To bring their hospital's mission, vision, and values to life, nurses in the Medical Intensive Care Unit (MICU) at Hahnemann University Hospital developed a community outreach program —"MICU Cares"— to support local organizations in need. Each month, a staff member selects an organization to receive charitable contributions. Nurses hold fundraising events throughout the month, in addition to making their own donations.

When staff learned of the tragedy in Haiti, nurses used the MICU Cares program to reach out to the global community. They quickly organized a two-day bake sale at the hospital selling a variety of home-baked goods. Together, the nurses raised and donated more than $2,000 to benefit the earthquake survivors in Haiti.

Patricia Mannix, BSN, RN
Hahnemann University Hospital
Philadelphia, PA

Nurses Improve the Health of a Community in Need

One week after the earthquake, many volunteers are going home. I wonder, who will come to replace them? We need caregivers to rehab the amputees, remove hardware, administer nursing care and antibiotics, and provide long-term needs.

There are no words to describe the devastation here. I will never forget the images burned in my memory: the people who sleep in the rubble of their homes to protect their property; those who must bury their dead.

The ultimate goal is get the Haitian people to function independently with a higher standard of care. This will require an unconditional commitment from the international community.

Nelson J. Aquino CRNA, MS
Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetist
Children's Hospital Boston

I was part of a 12-member medical mission providing care on the island of la Gonave, Haiti, when the earthquake struck. Two days later, we began to see victims. Their injuries ranged from second- and third-degree burns, to crushed limbs, infected lacerations, and infected, open, compound fractures.

I was immensely grateful for my 25 years of nursing experience, Nurse Practitioner education, and ER skills, all of which enabled me to care for the Haitian people. Their enduring spirit, and generosity in the face of overwhelming poverty, have expanded my heart and changed my life forever.

Sarah Kaspari Baker, BSN, MSN, FNPc
Family Nurse Practitioner
St. Alexius Medical Center
Bismarck, ND

When the earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, it didn’t take long for Abbott Northwestern Hospital (ANW) and Allina staff to ask, “How can we help?” By living out our value of compassion for others, staff quickly identified that excess supplies left over from the closing of one of our surgery centers could be donated to the American Refugee Committee. By way of a conference call on January 19, Pat Freeborn, OR Materials Resource Manager, and Grant Logan, Materials Management Manager, began planning with Sarah Charai from Allina Supply Chain, and Sue Durkin, Director of Emergency Services, to coordinate and deliver the needed supplies by 10 a.m. the next day. Thanks to quick response and lots of volunteer support, Allina and ANW staff were able to pack, track, and label 26 boxes of surgery supplies (bandages, dressings, sutures, etc.), as well as one million surgical gloves, and donate everything to the Haitian relief efforts.

Tonya Montesinos, MS, BSN, RN-BC, PHN
Abbott Northwestern Hospital
Allina Hospitals and Clinics
Minneapolis, MN

I was deployed to Haiti as a member of the National Disaster Medical System, New Jersey One Disaster Medical Assistance Team. In Haiti, I found a beautiful, strong people who have endured more hardship than most in the world. I saw people who are able to tolerate pain, injuries, loss of family, homelessness, hunger, and thirst with stoicism— as if it was less than devastating and only somewhat out of the ordinary. It was my privilege to clean their wounds, splint their fractures, give them antibiotics and tetanus shots, care for their babies, and help them in whatever way I could.

Joyce Bulger-Noto, RN, MPH, CCRN, BC
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
New Brunswick, NJ

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