1 / 19

Vanderbilt Eye Institute and Les Centres Gheskio : Forming an eye care collaborative in Haiti

Vanderbilt Eye Institute and Les Centres Gheskio : Forming an eye care collaborative in Haiti. Amy S. Chomsky, MD Associate Professor of Ophthalmology. Inception. November 2009

mabyn
Download Presentation

Vanderbilt Eye Institute and Les Centres Gheskio : Forming an eye care collaborative in Haiti

An Image/Link below is provided (as is) to download presentation Download Policy: Content on the Website is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use and may not be sold / licensed / shared on other websites without getting consent from its author. Content is provided to you AS IS for your information and personal use only. Download presentation by click this link. While downloading, if for some reason you are not able to download a presentation, the publisher may have deleted the file from their server. During download, if you can't get a presentation, the file might be deleted by the publisher.

E N D

Presentation Transcript

  1. Vanderbilt Eye Institute and Les CentresGheskio: Forming an eye care collaborative in Haiti Amy S. Chomsky, MD Associate Professor of Ophthalmology

  2. Inception • November 2009 • Chair of The Vanderbilt Eye Institute (VEI),Paul Sternberg, wanted to have VEI involved in an international humanitarian outreach project • The VEI Humanitarian Global Outreach Committee was formed- January 2010

  3. VEI Humanitarian Global Outreach Committee • Amy Chomsky, Appointed Chair • Committee Members: Denis O’Day, Laura Wayman, Brian Carlson, Sarah Reynolds, Edward Cherney, Jeffrey Kammer, Stephen Kim, David Calkins, Janet Nicotera

  4. Goals • Provide eye service to an underserved underprivileged population in an international setting. • Instill a sense of global healthcare service to VEI staff, faculty and residents. • Potential for training of local physicians and staff • Potential for research • Potential for resident/medical student rotation

  5. Why Haiti? • Need • Vanderbilt Institute of Global Health’s involvement in Haiti- Les Centres GHESKIO • Denis O’Day, MD, former VEI chair is actively involved in health care initiative in Haiti: Visitation Hospital in Petite Riviere de Nippes

  6. GHESKIO • In Port-au-Prince • History of Vanderbilt and Cornell collaboration with GHESKIO • Already working with Visitation Hospital in HIV outreach testing • Committed to: SERVICE, RESEARCH, TRAINING

  7. Visitation Hospital • In Petite Riviere de Nippes • Visitation Hospital Foundation (VHF)- Founded in 1999. Its first component • The Visitation Outpatient Clinic, opened its doors in January 2008. • 250,000-300,000 otherwise without access to healthcare • Dr Denis O’Day vice chair of the board of VHF

  8. Denis O’Day, MD Paul Sternberg, MD William Pape, MD

  9. Eye Care needs • No sound epidemiological statistics available • High prevalence of Glaucoma, Diabetes, HIV • UV exposure issues- Pingecula, Pterygia, Cataracts • Hyperopia> myopia • Presbyopia- OTC readers

  10. Over-all Plan • Set up a clinic in Port-au-Prince at GHESKIO • Outreach clinic to Visitation Hospital- every few months • Periodic trips by VEI Ophthalmologists to see patients and perform surgery. • Have a local Haitian Ophthalmologist funded at GHESKIO in collaboration with VEI • Set up screening devices that can be used for telemedicine

  11. Outpatient Services to be provided: • Comprehensive eye examinations/screenings • Provide spectacles, medical glaucoma treatment, infectious disease treatment • Surgical services- Cataracts, Pterygia, Oculoplastics, Strabismus, Lasers, Injections, prosthesis • Low vision

  12. Teaching and Mentoring • Work with local Ophthalmology community (SHO and the medical school training program)- help support speakers, symposia, etc • ? Help with the training of a Haitian Ophthalmology residents • ? Train ancillary support staff that can: assist the physician and train others to be assistants. • Also support local Ophthalmologists with equipment up-keep/service

  13. The Timeline • To date we have made four trips and have seen approximately 300 patients- both at GHESKIO and Visitation Hospital • Provided medications, glasses, performed several lasers • Brought an Ophthalmic equipment Technician on most recent visit who performed ophthalmic equipment maintenance locally • Equipment for the clinic has arrived through customs • Space under construction for clinic and OR now at GHESKIO • Interviewing of potential Haitian Ophthalmologist

  14. Budget • VEI is committed to at least two years of funding- the hope is with success of the program, this will be expanded. • Have had some donations already to date: Plan is for potential future fundraising as the program grows. **Although the plan is initially part-time, the hope is to expand to fulltime.

  15. Challenges • Funds • Shipping/Customs • Ongoing stocking of supplies/medications • Donations- Fundraising and industry support • Training

  16. Visit to SHO Clinic- November 2011

  17. Special Thanks! • William Pape, MD • Brigitte Hudicourt, MD • Franz Large, MD • Nancy Martelly Garnier, MD • Pascale Pelissier Auguste, MD • Paul Sternberg, MD • Armie Harper, MD • Denis O’Day, MD • Abel Villarreal • Janet Nicotera • Brian Carlson

More Related