NEWSPEACE
Send One. Train Many. Heal the World.
Second Quarter | 2012
Photo By: Stephen Katz
A newsletter from Physicians for Peace
Healthy Pregnancies. Safe Deliveries. Thriving Moms and Babies. Seven years after launching our Maternal and Child Health Program, Physicians for Peace expands efforts to support healthier moms and babies.
T
oo often, a pregnant woman in rural Nigeria is at serious
and delivery, and information sharing between the villages’
risk of becoming another statistic in the maternal mortality
traditional birth attendants and clinic staff. For three years, it’s
index. She’s lucky if she can manage the trip from her village to the nearest health clinic. Even then, the health workers may not be trained to provide care if things go wrong. In fact, USAID estimates 500,000 women die each year from complications related to pregnancy and childbirth. Ninety-nine percent of these deaths happen in the developing world.
also been a partner site for Physicians for Peace training. In Nigeria and far beyond, Physicians for Peace trains healthcare teams that care for pregnant women, mothers and infants, ensuring that local village clinics and hospitals have the skills and resources they need to save lives and protect the connection between a healthy mother and her baby. We train medical
But in Pampaida, Nigeria – a cluster of villages in Kaduna State
teams, so that families have the chance to realize their dreams
– pregnant women have a critical lifeline in Dr. Ojo Euitayo and
without the burden of preventable injuries and death.
his small team of midwives. Dr. Ojo, as he is known, is the sole physician at the Pampaida Health Clinic. The clinic serves a population of about 20,000, including thousands of pregnant women and recently delivered babies and it provides a safe and clean place for prenatal and antenatal appointments, labor
In this special issue of NewsPeace, you’ll find out more about our work on behalf of mothers and babies in underserved areas -- and how your investments are saving lives and building healthy communities.
The World Health Organization estimates that 22 countries need to double their midwifery workforce by 2015 . Sixteen need to at least triple them.
CEO Message: Proving It Dear Friends, “Nothing for them without them” has become a rallying cry among nonprofits working in the developing world. The idea that we have a duty to include our beneficiaries in program planning, implementation and evaluation – and that their input is the key to real, meaningful change – is central to the Physicians for Peace model. It always has been, and it always will be. Maintaining that focus and ensuring that we are meeting the needs of the people we serve requires regular self-assessment. This year, our Board of Directors and staff made a strategic decision to invest more time and resources in measurement and evaluation, so that we can pinpoint where our model is truly best in class and make sure that we’re meeting our partners’ needs. After a rigorous Request for Proposal process, we recently chose The Improve Group (of St. Paul, MN) to assess three core outreach efforts – our Burn Care and Walking Free programs and our Resource Mothers program. We also welcomed a new staff member, Ph.D. candidate Korinne Chiu, to work in the near term with The Improve Group and oversee our measurement and evaluation efforts year-round. We know that both The Improve Group and Korinne will find exciting opportunities for program expansion and improvement. Their assessments will focus our efforts on the projects that are delivering results and changing lives for the long-term – those efforts that are ready to be replicated and expanded to help even more people. I look forward to sharing our findings with you in the coming months. In this special issue of NewsPeace, we’re highlighting recent campaigns for mothers and babies around the world. These are critical health issues. Having seen the impact of our programs firsthand in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean, I can tell you that your investments are empowering providers and supporting healthy communities. We’ve made great strides, but there’s still much work to be done. Thank you for your support. I also want to share some updates from the field and news from our headquarters, which is a challenging task simply because our portfolio is ever-expanding. (Please follow us online for real-time updates.) New Outreach Efforts n We are deploying our international medical educators to serve as faculty overseeing the Surgical Intern Training Project at Queen Elizabeth Central Hospital in Blantyre, Malawi. The project trains interns and residents in basic surgical techniques. This training is crucial to the health of a nation with an average life expectancy of just 38 years old. Jonathan Niszczak, MS, OTR/L, and Mohammed, 9, in the West Bank
n In March we mobilized experts from Sentara Norfolk General Hospital and Eastern Virginia Medical School, both in Norfolk, Va., to work alongside professionals at Philippine General Hospital in Manila during the country’s first burn care conference. The World Health Organization estimates that between 4,000 and 5,000 Filipinos die from burnrelated injuries each year. Two-thirds of these victims are under the age of 10. Expanded Efforts
n The dean of the dental school at Autonomous University of Nicaragua (UNAN) in León came to Norfolk, Va., this spring for an international educational exchange centered on curriculum development and best possible practices in dental care. During his visit, Dr. Humberto Altamirano drew on the experience of ODU’s College of Health Sciences and visited private practices of Physicians for Peace dental educators. In 2011, we helped the university launch Nicaragua’s first dental assistant program and we’re coordinating ongoing efforts to develop a hygiene curriculum and program track. n On a return mission to Luis Vernaza Hospital in Guayaquil, Ecuador, Physicians for Peace responded to a direct request from our longtime partners to introduce a pre-surgical diagnostic evaluation for epilepsy patients. This diagnostic evaluation, standard practice in the U.S. but new to our partners, reduces risks posed by unnecessary surgery. n
Dr. Eid Mustafa of Wichita Falls, Texas, led his 24th Physicians for Peace outreach mission to the West Bank. The team worked alongside local surgeons and, for the second year, delivered hands-on training for burn care professionals in Nablus, including a workshop that introduced face mask technology to in-country providers. The masks significantly reduce the traumatic scars of burn patients and promote faster healing.
n An outreach in February gave VonZipper, one of our corporate sponsors, the opportunity to deliver more than 2,400 donated prescription eyeglasses to partner sites in the Philippines – a gift that supports our efforts to eliminate avoidable blindness in the country by 2020. VonZipper’s president and Physicians for Peace-Philippines trainers also worked with local teachers on pre-screening techniques to identify children with vision impairments. Without treatment, common vision problems often prevent children from succeeding in the classroom. n This spring we worked again with our friends at ReSurge International to improve the short- and long-term care provided to Nicaraguan patients suffering from traumatic burn injuries.
n This spring, we welcomed several new Board Directors: Huda Ayas, MBA, EdD, founder and Executive Director of the Office of International Medicine Programs at The George Washington University in Washington, D.C.; Shelley Mishoe, PhD, dean of the College of Health Sciences at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Va.; Christine Neikirk, community philanthropist, of Norfolk, Va.; and Jayne T. Keith, community philanthropist, of Palm Beach, Fla., who rejoined our Board after a brief hiatus. I’d also like to thank the dedicated Board Directors who have stepped down recently due to term limitations or professional obligations. Thank you! n In addition to Korinne Chiu, Director, Program Evaluation, we’re proud to have the following talented members join our team: Homer Babbitt, Director, Major Gifts; Dana Doan, Coordinator, Global Health Programs; Dawn Dikun, Executive Assistant; and Natalie Klinkenberger, Director, Global Health Programs.
Our newly redesigned website at www.physiciansforpeace.org offers more extensive information on our field updates, along with an outreach mapping project and video library. While you’re there, we invite you to explore all that we have to offer online through our social media communities on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube. We always value your feedback and questions, and our online portal is one more way to become even more engaged with us. Best wishes for a happy, healthy summer. Thank you for your support. Sincerely,
Support Update n Board Chairman Dr. Ed Karotkin was named a 2012 “Health Care Hero” by Inside Business in Norfolk, Va.
n LaVern Morris, a physician liaison at Children’s Hospital of The King’s Daughters in Norfolk, Va., delivered 480 bilingual children’s books, along with training and new skills, to our Resource Mothers in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic. Morris served as regional coordinator of the Resource Mothers program in South Hampton Roads (Va.) before helping Physicians for Peace launch our program in the Dominican Republic in 2005. n Our Resource Mothers also received training this spring from an intrepid group of nursing and physical therapy students from our longtime partners at Old Dominion University’s (ODU) College of Health Sciences in Norfolk, Va.
n The American Burn Association invited longtime international medical educator Carolyn Ramwell, RN, of Charlottesville, Va., to present on burn care in under-resourced settings at the group’s annual meeting in Seattle. Her talk focused on care in several Central American countries – and the need for innovation, collaboration and education.
MISSION SCHEDULE
Ron Sconyers (USAF, Ret.) President and CEO
July 1 - 8 Manila, Philippines
July 11 - 22 Port-au-Prince, Haiti
Aug. 2 – Sept. 29 Blantyre, Malawi
Oct. 7-13 San Salvador, El Salvador
July 7 - 15 Port Harcourt, Nigeria
July 14 - 16 Davao, Philippines
Aug. 29 – Sept.1 Bogotá, Colombia
Oct. 9-14 Florianópolis, Brazil
LaVern Morris with three Resource Mothers in the Dominican Republic 1
S ta n ding Together for Mother s an d B a b i e s
S o u t h A s i a : E d u c at i o n t o sav e i n fa n t s ’ l i v es
In many places, giving birth is still a life-threatening activity. The World Health organization estimates that for every woman who dies in childbirth, 20 more suffer injury, infection or disease. That’s 10 million women every year. Babies are at serious risk, too. Four million newborns die in the first four weeks of life each year, according to USAID. This is a tragedy. Most of these women and babies live in the developing world. We believe the answer to this health crisis is better care through trained, in-country providers. Since 2005 Physicians for Peace has delivered targeted education to healthcare professionals and community health workers serving mothers and babies in countries in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean. In 2011 alone, we trained nearly 180 health workers, ensuring that the youngest members of the next generation, and the women caring for them, have the best possible chance for a safe and healthy life.
With a population of more than 1.2 billion, the health needs among communities in India can vary dramatically. Our most recent training efforts in Sawangi, Nagpur and Kochi focused on adding to the skill sets of the nurses, doctors and medical students who care for infants in distress. With these partners, our aim is clear: train the trainers, so that, ultimately, we can help save as many newborns as possible. Armed with the curricula we present, including Helping Babies Breathe, Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS) and the Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), local hospital teams are then empowered to train local community health workers. In this way, the education we deliver can help bridge the significant gap between healthcare services available in rural and urban India.
W e s t Africa & Southeast Afric a: Tr a i n i n g P r o v i d e r s t o H e lp Mo t h e r s T h r i v e
The uptick indicates that more women are coming to the clinic for care, rather than laboring through dangerous health conditions at home. That’s good news for mothers and babies, but it’s also a cultural shift that can improve the lives of whole communities. “The health of mothers and babies impacts the entire world,” said international medical educator Robin Jones, RN, CNM, of Chesapeake, Va. “If we don’t have healthy women and children, we all suffer.” In late 2011, Physicians for Peace introduced Nigerian health workers to Helping Babies Breathe, the American Academy of Pediatrics’ neonatal resuscitation curriculum for resource-limited regions. Seven months after the initial training, additional staff members at two clinics in Nigeria have been trained in the life-saving technique, and at least 10 babies have been successfully resuscitated. Those lives were saved as a direct result of education we delivered.
2011 Maternal & Child Health by the numbers NUMBER OF HEALTHCARE PROVIDERS WE TRAINED:
179
NUMBER OF VOLUNTEER HOURS WE INVESTED:
1,070
In Kochi, India, Dr. Bonnie Dattel led a group workshop focused on resuscitating newborns.
THROUGH THE RESOURCE MOTHERS PROGRAM:
299
Among partners in Africa, clinics often lack sophisticated equipment and sufficient materials. In these situations, “high-touch, low-tech” approaches can provide an answer. In rural Malawi, Marsha Scott, NP, of Atlanta, Ga., saw many effective low-tech education tools aimed at community health workers and expectant mothers, including posters illustrating warning signs of pre-term labor. She also saw the health issues of women and babies compounded by misinformation (or the absence of information) on breastfeeding, HIV and contraception. But Scott believes there is reason for hope.
Looking Ahead: Physicians for Peace will introduce Helping Babies Breathe to teams of health workers in Rivers State, Nigeria, in July 2012.
Postpartum hemorrhages 2
“Their appreciation seemed exaggerated for what I was doing, something I do back here at home on a regular basis,” explained Foley, an assistant professor of pediatrics at Eastern Virginia
NUMBER OF AT-RISK MOTHERS MENTORED
“With more training, health workers could easily use simple guided questions to generate better diagnoses,” said Scott, who will resume training efforts in Malawi later this year.
Marsha Scott, NP, trained health workers in Malawi during a 10-week outreach in 2010.
Team approaches for patient-centered care also is a focus of our outreach in India. Volunteers often center their training efforts on the specific roles that healthcare providers – especially nurses – play within a team.
Despite the wide variety of needs, one factor remains consistent: the health needs at our partner sites rarely go unmet because of a lack of ability or passion. During an international conference on life-threatening pediatric diseases in Nagpur, Chris Foley, MD, was struck by the rapt attention of 50 pediatric faculty members and residents and their expressions of gratitude.
C a r i b b e a n : Mentors for Young Mothers mothers with experienced, local mentors for prenatal, antenatal and early childhood education and assistance. The program started in 2005 with 10 Resource Mothers serving 92 teens in five barrios. By last year, the program had 20 Resource Mothers paired with 233 clients in 10 barrios. In seven years, hundreds of young mothers have moved through the program, getting the support, education and guidance they need to have healthier pregnancies, healthier babies and brighter futures. Photo by Dana Kuhn
In Pampaida, Nigeria, Physicians for Peace has provided training on a diverse range of topics, from clinical skills – identifying signs of pre-term labor – to administrative tasks – scheduling midwives for 365-day coverage at the clinic and improving communication among clinic staff, traditional birth attendants, village leaders and expectant mothers. This education has helped the clinic staff improve care for mothers. In fact, the United Nations reports that pregnancyrelated visits to the clinic in Pampaida increased threefold between 2007 and 2009.
Medical School in Norfolk, Va. “But their reaction reminded me how voracious their appetite is for knowledge, and how limited they are in resources.“
In the Dominican Republic, one in four women will have at least one pregnancy by the age of 20. Many of them drop out of school or are kicked out of their homes. Launched in 2005, the Physicians for Peace Resource Mothers program aims to give these young women a trusted advisor. Through the program, we pair at-risk
Among teen mothers who participated in Resource Mothers:
• 52 percent breastfed for at least one year.
• 90 percent completed more than 6 prenatal checkups.
The program also empowers the Resource Mothers themselves, giving them the chance to see themselves as agents of change. “Because of this program, I feel more like a leader,” said Resource Mother Reyita Caraballo. “My children see me as a leader, too.” Looking Ahead: With seven years of experience to draw from, the Resource Mothers program is now ready to be expanded and replicated.
account for 34 percent of maternal deaths in Africa, and they’re a leading cause of death among new mothers in Asia and the Americas. 3
“As a doctor, Dr. Ojo has committed himself to improving care in Nigeria. He’s a real role model to the community, and he deserves our support.” — Robin Jones, RN, CNM, who has worked alongside Dr. Ojo Euitayo and his team on training in Pampaida, Nigeria, since 2009.
Looking Ahead: While many NGOs focus exclusively on maternal morbidity, newborns now account for 40 percent of preventable child deaths worldwide. To reverse this devastating trend, Physicians for Peace will continue to train health workers in critical resuscitation and life-saving techniques.
Mentors: Strong Women for Strong Communities “When you look at what makes the biggest impact on communities, it’s making sure that women and girls are healthy and educated, and that is an immediate need that Physicians for Peace can help fulfill.”
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A Big Celebration and a Fond Farewell
internatio
nal chari
Get ready to celebrate better health for all people. On Oct. 27, 2012, hundreds of our supporters will gather in downtown Norfolk, Va., for the Annual Physicians for Peace Gala. Proceeds from this fun-filled fundraiser benefit our training programs around the world. The evening includes silent and live auctions, a seated dinner and the presentation of our 2012 Volunteer Awards. This year we’ll honor J. Morgan Davis, president and chief banking officer of TowneBank in Hampton Roads, Va., with our special President’s Award for his longtime support and volunteer service. Sponsorship opportunities and tickets are available. In March, Samuel W. Hill retired after nearly two decades with Physicians for Peace. In his honor, we’ve established the Sam Hill Scholarship Fund to support healthcare professionals, including nurses, occupational therapists and physical therapists, who lack the funds to fully support their travel and mission-related costs.
ty benefit
J. Morgan Davis President and Chief Banking Officer, TowneBank
For more information, please visit www.physiciansforpeace.org or call 757.625.7569. FOUNDING MEMBERS OF THE SAM HILL SCHOLARSHIP FUND Watch how lives are changed: www.physiciansforpeace.org
Mr. John M. Berkley
Mr. Richard Hobson, Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. John S. Shannon
Mr. and Mrs. Benjamin G. Cottrell IV
Mr. and Mrs. Francis R. Kollmansperger Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. P. Lee Starkey
— Carmen Hooker Odom, President, Milbank Memorial Fund
Mr. and Mrs. Dennis Gartman
Mr. and Mrs. Vernon E. Lewis
Mr. James V. Strickland Jr.
Be a Champion
Mr. and Mrs. Peter G. Griffin
Dr. Frank B. Miller
Dr. and Mrs. John H. Trant III
Physicians for Peace believes every woman deserves a champion. Because of your support, we’re helping mothers and babies lead healthy lives and giving community health workers and educators the chance to become leaders in their communities. Join the chorus of Physicians for Peace supporters calling for better care and more education for women and children. Your investment will allow us to build up our timetested model and reach out to even more mothers and babies in need.
Mr. Stephen Read Hamner
Mr. and Mrs. Charles S. Nusbaum
The Honorable and Mrs. Barclay C. Winn
Admiral Karen and Mr. Gary Harmeyer
Mr. and Mrs. Chris Neikirk
Mr. and Mrs. John M. Woleben Jr.
Mr. and Mrs. Elliott Harrigan
Mr. Howard Rodman Jr.
Sam Hill escorting Medical Diplomat Award Winner Emily Tinsley, RN, MSNEd, during the 2011 Physicians for Peace Gala.
O u r m aternal and c hild health Progra m i n A c t i o n
Physicians for Peace collaborates to launch the Partnership for Eritrea to assist in development and implementation of post-graduate medical programs in pediatrics, surgery and gynecology.
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2006 - 2007
Resource Mothers program begins in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic
2009
2011 - 2012
Photo By: Stephen Katz
Photo By: Stephen Katz
2005
Photo By: Stephen Katz
2004
Maternal and Child Health outreach begins in Malawi, Mali and Nigeria. Midwifery training in Liberia.
Partnership with Eritrea graduates its first class of pediatricians. Maternal and Child Health outreach to India begins.
Physicians for Peace begins introducing Helping Babies Breathe to partner sites. The award-winning neonatal resuscitation curriculum emphasizes skilled attendance and specific assessment techniques within “The Golden Minute” after birth.
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500 East Main Street, Suite 900, Norfolk VA 23510
Non-Profit Org. US Postage PAID Norfolk, VA Permit No. 2015
Send One. Train Many. Heal the World. Would you like to give online? Visit our website: www.physiciansforpeace.org
To reduce costs and protect your investments, we’ve posted our annual report online at www.physiciansforpeace.org. call - 757.625.7569 To request a print copy.