UNMC volunteers take on leadership roles in Haiti

In the few days since its arrival in Haiti, UNMC’s volunteer team has taken on a leadership role in caring for the wounded in the earthquake-ravaged nation.

Medical center physicians Jeffrey Yuskevich, M.D., and Oluyemisi Odugbesan, M.D., head up the operating room and pain management efforts at the Hopital Dela Communaute Hatienne in Port-au-Prince.

Help UNMC help Haiti UNMC seeks to raise $100,000 for the University of Nebraska Foundation’s UNMC Haitian Relief and Outreach Fund, which supports the medical center’s volunteer efforts in Haiti. As of Wednesday afternoon, about $20,000 had been raised in the fund. Donations can be made online or through the mail at: Omaha Office of the University of Nebraska Foundation 2285 S. 67th St. Suite 200 Omaha, NE 68106 Those with friends, relatives or colleagues at Union Pacific or Midwest Laboratories can urge them to donate to the UNMC fund as their employers will match their donations dollar-for-dollar. The Midwest Laboratories matching offer runs through Friday.

Danielle Dohrmann of UNMC International Health and Medical Education is the charge nurse at the Project Medishare Hospital near the Port-au-Prince airport. When Dohrmann and other medical center volunteers arrived at the hospital on Monday, three nurses were attempting to care for about 300 patients.

“Our team is doing great work here, people are so appreciative,” said Rubens Pamies, M.D., vice chancellor for academic affairs, who leads the 13-member volunteer team in Haiti.

As UNMC moves toward a second deployment, which officials anticipate happening next week, it’s important that the medical center work strategically to meet the short-term and long-term needs of Haiti, said Ayman El-Mohandes, M.B.B.Ch., M.D., M.P.H, dean of the College of Public Health, who, along with Dr. Pamies, leads the UNMC response to the Haitian tragedy.

UNMC’s Haiti response team in Omaha tracks emerging needs in Haiti via daily reports from the volunteers. Recent reports show new needs have arisen for pharmacists as well as physician assistants and physical therapists with orthopaedics and plastics expertise.

“Our volunteer response has been tremendous and this resource will be tapped in many ways,” Dr. El-Mohandes said. “Going forward, we need to make sure we send the right people at the right time so that we can most effectively meet the needs in Haiti.”