When we arrived at the clinic early this morning, there were patients already lined up. FIMRC has been advertising our brigade for the past month and the local people have been anxiously awaiting.
The brigade split up into two groups this morning and we went to work, doing consults on patients at both the FIMRC headquarters in Las Salinas and the medical clinic at Ojochan. Each team was fully equipped with supplies, pharmacists, nurses, physician assistants, nurse practitioners, interpreters and dental hygienists.
We saw patients from a large range of ages, spanning from a 2-month-old infant to a sprightly woman in her mid-nineties. Besides treating patients with urine infections, pneumonias, and otitis media, we provided several other services. There was a dental station at each location where our two hard-working dental hygienists, Shahriela Ganjoor and Jenny Arnold, were busy removing tartar and educating patients on proper brushing technique. The hygienists also brought with them the technology to apply sealants on the teeth of children to help prevent cavities. One grateful patient even received a tooth extraction. One of our physicians, Alberto Hazan had the opportunity to help one of the local physicians improve his suturing skills by giving him step-by-step instructions on a technique specialized for facial lacerations to minimize scarring. PAP smears were offered to every female patient, as were diabetic and hypertensive screenings.
While consults were taking place at the clinics, two of our emergency physicians, Adrian Martinez and Ashoka Asundi, gave a two-hour lecture to the local EMS crew on proper transport, CPR technique, basic airway management, extremity splinting, traumatic immobilization, and other critical care topics. For the entire area, there is one ambulance which is only able to function through state sponsorship and local donors.
Corina Sturgeon, Nurse Practitioner, was given the opportunity to participate in the local "baby shower", an event hosted by FIMRC to help prepare expectant mothers for their upcoming delivery. Corina provided intensive training on the topics of breastfeeding and infant care.
Patients were also screened for vision problems by Martis Martinez and then those that were in need were given glasses to assist with reading and other tasks that require the ability to focus on details.
Collaboratively the teams evaluated and treated 152 patients today, including thirty-two dental patients.
Overall, it was a great first day.
We saw patients from a large range of ages, spanning from a 2-month-old infant to a sprightly woman in her mid-nineties. Besides treating patients with urine infections, pneumonias, and otitis media, we provided several other services. There was a dental station at each location where our two hard-working dental hygienists, Shahriela Ganjoor and Jenny Arnold, were busy removing tartar and educating patients on proper brushing technique. The hygienists also brought with them the technology to apply sealants on the teeth of children to help prevent cavities. One grateful patient even received a tooth extraction. One of our physicians, Alberto Hazan had the opportunity to help one of the local physicians improve his suturing skills by giving him step-by-step instructions on a technique specialized for facial lacerations to minimize scarring. PAP smears were offered to every female patient, as were diabetic and hypertensive screenings.
While consults were taking place at the clinics, two of our emergency physicians, Adrian Martinez and Ashoka Asundi, gave a two-hour lecture to the local EMS crew on proper transport, CPR technique, basic airway management, extremity splinting, traumatic immobilization, and other critical care topics. For the entire area, there is one ambulance which is only able to function through state sponsorship and local donors.
Corina Sturgeon, Nurse Practitioner, was given the opportunity to participate in the local "baby shower", an event hosted by FIMRC to help prepare expectant mothers for their upcoming delivery. Corina provided intensive training on the topics of breastfeeding and infant care.
Patients were also screened for vision problems by Martis Martinez and then those that were in need were given glasses to assist with reading and other tasks that require the ability to focus on details.
Collaboratively the teams evaluated and treated 152 patients today, including thirty-two dental patients.
Overall, it was a great first day.
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