Bringing Health and Healing to Haiti

from Jack Alotto, President, EMC Foundation

The Canape-Vert area is shown after Tuesday night's earthquake in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Eduardo Munoz/Reuters

The devastation in Haiti currently streaming across our televisions and internet is nothing short of horrific.

We can do something to help. Next week the EMC Foundation will be working with the American Red Cross to collect food, clothing, and supplies, from our Eden Medical Center family of employees, volunteers and physicians. In the meantime, many of our supporters have asked how they can help, too. To give you some options for organizations that we,  as individuals and as a company, have supported, here are a few ways you can help.

Doctors Without Borders/Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)

• Medical facilities in Haiti (including those managed by MSF) are damaged and most are not functioning.
• Clinics are being set-up in tents.
• As of January 14 already more than 1,000 patients have received care in four of the tent clinics set-up.
• An inflatable MSF field hospital should arrive today.

To make a gift online to support MSF’s relief operations in Haiti, contact Doctors Without Borders.

Partners in Health (PIH)

PIH needs surgeons (especially trauma/orthopedic surgeons), ER doctors and nurses, and full surgical teams (including anesthesiologists, scrub and post-op nurses, and nurse anesthetists. To donate or volunteer, contact PIH.

Oxfam America

During the next two weeks, Oxfam will coordinate international aid groups on the ground in Haiti in the delivery of emergency water and sanitation services. Water is the most critical need in a country where this week’s earthquake left at least 250,000 people homeless.

Oxfam has 200 staff members stationed in Haiti, including a highly-trained emergency response team of 15.  You can help Oxfam by joining their Humanitarian Action Team or donating online.

Our Sutter Health Family Reaches Out

In a message from Pat Fry, President & CEO of Sutter Health, our Sutter Health family has also stepped up to offer aid.

“We find it difficult to comprehend the staggering human tragedy that continues to unfold in Haiti following Tuesday’s massive earthquake. Devastating events such as this compel us to look beyond our local Northern California communities to the overwhelming needs of our global community,” Fry said.

Sutter Health has a long tradition of coming to the aid of those in need, and today we commit $1.25 million to relief efforts for Haiti – plus additional resources including critical medical supplies and trained medical personnel. Our network’s donation includes:

• $1 Million: We provide these funds to Doctors Without Borders for supporting health care treatment for earthquake victims.
• Critical Medical Supplies:  The Sutter Health network continues its partnership with MedShare to collect and transport much-needed medical supplies for Haiti.
• 250,000:  We contribute this additional support to MedShare to cover the shipping and procurement of additional medical supplies.
• Medical Volunteers:  In the days ahead, Sutter Health-affiliated hospitals and physicians will work together to send trained medical personnel to Haiti.

We encourage you to join us in supporting those in need.