Project Report
| Jun 3, 2015
Developing the New Software & Hiring Haitian Staff
By Miriam Tuchman | President, Sustainable Healthcare for Haiti
March was an active month for SHH. Three members travelled to Haiti to meet with the Ministry of Health and secured approval to provide the proposed health services. In a second meeting with Digicel, the local telephone and cellular network provider, the team negotiated a fair rate as a non profit to provide the necessary infrastructure and IT services to the site. And finally, the team met with our partners who are very excited about the project. In additional to delivering close to 100 lbs of necessary dental and infection control supplies, the team reviewed the requirements for a Community Health Worker and a Part Time Nurse. A new board member, who is a doctor, will be the point person working with SHH. She has already identified local Haitians from the immediate area who meet the job requirements.
Later in March, SHH held a successful fundraiser at The Social Bar and Restaurant in Newton. Enough funds were raised to pay the Community Health Worker's salay for a year. There was good food, wonderful silent auction items and plenty of fun for everyone of all ages.
The next few months the team will focus on the development of the software and placement of the IT services on the site.
Feb 24, 2015
Building the Clinic and Developing the Educational Program
By Miriam Tuchman | President, SHH
The volunteers of Sustainable Healthcare for Haiti will be launching the project over the next few months. In a trip planned for March, members of the team will meet with the Ministry of Health to receive documentation related to the hiring of the Community Health Worker and the Part-Time Nurse as well as receive approval for the planned design of the clinic rooms. We will also be meeting with Digicel who will be helping to develop the mobile hot-spot that will allow the tablets to connect with staff in the United States. A third meeting will be with the Board of our partner, Foundation Montesinos, to discuss in detail the health education currriculum and plan the design acitivites for the children.
The second trip, planned for April, will include volunteers who will build the clinic and greenhouse.
Additionally, we have a fundraiser planned for Thursday night, March 26th from 5 pm - 8 pm at the restaurant Social in Newton Corner. There will be a silent auction, music and other entertainment. The goal will be to raise the $15,000 needed to support the salaries of the Community Healthworker and Part-Time Nurse for one year.
Nov 25, 2014
Electronic Medical Record Development
By Miriam Tuchman | President, Sustainable Healthcare for Haiti
Thanks to a successful fundraising month on Global Giving in September, we were able to secure enough funds to begin the development of an electronic medical record (EMR) that is designed specifically for the Thumbprint to Healthprint project.
Two goals of the program are to help children believe they have a right to healthcare, and to teach them to take control of their own well-being. Together with our partner VecnaCares, we have begun the development of an interactive medical record that tracks the children using a thumbprint. The EMR is a tool for the community health workers to use while caring for the children, but it also has several interactive screens which allow the children to enter and manage information about themselves. The information is then displayed on charts and graphs so they can see their own progress and find links to other useful healthcare sites on the internet.
The equipment that will support this EMR will allow the community health workers to enter data in real time while treating the 90 children who live at the orphanage. It will also allow the staff to visit and track, throughout the year, the 400 children who attend summer camp at Foundation Montesinos but then return to their homes in nearby communities during the school year.