Monday Meetings

Monday was quite the day. We were in meetings with various people the entire day. It was very productive, yet exhausting at the same time. We toured the hospital again, but realized we needed more information that required a translator. We met with Sister Judy and her summer intern Constantine. They came down from Fondwa to talk about our needs for an administrator and offer advice. Sister Judy seems to know everyone in Haiti that has anything to do with healthcare, and she's offered some great insight. She is an American nurse that has been working in Haiti for quite some time. Constantine recently graduate from NYU with a masters degree. The IT setup/internet seems to be working wonderfully in Fondwa, so we discussed sharing resources. Hopital Ste. Croix's Children's Nutrition Program has been extremely successful, so Sister Judy got some advice from the program director. Sister Judy had some suggestions for the hospital that were a little different than what we've heard from other people.

Hilda, the nursing school director in Leogane, also stopped by to visit. Her ideas for the hospital were vastly different from some of the other people we had spoken to. Hilda is a Haitian American nurse that has returned to Haiti to try and give back to the country she was born. She is really amazing and knows how to get things done. It was nice to speak with someone that can relate to both cultures.

Two days before our arrival in Leogane, the government tore through the wall protecting the hospital in order to clean out the sewer. The people witnessing this became very upset and stopped them out of loyalty to the hospital. Apparently, they plan to dig holes all along the sewer every 4 meters even if it is through homes and buildings. This is actually a result of money given to Haiti from the US government. So, we witnessed people packing up their homes before the government demolished them. We found out on Monday that the sewer line runs directly under the hospital, so the government plans to tear through the hospital and break through the foundation every 4 meters. Due to the flooding and waste issues in Haiti, this is actually a very good move for the country. But, it can destroy the hospital. So, the board had to quickly set up meetings with the Haitian government. Agreements were made to be careful not to destroy the hospital and keep it intact, but there will still be massive holes put into the foundation which will lead to many other issues. Luckily we had lots of great people at the hospital this week to mitigate this problem. They included Jimmy Hite, architect and board member, as well as Jim who is a contractor and Dick who is an electrician. All three of them have been committed to the hospital and its mission for many years.

There were many other meetings all of which led us down various paths in terms of strategy and future planning. Everyone had opposite views on the needs of the community and what the hospital can/should provide. There was also talk of another competing hospital being built and how can that become a symbiotic relationship. With the actions of the government, we began to wonder if we could keep this hospital where its at or if we need to consider relocating.

Even though everyone had differing opinions on the future of the hospital, several things became very clear.

1. The Leogane community that the hospital serves (200,000 people) desperately needs a hospital with inpatient care.
2. The Leogane community desperately needs emergency care.
3. The hospital must develop a sustainable funding model.
4. The hospital must prioritize infrastructure above everything.
5. The second priority must be to hire a competent administrator.
6. Management at all levels must be carried out well and communicated clearly.

So, the day was quite stressful. But, a lot got accomplished. Our knowledge and skills in healthcare administration were greatly appreciated. Many issues still needed to be resolved, so we slept on it. (There are ONLY 24 hours in a day)