Medical team heads to Haiti

A team of local medical professionals, including a physician, physician assistant, nurses, equipment specialist and physical therapists, takes off for Haiti Wednesday to serve at St. Damien Hospital near Port-au-Prince.

Team Montana Hearts of Haiti, a nondenominational Christian-based group, was organized by Kally White Wilson, a physician assistant who recently returned from serving at the hospital in Tabarre, a suburb of Port-au-Prince.

On this trip, she is joined by her husband, spine surgeon Dr. Ned Wilson, nurses Janet Beiser and Margie Smith, physical therapists Andrea Breuer and Patrick Gulick and orthopedic surgical equipment specialist Blaine Platt.

Kally White Wilson, who has done missionary work in Brazil and Mexico, said she went to Haiti right after the earthquake to help tend to the many victims. As a part-time physician assistant at MedNorth Urgent Care, she said she had the flexibility to leave on short notice.

“I got online and linked up with North Carolina Baptist,” she said.

Wilson left on Jan. 23 and came back on Feb. 10, working on the ground for 11 days. She stayed in the Global Outreach compound and worked mainly at St. Damien Hospital with an international team of medical professionals.

“It’s a Catholic facility and the only free pediatric hospital in Haiti,” she said. “After the disaster, they took in adults too. We had people show up every day with all kinds of injuries.”

Wilson worked with other health professionals to set up a hospital-based orthopedic clinic where they treated fractures, crushing injuries and open wounds. She also did hospital rounds and assisted on a few surgeries.

Among the saddest patients was a 2-year-old boy who had parts of both arms amputated. Wilson also recalled the poignant occasion when a 9-year-old brought in his 7-year-old sister.

“Both of their parents were gone,” she said.

She said practicing medicine during that trip as “very chaotic”  as professionals came and went and supplies arrived without much predictability. She described the earthquake victims and their injuries as heartbreaking but the international response as heartening.

“It was a global response — so many people came to help,” Wilson said. “The Haitian people are wonderful, very polite and respectful.”

She said patients would come and wait for hours without complaint. Wilson recalled that the Haitians remained kind even during painful dressing changes.

“They would endure it and then say thank you,” she said. “I was very impressed by that. I thought people were incredibly gracious.”

Wilson left with regret because the need was so great. But her travel arrangements gave her no option. She wasn’t home long before she began putting plans together for another trip.

“My husband was interested in returning with me and we had an idea of taking a few other people,” she said.

They kept in contact with St. Damien Hospital to find out which professionals were most in demand then found people willing to take time off and pay their own way. She said the cost is a stretch for some but they had no difficulty finding people who wanted to serve.

“Everyone in the medical community wants to help out,” she said.

The team includes:

n Ned Wilson, an orthopedic surgeon at Flathead Orthopedics

n Kally White Wilson, a physician assistant who assists in orthopedic surgery and head and neck surgery. She works as a contract medical provider including working at MedNorth Urgent Care.

n Janet Beiser, an RN at Kalispell Regional Medical Center who has pre- and post-operating room and emergency medical experience.

n Margie Smith, an RN at Big Sky IV Care who works as an infusion nurse.

n Andrea Breuer, physical therapist at Professional Therapy Associates.

n Patrick Gulick, physical therapist at Orthopedic Rehab inc.

n Blaine Platt, a sales rep for Stryker Medical, an orthopedic surgical equipment company.

According to Kally White Wilson, they expect to leave Tuesday for Missoula and fly out Wednesday for the Dominican Republic. The hospital plans to send a school bus to pick them up around midnight Wednesday and drive them to Haiti, a trip of up to 10 hours.

Plans call for them to stay in tents either behind the hospital or down the road from the hospital.

“We will be expecting to work long days,” she said.

They are scheduled to return to the Flathead Valley on March 7 although Wilson said she may stay longer.

She said that professional people serving in Haiti perform a range of jobs. She said she witnessed doctors mopping floors and she spent time unpacking supplies.

Wilson said her group is motivated to go by the Christian values they all share.

“We’re going to be the hands and feet of Jesus,” she said. “We just want to be helpful.”

Wilson said members of Team Montana Hearts of Haiti come from Kalispell and Whitefish. They represent New Covenant Fellowship, Fresh Life Church, Christ Lutheran Church and St. Matthew’s Catholic Church.

She said people interested in helping may donate to those churches or to St. Damien through the Web site saintdamienhospital.wordpress.com or any of the many organizations helping in Haiti.

Reporter Candace Chase may be reached at 758-4436 or by e-mail at cchase@dailyinterlake.com.