of immediate surgical care. More information on these teams will be released as we move forward with our plans.

 

TO VOLUNTEER FOR A SURGICAL TEAM IN HAITI: If you are a nurse (RN/NP) or physician (MD/DO) interested and willing to volunteer with one of these teams, please email Joella Adams, This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , your name, medical specialty, email address, and whether you have volunteered on an Operation Smile mission before. Note: we have to ask for a minimum of a two week commitment.

 

Collaboration with U.S. Navy

Operation Smile has been asked by the U.S. Navy to support the work of the U.S.N.S. Comfort. The hospital ship will be working out of Guantanamo Bay to provide care to earthquake victims. They have told us that Operation Smile is one of their most trusted partners and they hope to rely on us in the coming weeks to coordinate medical volunteers who can spend at least thirty days working on the ship and on the base. In particular, they will be in need of OR nurses and PACU nurses. TO VOLUNTEER FOR WORK ON THE U.S.N.S. COMFORT: please contact us immediately. E-mail Joella at This e-mail address is being protected from spam bots, you need JavaScript enabled to view it , with the same information, if you are able to help us in this project, or both.