In March 2015 I helped lead an interprofessional, interdisciplinary mission team that provided healthcare to the people of Choluteca, Honduras. The Interdisciplinary team of 39 was comprised of undergraduate (8) and graduate (15) nursing students, PharmD students (2), and twelve faculty (comprised of nurses, physicians, and a pharmacist.) The students were required to attend four 3.5 hour preparatory classes on four Saturday mornings prior to trip departure and one packing day Sunday.
The students and faculty provided health care to adults and children in six rural villages and worked at the Hospital Del Sur in Choluteca. The students worked as a team with an undergraduate and a graduate nursing student paired with an interpreter to provide primary health care including assessment, diagnosis and treatment. The nursing students worked in
collaboration with the pharmacy team to assure appropriate and accurate medication prescribing. The March 2015 team provided care to over 1,200 Hondurans over a six work day period and performed 267 women's health examinations. Members of the group presented a two hour continuing education program on Diabetes and Diabetes Management to 25
Honduran healthcare workers. The students also were required to prepare a health care education poster in Spanish on various assigned topics and to present the posters at the clinics in the rural villages.
Working through World Gospel Mission, in May of 2015, a pharmacy team
consisting of myself and 10 Cedarville University pharmacy students served the underserved population around Choluteca, Honduras. Over an eight day period, the team provided fluoride treatments to over 1250 children in villages surrounding Choluteca, remarkable improvement in the dental health of these children has been seen over the years of doing this trip. The team spent two afternoons doing blood pressure and blood glucose screenings at two local pharmacies. The team also followed up on some of the newly diagnosed hypertensive and diabetic patients previously seen during the March Honduras trip. The team worked with an FNP missionary and
Honduran physician to make medication adjustments in these patients as necessary. The team toured a local hospital and rehabilitation center which made students extremely aware of the contrasts in health care services in various parts of the world and left a lasting impression and perspective.
Students commented that " the trip to Honduras impacted my view of healthcare tremendously. In the U.S., we have the luxury of knowing that we will receive good medical care if needed. In Honduras, all the patients in each ward share one room and many times don't even have sheets on their beds. Any food, drink, medications or clothing must be bought by the patients family from a stand outside of the hospital. I was astonished by the vast difference in standards but left Honduras with a new understanding of the varied quality of healthcare in different settings.” "Jesus says in Matthew 25:40, 'whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'" "By treating the health care needs of the people it opened the door to helping with their spiritual needs which is far more important"
The students and faculty provided health care to adults and children in six rural villages and worked at the Hospital Del Sur in Choluteca. The students worked as a team with an undergraduate and a graduate nursing student paired with an interpreter to provide primary health care including assessment, diagnosis and treatment. The nursing students worked in
collaboration with the pharmacy team to assure appropriate and accurate medication prescribing. The March 2015 team provided care to over 1,200 Hondurans over a six work day period and performed 267 women's health examinations. Members of the group presented a two hour continuing education program on Diabetes and Diabetes Management to 25
Honduran healthcare workers. The students also were required to prepare a health care education poster in Spanish on various assigned topics and to present the posters at the clinics in the rural villages.
Working through World Gospel Mission, in May of 2015, a pharmacy team
consisting of myself and 10 Cedarville University pharmacy students served the underserved population around Choluteca, Honduras. Over an eight day period, the team provided fluoride treatments to over 1250 children in villages surrounding Choluteca, remarkable improvement in the dental health of these children has been seen over the years of doing this trip. The team spent two afternoons doing blood pressure and blood glucose screenings at two local pharmacies. The team also followed up on some of the newly diagnosed hypertensive and diabetic patients previously seen during the March Honduras trip. The team worked with an FNP missionary and
Honduran physician to make medication adjustments in these patients as necessary. The team toured a local hospital and rehabilitation center which made students extremely aware of the contrasts in health care services in various parts of the world and left a lasting impression and perspective.
Students commented that " the trip to Honduras impacted my view of healthcare tremendously. In the U.S., we have the luxury of knowing that we will receive good medical care if needed. In Honduras, all the patients in each ward share one room and many times don't even have sheets on their beds. Any food, drink, medications or clothing must be bought by the patients family from a stand outside of the hospital. I was astonished by the vast difference in standards but left Honduras with a new understanding of the varied quality of healthcare in different settings.” "Jesus says in Matthew 25:40, 'whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine, you did for me.'" "By treating the health care needs of the people it opened the door to helping with their spiritual needs which is far more important"
