Community Coalition for Haiti - Dr. McLellan

"I volunteer as an anesthesiologist for week-long surgical trips to Jacmel with Community Coalition for Haiti. My fourth trip to Haiti had a dual purpose. This trip, in October 2017, provided general, vascular and urologic life changing surgery for 50 patients. Prior to the surgical week, I was also able to travel to Port-Au-Prince and Mirebalais with CCH staff to learn more about anesthesia education of CRNAs and doctors in Haiti. I specifically was interested in learning if there was anything I could do through my volunteer work with CCH to get involved. We met with a pediatric anesthesiologist at St. Damien’s pediatric hospital and with the director of the CRNA program in Mirebalais. In Jacmel, we had discussions with the director of the nursing school and the director of the hospital, St. Michel. The anesthesiologist from St. Damiens joined us in Jacmel where she did some cases and learned some new skills in regional anesthesia and airway management that she will now teach to her staff at 2 hospitals in Port-Au-Prince. This was a great first step and I hope to get more involved through CCH in increasing sustainability of the anesthesia work force in Haiti."

--Dr. Sarah McLellan, Board of Directors