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United States Department of Health and Human Services in Washington, D.C. has asked Jacksonville-based nonprofit FreshMinistries and its international arm, Be The Change International, to coordinate a large-scale effort to bring doctors, medical technicians, translators and pharmaceuticals to Haiti in the aftermath of last week’s catastrophic earthquake.
The Rev. Dr. Robert V. Lee, chairman of FreshMinistries and BTCI, has been leading the way in the pooling of resources since HHS contacted him. Lee has long-standing relationships with the Episcopal Church in Haiti and close ties with the Haitian government and will be flying to Haiti as soon as possible to help organize the relief efforts and resources as they are administered, helping align them to meet the needs of this major response.
The Rev. Oge Beauvoir, dean of Bureau Anglican de l’Education en Haiti, which operates 254 Episcopal Haitian schools, has so far rounded up 41 Haitian physicians and 37 translators. Beauvoir, who escaped harm during the earthquake, has also offered the BAEH school buildings for use in administering aid and coordinating further relief efforts.
Merck Pharmaceuticals, which is working with FreshMinistries, is preparing to make pharmaceutical donations. Another donor is offering 46,000 doses of the antibiotic Doxycycline.
John “Jack” Logue, Haitian outreach coordinator and former administrator at St. Vincent’s Hospital in Jacksonville, has an orthopedic surgical team ready to fly in to Haiti. He is also assisting by putting out a call for more physicians and medical techs.
In addition, those networking to round up resources are Jay Millson, EVP of the Duval County Medical Society; Pam Chally, Dean of the UNF Brooks College of Health; Robert Harmon, MD, Director of the Duval County Health Department; Mt. Sinai Hospital; Trinity Wall Street; Baptist Medical Center; Memorial Medical; Shands Florida; Mayo Clinic; Dr. Yank Coble, distinguished professor and Director of the Center for Global Health and Medical Diplomacy, University of North Florida and Clinical Professor of Medicine, University of Florida; as well as many other churches and hospitals from New York to Houston.
For more information and to find out how you can help, contact FreshMinistries/Be The Change International at 355-0000 or e-mail [email protected].