Day One in Santo Domingo
Our team has arrived in the Dominican Republic to spend the week healing little hearts. The visit this week is sponsored by Chain of Hope UK and Syosett High School Global Health Club!
Two surgeons, one interventionist, two intensivists, three nurses, and a respiratory therapist will be working with the local team at CEDIMAT this week in Santo Domingo.
The visiting team hailing from the USA and Canada! From right to left: Kaitlyn Hales (social media consultant), Kelly Craighead (ICU Nurse), Dr. Andrew Van Vergen (Intensivist), Rajul Rajiah (ICU Nurse), Dr. Daniel Garros (Intensivist), Mia Mesmer (ICU Nurse), Dr. Greg Fleming (Interventionist), Erin Sinclair (OR Nurse), Mary Carmen Hazoury (Fundacion Latiendo por Ti), Dr. Rodrigo Soto (Surgeon), Stephanie Barbour (Respiratory Therapist), and Robbie Donno (Gift of Life International).
The team arrived at the hospital this morning at 9 AM to attend an introductory meeting. During this meeting, the visiting and local teams would go over the cases for the week. A presentation was held for each patient. The patient’s case, symptoms, personal characteristics, and possible complications were discussed. After that, long, detailed conversations about what is best for each patient’s specific scenario took place.
Nurses Kelly Craighead and Mia Mesmer listen at the morning conference.
The Gift of Life International team listening to the conference.
The surgeons, doctors, and nurses weighed the pros and cons of different resolutions for each patient’s condition and made tough decisions on what would be in that patient’s best interest long-term. This week we plan to conduct ten open heart surgeries and around fifteen catheterization procedures.
One of the local doctors presenting cases during the meeting.
A group gathers at the end of the meeting to confirm the plan for the week.
After the morning meeting, which lasted about three hours, the visiting intensive care unit (ICU) nurses, intensivists, and respiratory therapist were given a tour of the ICU at CEDIMAT hospital by the ICU’s medical director, Dra. Carisa Nieves.
ICU nurses Kelly Craighead, Mia Mesmer, and Rajul Rajiah, intensivist Andrew Van Bergen, and respiratory therapist Stephanie Barbour receive their tour from Dra. Carisa Nieves.
ICU nurses Kelly Craighead, Mia Mesmer, and Rajul Rajiah, intensivist Andrew Van Bergen, and respiratory therapist Stephanie Barbour receive their tour from Dra. Carisa Nieves.
After the tour, the team had time to rest and get ready for their big week of healing Dominican hearts! We will be back tomorrow with introductions to some of the children who will be receiving their operations, as well as other updates on the visit. Be sure to stay tuned through the week!
Social Media Consultant for Gift of Life International
