Here is a list of the medications that we generally need with every medical group. If you want more specific information, please contact me by email.
Ibuprofen (infant, kids, adult)
Tylenol (infant, kids, adult)
Antacids (both once daily and Tums)
Vitamins (infant, kids, adult, prenatal)
Cough syrup/meds (for children and adults)
Antibiotics (especially Amoxicillin, Cephalosporins, Cipro, Metronidazole, Mebendazole and Z-packs)
Antibiotic cream (Triple antibiotic ointment or Neosporin)
Anti-fungal cream and oral medications (griseofulvin, ketoconazole, Tinactin, etc.)
Selsun Blue Shampoo
Vaginal Yeast Infection Treatment (suppositories and creams)
Steroid cream (ex. Hydrocortisone)
Birth Control pills (as supplied by the protocal at the Good Samaritan Hospital...PLEASE ASK!)
Condoms
Anti-hypertensives (Nifedepine, Norvasc and Atenolol)
Eye/Ear drops (both antibiotic and saline washes like Clear Eyes)
Sulfur cream (see recipe) or Permetherin Cream
Anti-Scabies Ointment (Sulfur Cream):
1 part sulfur in 20 parts Vaseline = 5% sulfur ointment (may also be used for cradle cap)
General Information
Referral forms were developed to help us keep track of patients seen in the Batey medical clinics, connect the clinic work more directly to the hospital and help patients receive specialized treatment that is unavailable with a Batey clinic. The referral forms should always be given to the patient so they have an explanation, in hand, when they arrive at the hospital. Any patient given a referral form should also have his/her Batey consult card marked with a highlighter by the consultant. This makes it easier for us to record the number of referrals made and also to identify the patients who will be coming to the hospital for further treatment. There are several types of referral forms that will be used, so please choose the appropriate form, as described below. No, we are not turning into managed care, just trying to organize the work a little bit better! Thanks for your help.Surgical Referrals
The surgery referral forms should be used for all types of surgery EXCEPT tubal ligations. This includes eye surgery (cataracts), general surgery (hernias, etc.) and plastic surgery. A list of dates for surgical teams will be provided for the leader of each medical team to use as a reference when patients are asking about surgical dates. Surgeries will be scheduled by Kristy Engel prior to a surgical team but usually not during regular clinic times.Tubal Ligations
Tubal ligation referrals should be noted on the patient's card, highlighted and then the patient should be sent to our family planning coordinator. The family planning coordinator will follow-up with the patient regarding birth control options, prior to surgery, and scheduling a date for the surgery. Again, please give the referral form to the patient when completed.Hospital Referrals
Hospital referrals should be used only under the following conditions:
1. You are confident the patient will make an effort to get to the Good Samaritan hospital for follow-up.
2. The patient cannot receive adequate treatment at home, even with further education given to family and/or the patient.
3. The patient requires confirmation of a newly diagnosed disease or special tests to provide appropriate treatment.
Examples of patients who should receive referrals are: newly diagnosed hypertension, AIDS or diabetes, eye disorders requiring an eye exam, broken bones and suspected tuberculosis. Please use your best judgment on any other cases. It is important to remember that whether you are referring a patient for admission to the hospital or solely for further follow-up with a specialist that you are creating a financial burden for the patient that may not be able to be met. You are also removing the patient from his/her support systems. Many times it is better to try and educate the patient and/or family or find a solution that keeps the patient on the Batey. There are obvious cases that cannot be left on the Batey, such as severe dehydration of a baby or post-partum hemorrhaging. If you have any question regarding a referral, please ask Kristy Engel.A list of the specialties provided by the Good Samaritan Hospital follows:
Pediatrics
Surgery
Obstetrics/Gynecology
Internal Medicine/Nephrology
Urology
Psychology
Orthopedics
Cardiology
Opthamology
Diabetes
Gastroenterology
Pulmonology/HIV/TB
Family Planning
Dental
Dermatology
General Medicine
It is important to specify which specialty you are referring to, although the name of the doctor you are referring to is not necessary. If you are unsure of which specialist to refer to, please ask Kristy Engel. Attached is a copy of each referral form used in the clinics.Referral Form-General
Referral Form-Surgery
Referral Form-Tubal Ligation
Let's get the hard stuff over with first. This is the part that there is always a lot of confusion about so I will hopefully clear a lot of things up.
- Clothing
This has been an issue since the work here began. I will give you what I believe is appropriate attire and I will explain why I believe we must adhere to this. For women there will always be more rules and although it is not fair, it is the way it is. Women are expected to be modest in their attire because they are representatives of the church (whether you come as a Christian or not, working with the mission means you represent the church). This means no short-shorts, no spaghetti strap tops, no shirts that expose your bra, no stomachs showing, no lower backs bared, and no skirts that are very short. In your free-time at the dormitory you are welcome to wear what you wish but if you are on the work site, in the medical clinic or in church, please hold to these expectations. If you go walking around, please be aware that people still see you as a representation of the church and what you wear, in this culture, reflects back on the church.
- On the construction site, I know it is hot and tank tops can be worn but I still recommend that you wear short sleeves and roll them up so there is no question about whether the tank top is too revealing or not.
- For the medical teams, I ask that women wear short sleeves (rolled up if needed) and either scrub pants or skirts/dresses when we are at the clinics. Again, not fair, but it is showing respect.
- In church, skirts (not pants) and short-sleeved shirts or a dress with short sleeves is appropriate for women.
- For men, please leave shirts on when you are working on the construction site. If you look at most of the Dominicans and Haitians that we are working with you will notice that they do not take their shirts off. Shorts or jeans/work pants are appropriate for the worksite. Pants are preferred for the medical clinics.
- Shorts are NOT appropriate for church so please plan to bring a pair of pants to wear to the church services that you may attend.
For everyone, please remove or cover any body piercing of the tongue, nose, belly button or eyebrow when you are on the work site, medical clinic or in church. Ear piercing is becoming more accepted in this culture for Christians, so that is fine, but any other part of the body is not seen as a Christian behavior. This is no reflection on you as a person but, again, we are doing this out of respect for the culture in which we are serving. Smoking and drinking alcoholic beverages is absolutely prohibited on dormitory, hospital or church grounds. Take this opportunity to quit smoking if you are a smoker or if you would like to have a drink please go to a local restaurant. We have had some problems with this in the past and several embarrassing situations have been brought before the church. Drinking and smoking are not seen as Christian behaviors in Haitian and Dominican culture, although I know many Christians who have a glass of wine or a beer with a special meal. Drinking alcohol tends to be limited to special occasions. Finally, I would like to give each of you a tentative schedule of the times for the clinics and work teams. I ask that you try to fit your devotional times or meetings around this schedule. This will allow for us to leave more regularly in the mornings.
8-8:30am Load bus with medications/ construction supplies
8:30-9am Leave dormitory
12noon Lunch (at batey or construction site)
4-4:30pm return to dormitory for showers before dinner
This time can be changed if a beach trip is planned or if more time is needed for a special project.I also ask that medical teams sort their meds during the evening hours so that the medications are ready to be loaded in the morning. This means keeping the medications at the dormitory and not at the hospital. If for safety reasons it is deemed that medicines will be kept at the hospital, it is the job of the medical team to re-stock the pharmacy bins in the afternoon, following the end of the clinic day. I know this is difficult when you are tired and worn out, but if everyone pitches in, it will move quickly. Restocking in the morning is time consuming and will often add up to an hour onto our morning schedule. If you run out of something and we need to stop by the hospital in the morning, that is o.k., but I do not want to make it a regular daily occurance. Also, this allows your team to assess medication needs with more time. Trying to rush all of this in the morning usually means we forget something. O.k., I think that's it! Enough rules and let's get to the work!
Here are the current expenses that a team will incur (outside of personal expenses and travel expenses):