FHM News Archive

SUMMER PROJECTS CONTINUE IN BLANCHARD AND LEOGANE
(24 June 2010)

FHM's medical team finishes up today and then will get some needed R&R, visiting FHM's projects in Leogane and Fondwa. Read Kathy's latest email and see more team pictures.
students and friends doing the Waka Waka

students and friends doing the Waka Waka

Meanwhile, Duke students and Haiti friends learn the Waka Waka and join in cheering for Brazil in the World Cup.

women's group meeting with Duke Engage students

FHM's Duke Engage students have enlisted the support of FHM's Leogane Women's Group to help them in their project to document causes of maternal mortality in the community.

Read about all of FHM's summer activities in Haiti - including student blogs with lots of interesting details.

MEDICAL MISSION TEAM HARD AT WORK AT BLANCHARD CLINIC
(21 June 2010)
In an email on Monday morning, FHM Executive Director and team leader Kathy Walmer reported that the current team of 16 volunteers has arrived safely at FHM's Blanchard Clinic and is hard at work with a record number of providers. Read Kathy's email.

SUMMER 2010 - FHM IN HAITI
(14 June 2010)
Students, mission team members, the FHM board, grad students - these are some of the 100 or so US-based visitors to FHM in Haiti this summer. Read from their blogs and get regular updates.

NANCY FERREE-CLARK HONORED IN LEOGANE CLINIC KICKOFF AT DUKE CHAPEL
(14 June 2010)
Duke Chapel has committed to raising funds to rebuild the second floor of Family Health Ministries' Leogane Clinic in honor of the pastor of the Congregation at Duke Chapel, Nancy Feree-Clark (above center. pictured with David Walmer, FHM's chair and Kathy Walmer, FHM's Executive Director). Details.

DUKE MAGAZINE FEATURES DELSON MERISIER
(8 June 2010)
Duke Magazine's June issue highlights the work of FHM's Ob/Gyn in Leogane, Dr. Delson Meriser, along with other Duke-Haiti connections.

FONDWA UPDATE - CONTRUCTION PROGRESS
(8 June 2010)
FHM is continuing to restore structures in Fondwa. Temporary buildings are now replacing the tents and tarps. FHM is grateful for all the individual donations, to Partners in Progress for their financial contribution, and for the two May volunteer contruction teams.

FHM VOLUNTEER RECEIVES PRESTIGIOUS AWARD
(1 June 2010)
Hardy Vieux, pictured above (left) when he accompanied FHM's first medical relief team in Haiti after the earthquake, has earned the District of Columbia's Pro Bono Lawyer of the Year Award. Hardy will receive the award on June 24th in DC. Hardy was cited for his exceptional service which includes serving on the Duke University Board of Trustees.

BENEFIT CABARET AT MODERNIST GREEN HOME
(17 May 2010)
On Sunday, May 16, cabaret artists Ellen Ciompi and Glenn Mehrbach performed for 50 donors to benefit Family Health Ministries. George and Deb Christie hosted the event in their modernist “Green House”, which is the subject of Deb's recently published book, Green House, The Story of a Healthy, Energy-Efficient Home. Read the press release.

WOMEN'S ADVISORY GROUP RECEIVES CHECKS (13 May 2010)
In Leogane, Haiti, a women's advisory group coaches FHM on the community's needs. The group members have suffered mightily since the January 12th earthquake - their leader lost her life in the disaster, and many of the women's homes were badly damaged or destroyed.

Recently, the women met to divide funds based on each member's needs, and distributed checks for repair and restoration. The funds were provided by Family Health Ministries' generous donors.

WKOW-TV SPECIAL - LIFELINE TO HAITI, FRI, MAY 7, 7 - 8 PM Central
(4 May 2010)
Madison, WI, journalist Diana Henry and photojournalist Jason Weiss found hope, smiles, even miracles in Haiti when the traveled to Haiti in March.

Watch their one-hour special at WKOW.COM documenting the work of Wisconsin doctors and nurses working with FHM and a number of other agencies.

Donate to FHM.

BUSY WEEKEND FOR FHM (3 May 2010)
About 250 people attended FHM's annual spring fundraiser on Saturday at the Duke Faculty Club. In addition, the Board of Trustees for FHM's Leogane hospital, the Family Health and Research Center also met.

Decorations centered around the fable of the chicken and the pig, and included Haitian paper mache roosters (above).

Silent Auction, Live Auction, Chicken and Pig Barbeque, Beverages included. Children's activities. Fun for all. 919-382-5500 with any last minute questions.

LAST DAY TO GET TICKET DISCOUNTS! (29 April 2010)
Buy your tickets by 5 pm Thursday and save $10.

All proceeds from FHM's annual spring fundraiser will go towards restoring healthcare to the women and children in Haiti.

Haitian crafts for sale. Live music by the Leroy Savage Bluegrass band. Great food and beverages provided by Burchfield Catering. Childrens Activities. Enjoy yourselves, learn about FHM, see old friends, make new friends.

Click here for a preview of the Silent and Live Auction items.

PARTNER WITH HAITI FOR A BETTER TOMORROW
on SATURDAY, May 1st (27 April 2010)
Join Family Health Ministries at a Family Barbeque. Reserve your ticket today ($40/adults before 29 April, $25 for students with an ID, free for children 10 and under.)

Enjoy live bluegrass music from the Leroy Savage Band, children's activities, briefings from our Haitian partners, silent auction, live auction and Haitian crafts, plus lots of good chicken and pork barbeque. Beverages included.

DIRECTIONS to the Duke Faculty Club
Free PARKING at the Faculty Club
and at the adjacent Washington Duke Inn,
3001 Cameron Boulevard (Rte. 751) at Science Drive

7 TEAMS, 77 VOLUNTEERS - 4500+ PATIENTS SERVED
(22 April 2010)
Catch up with Team #7, led by FHM Executive Director Kathy Walmer, as they finish their week in Leogane, including a report on the restart of school in Fondwa. Read their blog.

PARTNER WITH HAITI FOR A BETTER TOMORROW - MAY 1 AT THE DUKE FACULTY CLUB
(20 April 2010)
Why buy your ticket ahead for the FHM's annual fundraiser?

You save $10/ticket
You don't have to wait in line to buy a ticket
You can spend more time checking out the imported Haitian arts, crafts and food at the silent auction
You'll have more time to talk to old friends and to make new ones
You can enjoy the live blue grass band instead of fumbling with your checkbook or credit card
Your commitment will allow FHM to plan better (and therefore send more $$ to Haiti)

For those who purchase ahead, name tags and programs will be waiting for you at the door. See you then.

LIVE BLUEGRASS - FHM'S FAMILY BBQ MAY 1st (12 April 2010)
It's only three weeks until FHM's annual fundraiser. Buy your tickets today online or by calling 919-382-5500.

Read the details and join us for live music, Pastor Leon Dorleans' report on Haiti, children's activities, live and silent auctions, all to benefit restoration of healthcare for the women and children of Haiti.

HAITIAN FAMILIES NEED YOUR HELP (18 March 2010)
Thousands of Haitian families are in dire need of housing before the rainy season/hurricane season.

DUKE ENGAGE 5K RUN/WALK TOMORROW IN DURHAM (9 April 2010)
Register tomorrow at 8:30 am at the Buhler Trail, Duke University campus. The Race starts at 9 am.

HAITIAN AMERICANS HELP WITH RELIEF WORK; 3545 PATIENTS TREATED BY 58 FHM VOLUNTEERS SINCE THE EARTHQUAKE (5 April 2010)
Fifty-eight volunteers, including three Haitian Americans, have treated over 3500 patients in FHM's Blanchard Clinic since the earthquake. Read FHM's press release.

Sophia Delpe (above), a UNC medical student, was one of three Haitian Americans who served on the five medical relief teams. She was one of four medical students who have volunteered during the past two months to do administrative work and to shadow the medical providers.

Read about another FHM medical relief volunteer and Duke alum, Hardy Vieux, in a recent NY Times article about Haitian Americans serving in Haiti.

DUKE ENGAGE 5K RUN/WALK THIS SATURDAY IN DURHAM (5 April 2010)
Read about the motivation for 7 students' interest in raising funds for Haiti. They could be partying, or even studying.

Help them reach their goal on Saturday, April 10. Register today.

GREENSBORO AND NEIGHBORS - APRIL 2 AT 6 PM (1 April 2010)
Don't miss First Friday at the Yew Tree Gallery at 604 S. Elm Street in downtown Greensboro.

Selected artwork donated by the Yew Tree artists will be priced at only $50 (plus tax). Proceeds from this sale will be donated to Family Health Ministries for earthquake relief efforts.

Recent FHM medical team members David and Melissa Carter will be present to tell about their experiences before and after the earthquake. Details

DUKE GIFT ENABLES COMMUNICATIONS WITH CLINICS (18 March 2010)
Family Health Ministries recently received two advanced “network-in-a-box” toolkits from Duke University's Office of Information Technology. This tecnology enables health-care workers at clinics in Port-au-Prince and Leogane, Haiti, to phone from one clinic to another, call medical experts at Duke, and connect to Duke databases and libraries as if they were on the Durham campus. Details.

TEAMS RETURN; ANOTHER TEAM LEAVES
(16 March 2010)
$medical relief team picture\$
FHM's two mission teams, one a medical relief team (above) at the Blanchard Clinic, and the other a student team from Duke University (below) both returned saftely from Haiti over the weekend.

The third of seven medical relief teams left to serve at the Blanchard Clinic. Ready to join a team? Read more.

BLOG POSTS FROM THE MEDICAL RELIEF TEAM AT THE BLANCHARD CLINIC (9 March 2010)
Check out the team members' pictures. More will be posted as we have Internet access.

FIRST OF 7 TEAMS HEAD OUT (5 March 2010)
Volunteers help pack for the first of 7 FHM teams heading to Haiti. Six medical relief teams will work at the Blanchard Clinic under the direction of nurse volunteer Missy Owen.

The 7th team is a group of Duke University students traveling with FHM chairman David Walmer, MD, PhD, who teaches a course on "Healing in the Developing World" in Duke's Global Health Institute. David takes a student team to Haiti every spring.

Read about the teams' activities during the week on the FHM mission team blog.

INTERESTED IN A MEDICAL RELIEF TEAM? (25 February 2010)
Read the details online.

LEOGANE CLINIC TO REOPEN AT THE END OF MARCH (22 February 2010) FHM continues to move forward to make the Leogane women’s clinic operational. Power and water has been restored and the debris from the second floor has been removed.

The security wall will be replaced over the next few weeks as well as internet and phone service. We hope to be operational by the end of March.

This tremendous progress is thanks to the many of you who have donated your financial resources to FHM. You are restoring healthcare to women in the Leogane community….Many Many Thanks!

CONCERT MARCH 5 IN DURHAM, NC (18 February 2010)
Enjoy traditional Irish and Appalachin tunes to benefit relief efforts in Haiti. Little Windows will entertain to benefit FHM programs in Blanchard, Leogane and Fondwa. Friday, March 5, 7 pm, at the Rice Diet Program, 1644 Cole Mill Road, Durham, 27712.

Questions? Contact Kitty at 919-871-1348. Download a flyer to share with friends.

FHM EXEC DIRECTOR REPORT IN PICTURES
(16 February 2010)
Learn about Kathy Walmer's 2.5 weeks in Haiti, meeting with FHM partners in Leogane, Blanchard and Fondwa, and leading FHM's first medical relief team since the earthquake.

REFLECTIONS FROM AN OB/GYN SERVING IN LEOGANE, HAITI, AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE
(11 February 2010)
Read about Dr. Kris McCain's experiences serving at the Gates compound in Leogane.

MEDICAL RELIEF TEAMS FORMING (7 February 2010)
FHM expects to take 4 medical relief teams to Haiti in March. If you are interested in participating, please complete the special application form. Call Justin Davis at 919-382-5500 with questions.

SUPPLIES NEEDED FOR MEDICAL RELIEF TEAMS (7 February 2010)
Many of you have asked, "What can we contribute?" and we have asked you to wait for Executive Director Kathy Walmer's report on supplies needed in Haiti.

Our list (at left) includes a number of over-the-counter medicines, as well as powdered baby formula and vitamins. Please bring or ship your donations to FHM's US office at 2344 Operations Drive, Suite 201, Durham, NC 27705. THANK YOU.

EMAIL FROM EXEC DIRECTOR KATHY WALMER ON WORKING WITH FHM'S PARTNERS ON NEXT STEPS (7 February 2010)
Kathy will be in Haiti this week collaborating with FHM's partners in Blanchard, Leogane, and Fondwa. Read about her plans.

UPDATES - WEEK OF 1 FEBRUARY 2010 (7 February 2010)
Read the news updates from the first week in February, including information about FHM's first medical relief team since the quake.

FHM MISSION TEAM BACK HOME (7 February 2010)
Eleven of FHM's 16-strong mission team arrived in good spirits at RDU this afternoon. Three team members still had to go onward to Lexington, KY. The four from Greensboro had a short drive before getting home.

Washington, DC, participant Hardy Vieux was stuck in Miami, waiting for the airport snow to be cleared. Two others headed to Boston, with the 15th member on her way to Madison, WI.

FHM's Executive Director, Kathy Walmer, remained in Haiti to meet with FHM partners in Fondwa and Leogane, to assess damage and begin to formulate next steps in the recovery.

FHM MISSION TEAM ARRIVED SAFELY IN SANTO DOMINGO (6 February 2010)
Emails from FHM's medical mission team indicate that the team has arrived safely in Santo Domingo. After sleeping on beds for the first time in a week, the team will leave for the US early Sunday morning.

HAITI REFLECTIONS (6 February 2010) - a video posted on FaceBook reflecting on past an FHM mission trip in February 2009 and the post-quake situation in Haiti with lots of shots of places that no longer exist (14 minutes)

BLOG UPDATE FROM THE MEDICAL TEAM AT FHM'S BLANCHARD CLINIC IN PAP, HAITI (4 February 2010)
Read about the team's tour of Haiti's capital city. Early yesterday, the team treated a 110 year old woman (center) who was accompanied by her daughter (left).

WEDNESDAY NIGHT EMAIL FROM FHM EXEC DIRECTOR KATHY WALMER ON MEDICAL TEAM ACTIVITIES (4 February 2010)
Read about the day's activities and the new perspectives gained by visiting Haiti during this time of dire need but ongoing positive spirit.

BLOGPOST FROM BLANCHARD MEDICAL TEAM MEMBER IN HAITI (3 February 2010)
Read stories of the experiences of FHM's emergency medical team at the Blanchard Clinic.

STAFF & BOARD ADDITIONS (3 February 2010)
Family Health Ministries is pleased to announce several additions and changes to the team.

EMAIL FROM KATHY WALMER AFTER THE FIRST DAY OF EMERGENCY MEDICAL SERVICE
Read an email from FHM Executive Director Kathy Walmer about the US team's first day providing emergency medical care at the Blanchard Clinic (above).

TEAM LEAVES FOR BLANCHARD CLINIC (29 January 2010)
Team members are flying today from RDU (above), Boston, Washington, DC, and Madison, WI, to Santo Domingo.

From there they will travel across the Haitian border and on to FHM's Blanchard Clinic to begin an emergency medical mission. Read details here daily on their progress.

UPDATE FROM KATHY WALMER IN LEOGANE, HAITI; DUKE REMEDY SUPPLIES ARRIVE
Read an email from FHM Executive Director Kathy Walmer, written on Friday afternoon, 29 January, 2010

PICTURES OF DESTRUCTION IN FONDWA (29 January 2010)
See pictures of the guest house, the school and the orphanage after the earthquake

FHM EXEC DIRECTOR ARRIVES IN LEOGANE (29 January 2010)
Kathy Walmer, Family Health Ministries' executive director arrived safely in Leogane yesterday with Dr. Delson Merisier. Details.

NEWS FROM HOSPICE ST. JOSEPH, PAP (27 January 2010)
New pictures showing earthquake damage at the guest house where many FHM mission trips have stayed.

VOLUNTEERS PACK; TEAM READY FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL TRIP (27 January 2010)
Thanks to a large cadre of volunteers and many donations, FHM bags are packed for the January 28 emergency medical mission trip to the Blanchard Clinic. Read details.

ASSESSING THE NEEDS/PLANNING THE FUTURE FOR FHM IN HAITI
(27 January 2010)
While in Haiti for the next two weeks, Kathy Walmer, executive director of Family Health Ministries, will visit the leadership of the three communities (Blanchard in Port-au-Prince, Leogane, and Fondwa) FHM supports.

Kathy will deliver emergency relief funds and supplies as well as assess community needs and priorities. Together with FHM Haitian partners, Family Health Ministries will begin to develop plans for the future. This week's medical team will help Kathy assess firsthand the current medical needs of the Blanchard Clinic community and plan for long term support.

AT LAST - RELIEF COMING TO FONDWA
(27 January 2010)
Sister Judy has arranged for tents and a helicopter with supplies for Fondwa. Read more.

DELSON MERISIER ON NBC-17, DURHAM, NC, TUESDAY, 27 JANUARY (27 January 2010)
FHM's Ob/Gyn in Leogane, Dr. Delson Merisier, is in Durham today meeting with media contacts. He will be on NBC-17 in Durham, NC, this evening at 6, 7, and 11 pm. Dr. Merisier is also taping (again) with Dick Gordon's The Story on public radio.

Haitian doctor posing for a photo in his clinic

LEOGANE CLINIC CELEBRATES 1ST YEAR (6 January 2010)
Last January we reported the birth of the first baby (above left) in the newly opened Leogane clinic. Dr. Delson Mersier (above right), FHM's Ob/Gyn in Leogane, delivered 62 babies in 2009, including 2 on New Year's Eve!

The clinic marks a major step for the people of Leogane, improving survival rates for both moms and their kids.

Haiti's infant mortality rate is very high, the worst in the Western Hemisphere, at 60 per 1000 births, per UNICEF, compared to the US at 7 per 1000 births.

Dr. Mersier also did 83 lifesaving surgeries for patients at a nearby private hospital. However, women who can not afford to pay for c-sections or hysterectomies have to travel almost 2 hours for the nearest care, and they still must be able to pay for medical supplies.