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Our newspapers and
television screens have been filled with coverage of the
elevated situation in Haiti following the large-scale earthquake
that devastated the city of Port-au-Prince on January 12.
There is a significant
Haitian community here in southwest Florida, including several
members of the Lee Memorial Health System team, and this tragedy
has struck close to home for many. LMHS had made sure our
employees know they can take advantage of our Employee
Assistance Program and Employee Crisis Program, administered
through United Way 211 of Lee, Hendry and Glades Counties, for
help coping during this time. I'd also like to encourage any
community members who may have been personally affected by this
event to take advantage of community resources that can provide
counseling and other types of assistance.
As caregivers and concerned
citizens, many LMHS employees have also wanted to know how best
to help the people of Haiti during these dark days. Our health
system is continuing to remain in contact with supporting
agencies, such as the American Red Cross and United Way, which
have the connections and resources necessary to get goods and
services to the people of Haiti while the country is in
upheaval. We have also assisted missions and have helped ship
goods to Haiti.
Many employees have also
expressed a desire to travel to Haiti to offer assistance. In
fact, a team led by Connie Bowles, LMHS' Disaster Preparedness
Coordinator and Administrator of Florida's Disaster Medical
Assistance Team 2, or DMAT 2, continues to prepare for
deployment when called by the state. Connie is also readying for
LMHS' potential acceptance of adult and pediatric patients from
Haiti, if determined by Florida's disaster leadership that we
are being asked to receive patients.
It is a wonderful gesture
to want to help. However, we urge anyone wishing to help to go
through proper channels. An e-mail, titled "sobering report on
serving in Haiti," came from a surgeon from New York who
traveled to Haiti with a team and ample resources to perform
surgeries. It took them several tries just to make it to the
city, and when they arrived at the hospital, they discovered the
medical infrastructure was completely inadequate. They even had
a major shipment of their supplies hijacked between the airport
and where they were stationed. The team did what they could but
eventually had to leave without being able to deliver the
treatment they had hoped to provide.
The one bright spot that
comes from tragedies such as these is the willingness of our
citizens to pull together to help each other. However, we urge
you to remember that Haiti's government was rattled as badly as
the country, and it will take time for them to regroup and have
the necessary processes and safety provisions in place to
support an influx of volunteers beyond those already there.
Please keep this in mind, as we all help in any way that we can
to provide relief for the people of Haiti.
Peace and prayers,
Jim Nathan
President, Lee Memorial Health System
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