Dec. 2014
Providence Health International
 

 

"Prayer in action is love, love in action is service." 

 -Mother Teresa

Creating Healthier Communities in 2015

Building on our achievements in recent years, we are excited to announce the growth of our programs in 2015.


Our focus in Chicaman

At the core of our efforts, we believe that by supporting local efforts, investing in existing infrastructure, and working alongside community leaders, Providence can make great improvements to the health of the population. Over the next three years, we will deepen our impact by focusing on the region of Chicaman, a severely impoverished municipality in the central highlands of Guatemala. This work will result in measurable improvements in population health outcomes, a strengthened health system and brighter futures for those in need.

 

Doubling service opportunities for caregivers

We know that there are many people who would like to serve internationally. Hundreds of caregivers have expressed interest in participating, all of whom have unique skills and expertise to benefit the work that we do. In the coming year, we will double the number of service trips available so that we can touch more lives and make deeper impact, both for our Providence caregivers and people abroad.

 

Deepen our educational engagement

Education is the foundation of development, and that is especially true in health care. Our collaboration with the Jesuit University, Universidad Rafael Landivar, will provide access for indigenous student leaders to pursue their educational dreams of becoming a medical provider or nurse. Our growing educational and training exchanges will provide the students with additional opportunities to learn from caregivers across Providence.

 

Medical outreach will include cervical cancer screenings
For every one woman who dies in the United States of cervical cancer, eight die in Guatemala. With our global health partner, Faith In Practice, we are expanding a Cervical Cancer Screening Program in Guatemala in addition to the medical outreach and surgical relief we have provided in recent years. This program is designed to teach local Guatemalan practitioners to recognize and treat pre-cancerous cervical cells.   

This work would not be possible without the service and passion of the entire community of Providence. It is inspiring to know the impact we can make collectively, but the true blessing in this work is the interaction between each person on our service trips. We are indeed blessed by each of you and grateful for your service. Thank you for your time, support and care that enable our programs to have exponential reach to the most poor and vulnerable. Many blessings of peace and love to each of you this Christmas season. 
Leading from the heart

Our team leaders do amazing work to extend our Mission beyond borders by providing expertise, experience and invaluable guidance to each service trip. In sharing their gifts of compassion, they enrich the lives of individuals in Guatemala and help create a more just and caring world. As we reflect on our achievements of the past year, we honor each of them for their servant leadership in putting the needs of others first:

 

Eileen WolfJoyce Dombrowski
Michelle  James 
Franco MurilloKatherine Bullard
Mitch Yoder
James HarkerLarry Sullivan
Nikki Bauer
Janice BurgerMarie Mayen Cho
Sandy Gregg
Joanne Fowler
Mark Thomas
Sharon Toncray
John Roscoe
Mary Cranstoun
Sherri Giragosian
John ThompsonMatthew Volta
Susan Kilgore

 

There are two team leaders who deserve special recognition: Michelle James (on right), chief nursing officer of Providence southwest Washington region and Katherine Bullard (on left), chief nursing officer of Providence southern California region. Both Michelle and Katherine have led surgical teams to Hilario Galindo Hospital in Guatemala since 2012. With their leadership and dedication, our surgical teams have performed hundreds of surgeries and procedures to restore the health of people who would otherwise not have received treatment.

 

Their passion for our international Mission extends beyond utilizing their professional nursing skills. Michelle James has recently volunteered on a stove installation team in Chicaman, and Katherine has personally hosted visitors from the Guatemala hospital's nursing staff on educational retreats to Providence California ministries. Between the two of them, we see our Mission in action. 

 

Watch our team build a stove in 30 seconds
Providence Health International installs stove in Guatemala
2014 Milestones
123Surgeries performed
160
Clean-burning stoves installed
81,100
Pounds of medical supplies donated internationally
90Surgical and medical volunteers
60
Public health volunteers
2,000Patient exams
1,000Tooth extractions
$46,468Funds raised by caregivers
3,500+People served
 
Leadership team announces Guatemala
scholarship
Rod Hochman, MD, our president and CEO traveled to Guatemala with a leadership team in September to met with our global health partners. While abroad, the team announced they will personally provide the initial funding for scholarships to support students in Guatemala. 

Read about the Providence Scholars of Hope and the team's experience on Rod's blog:

Oct. 6: Back from a life-changing trip to Guatemala

A voice for the vulnerable

This past year, Providence Health International spoke with congressional offices about our programs to help create healthier communities abroad. We talked about how global health can have a local impact, such as the Ebola crisis, and how Providence is equipping clinical volunteers and shipping containers of badly-needed medical supplies. Look for more advocacy updates in 2015. 

Warehouse ships $1 million in surplus donations

More than $1 million in surplus medical supplies and equipment has been donated to our international parterns in the past year - nearly $247,000 of which supported Ebola relief. 


 
This important work continues to move forward, now in close collaboration with the Providence Supply Chain Management. The partnership allows greater sharing of resources, such as trucks and drivers on already scheduled routes to our ministries, to accept more donations that would otherwise have gone to a landfill. 

A gift that will truly make a difference
For a more meaningful Christmas, consider donating to Providence Health International.

SPECIAL THANKS TO OUR 2014 VOLUNTEERS

RJ Tripicchio  Adina Gonzales  Aileen Kim  Alicia Hedtke  Allison Fong  Alma Sophia Draper  Andrea Flores  Anh Dao Nguyen  Anita Braker  Annette Schall  Arleeann Santoro  Ashley Studden  Bianca Cisneros  Bob Mark  Bradley Roth  Brooke Payton  Bunny Eccleston  Carmen Castro  Chan Lee  Christina Rickert  Clifford Rogers  Connie Patlan  Cynthia Derksen  Dan Dumgarner  Dave Olsen  Debra Canales  Dianne Tolentino  Dominique Greco  Donna Berube   Douglas Sigaran  Edna Zeller  Elise Yarnell  Elizabeth Bierer  Eric Heinberg  Erin Schwantner  Evelyn Enriquez  Fanny Domijan  George Carranza  Greg Jones  Heide Provencher  Hilary  Linton  James Clifford  James Harker  Jane Wilson  Janice Burger  Jayna Sekijima  Jean Boyd  Jennifer Erwin  Jennifer Hunter  Jinae Crouch  Jo Fowler  Joel Gilbertson  John Nguyen  John Roscoe  John Thompson  Joseph Austin  Joe Fong  Julia Doyle  Julia Millard  Jurgen Zieb  Karen Frederick  Kari Lidbeck  Karina Jennings  Karren Kruse  Kate Dougherty  Kate Vanskike  Katherine Bullard  Kathryn Powers  Kayleen Shiiba  Kendra Darnell  Kendra Jones  Kimberly Acholonu  Kimberly Crihfield  Kirsten Redborg  Lakshmi Boyapati  Larry Sullivan  Lauren Goetzinger  Lela Gonzales  Lexie Gavola  Lilliana Bouvet  Lynda Lindboe  Magdalyn Sebastian  Mandy Swartz  Maria Romero  Marie Mayen Cho  Mark Thomas  Mark Wakai  Marti Wick  Mary Cranstoun  May Dimalanta  Michael Blauer  Michelle James  Michelle Schaeffer  Mike Waters  Miriam Hernandez  Missy Blackstock  Mitch Yoder  Monyrith Tran  Nancy Hochman  Nancy Rove  Nikolay Usoltsev  Oleg Vosicher  Pamela Lloren  Patricia Franklin  Patrick Sinopole  Paul Wilkinson  Phil Stalp  Rachelle Hobson  Rahim Aimaq  Raychel Singleton  Richard Selway  Robert Wells  Robin Henson  Rod Hochman  Ronda Nakoa  Rosalyn Abad  Rowena Samson  Roxanna Villafranco  Ruth Ca�as  Ryan Derek Anders  Sandra Tristan  Sara Asad  Sara Flores  Sarah Wallner  Saudamini Gadgil  Scot Gudger  Scott Hancey  Sharon Toncray  Shaunasey Lane  Shawn Kiley  Sherri Giragosian  Sherry Williams  Sina Li  Sister Julie Casey  Soledad Fratis  Staci Bottles  Staci Wright  Stacy Councilman  Stacy Luna  Stacy Steck  Susan Kilgore  Suzanna Wood  Taylor Berry  Thu Tran  Thuy-Tien Pham  Timothy Lewis  Vidya Nair  Vijay Trisal  Walter Gary Hoffman


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