Word from Haiti

Become a fan of Contra Costa Health Services on Facebook and you can follow the CCRMC doctors in Haiti. Kate Fowlie, CCHS Communications Officer, is doing a fantastic job keeping the posts current. You can also find more information on the CCRMC website.

Here are pictures of CCRMC Dr. Neil Jayasekera and Dr. Bill Peterson as he boards a military truck which took the doctors along with translators, soldiers and medical supplies to provide medical care in the tent cities in Haiti.

Saturday, 30 January...
From Dr. Reilly via email: “going from tent city to tent city in humvees w/ 62nd Airborne Division…treating a lot of dehydration…kids anemic w/ distended bellies. Babies nursing from moms who are dehydrated. It’s hot & dry and dust is causing response & ocular (eye) complaints. Children still play, making kites from plastic ration bags & banging drums made of empty water vessels. Last night we heard singing from the tent city in the distance.”

Friday, 29 January...
CCRMC Dr. Pramita Kuruvilla reports from Haiti that they are spreading out from the hospital to mobile clinics as well: "the post-operative care needs are huge. Many bandaged people in the community, from amputees to kids with healing open wounds at risk for severe infection. The spirit of Haiti is strong despite all."

Thursday, 28 January...
CCRMC Dr. Brenda Reilly reports from Haiti: arrived & are living in a “tent” town in the courtyard of St. Damien’s Children’s Hospital in Port-au-Prince. They are caring for orphaned children, including newborns, & adults who are severely injured or ill. “Tetanus claiming lives,” she says. “Mode of transport...within hospital is several people carrying thin mattress bearing post-op patient.”

From the CCRMC and HC Family Practice Residency Program webpage.

The program attracts 22% of all Family Practice residency applicants in the U.S. even though it has only 0.5% of the total positions available. Applications to the three-year program from graduates of U.S. medical schools have risen each of the last five years - from 158 in 2003 to 253 in 2008.

CCRMC Doctors heading for Haiti

Four of our CCRMC doctors, Brenda Reilly, Bill Peterson (not shown in picture), Pramita Kuruvilla and Neil Jayasekera, are scheduled to leave Monday to provide medical care to children and adults in Haiti. They are going with a nonprofit group called No time for Poverty, which is bringing health care workers to Haiti to work with Dr. Paul Farmer's group, Partners in Health. The team will work out of Saint Damions Hospital, which is the only free pediatric hospital in Haiti.

Here is Dr. Neil Jayasekera's interview with KCBS.

Many are still asking how you can donate. We have set up a station in the hospital cafeteria for donations to Partners in Health or you can donate online.

It is truly heartwarming to see the outpouring of support.

There are many ways to offer support. A google search will yield over one million results so there are many options.
Here are a few examples of online donation pages:
Partners in Health
No Time For Poverty
Friends of the Orphans
American Red Cross Bay Area Chapter
Clinton Foundation

The power of one. One amazing little girl.

I wanted to share this.

When life gives you lemons, make lemonade *

Alex's Lemonade Stand Foundation (ALSF) emerged from the front yard lemonade stand of cancer patient Alexandra “Alex” Scott (1996-2004). At the age of 4, Alex announced that she wanted to hold a lemonade stand to raise money to help find a cure for all children with cancer.

Since 2004, ALSF has raised more than $30 million for childhood cancer, one cup at a time! She believed everyone can make a difference.

Kaizen Report-Out

The report-out was breathtaking! I hope you take a moment to reflect on the wonderful work you and your colleagues are doing. We are surrounded by an amazing team. To borrow the elegant description used by Dr. Walker, our system has made "quantum leaps" this year. How privileged we have been to learn from Tom Jackson, Patty Crome and Mike Rona from Rona Consulting who "taught us to fish" (Applegate, M. 2010, Kaizen 3 Report-Out). Our community partners have shined a light on our system creating new opportunities for us to grow.

Although not all the improvement teams presented today (not to worry,they will as we move through the year), with over 50 people presenting, the report served as a shining example of the improvement work you are all leading in our system.


Thank you to all the teams who presented, to all the teams who listened and learned and to all of you who challenge our system to reach farther every day.
Sincerely,
Anna

Below are some pictures from the report.
The complete set of pictures will be in the visibility room. We are still determining the best space to use to make safety and improvement work visible and conduct 7- minute stand-up reports. Where do you think it should be? Watch for its opening in the coming weeks!

FYI- Here's an article on The Lean Operating Room from Stryker's Director of Lean Europe, Middle East and Africa. I think you'll see the alignment of the work at CCRMC.



This was in the comments. I'm posting it here so it isn't missed.
From Teresa Pasquini about yesterday's report-out~

BRAVO CCRMC, Clinics, Staff and Administration! What an honor it was to observe your re-design achievements and share in your celebration. As a life time resident of Contra Costa County, I congratulate you on dedication to quality care and quality service to our community. I am inspired by all the common things being done uncommonly well. Thank you....Teresa

CCRMC Improving Surgical Care: Kaizen 3 begins today!

What? First Kaizen Event of 2010.

When and Where?

Improving Surgical Care-Kaizen 3 Overview/Introduction:
Monday January 4, 2010 at 11:00 AM to 1:00 PM at Contra Costa Regional Medical Center (CCRMC) in Building One, Conference Room One.

Improving Surgical Care-Kaizen 3 Report-Out:
Friday January 8 at 10:00 AM to 10:30 AM at CCRMC in Building One, Conference Room One.

Note: The report-out for each Kaizen Event is video-taped and placed on CCHS-iSite.

I look forward to seeing you there.

Be well,
Anna