Two Holy Name Hospital anesthesiologists, Alan Gwertzman, M.D., chairman of the Department of Anesthesiology, and Timothy Finley, M.D, arrived in Haiti in January to provide medical care.

A member of the Center for the Rural Development of Milo (Crudem) Foundation, Dr. Finley arrived at the Hospital Sacre Coeur, a 66-bed hospital, which is currently set up to treat 200 patients and located an estimated 65 miles north of Port Au Prince.

Dr. Finley and Dr. Gwertzman brought medical supplies for both pediatric and adult patients, including anesthesia supplies, pain medications and antibiotics. In addition to donating medical supplies, Holy Name Hospital will be donating 1,700 scrub uniforms. The hospital will also afford its employees the opportunity to make a monetary donation to a special Haiti Crisis Fund organized through the Sisters of Saint Joseph of Peace.

Also in response to the earthquake in Haiti, Hackensack University Medical Center sent a medical delegation to Haiti after a prayer service in the Hekemian Auditorium for the victims, survivors, and relief workers.  

The team, including Myrvine Bernadotte, M.D., an emergency department physician; Jane Burke, R.N., nurse manager of the emergency department at HUMC North at Pascack Valley; Maggie Lominy, R.N., an emergency room nurse; and Eamon Daul, R.N., an emergency department nurse, flew to Florida and then left for Haiti on Jan. 16. Manuel Alvarez, M.D., chairman of the Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, was already in Haiti working with government officials and providing medical direction. Along with the delegation, the medical center is providing supplies and medication including antibiotics, ointments, central lines, IVs, syringes, orthopedic screws, sutures, gauze, and bandages.

A medical team from The Valley Hospital left on Jan. 27 for Haiti to work with the medical humanitarian organizations Our Chance International and NOVA Hope for Haiti. The team will be stationed at the Project Medishare compound at the Port au Prince Airport.

The group included Khashayar Vosough, M,.D., and Edward Kugler, M.D., both obstetrician-gynecologists; Nedal Shami, M.D., an emergency medicine physician; and Nicole Kalinowski, R.N.;  Adryanna Tavares, R.N., both of whom are nurses in the emergency department.

Along with the medical team, the hospital provided medical supplies and medications.

"Our hearts go out to the people of Haiti and we hope that in some small way by assisting in medical outreach we can help with the recovery efforts from this devastating earthquake," says Peter Diestel, senior vice president and chief operating officer at Valley.