Category Archives: Haiti

C2C Supporter Shares Thoughts on Her Recent Trip to Haiti

I arrived in Haiti with some “book knowledge” of the country’s history, the impact of its earthquake five years ago, and its current political, economic and social challenges. Like an armchair quarterback, though, I had no idea of the realities in the field. My senses were overwhelmed. My initial impressions are still a jumble of words, phrases and images that hit me: goats in the garbage; rubble or the beginnings of renewal; color, color, color; chaos, activity, energy; life lived on the street curb; pigs, urban pigs; activity and idleness side by side; social engagement; community.

We had a full and rewarding visit to the C2C clinic in the village of Camp Coq, where I found three crucial components. First, the local Steering Committee is comprised of respected men and women in the community. We heard from them about the value the clinic provides to Camp Coq and the opportunities they see ahead.

Next is the clinic. It is well situated near the school and church in the village, well maintained and clean, well designed, well equipped, and well stocked. The valued, local staff members are special. A professionally trained Haitian team provides clinical services and education at the clinic and in the community. We listened as these individuals spoke confidently about their roles and with pride in their contribution to this community.

Finally, the C2C model is so special because of local community support and involvement. We met patients and heard their personal stories. Among the numerous messages they communicated, two themes stayed with me: 1) the convenience and efficiency of access to local care, and 2) their comfort and confidence with the local staff.

Although this is a small, rural village in an exceedingly poor country, this is a vibrant and engaged community. Community members were generous with their hospitality, patient with our travel delays, and appropriately proud of the village’s hallmarks, including the clinic and their library. Camp Coq appeared to be a supportive and inclusive village, and the C2C clinic fits right in. I really value having had the experience to see the C2C model in action. I’m excited about C2C’s plans to bring its unique model of sustainable primary healthcare to new communities in the developing world.

C2C Using Technology to Survey New Communities in Northern Haiti

As C2C explores potential locations for new clinics, we depend on community feedback and data. Collecting this information is never easy, and C2C faces many logistical challenges as we work to understand each community.

For example, in Haiti, most households don’t have street names or house numbers, which makes precise data collection and tracking difficult. When we interview families about their healthcare needs, it’s important that we’re able to spot trends and begin to understand the region as a whole.

To build a full picture of a community, we are now able to collect data on hand-held tablets that pinpoint the GPS coordinates of each household we visit. We train and deploy survey-takers to different neighborhoods, and ensure that they speak with more than 500 households. The tablets’ GPS technology allows us to verify data to be sure that we’re getting the best possible market information. The interaction between any potential patient and survey-taker is personal and private, and we train our survey-takers to treat family health information with respect and confidentiality.

Our new technology allows us to collect much more local information than we have been able to capture in the past with pen and paper online lipitor. We know that this more detailed and reliable information will not only make it easier to select a community for our next clinic; it will also translate into services better tailored to meet the specific needs of our new patient population.

Haiti – and C2C’s First Clinic – Five Years Later

On January 12, 2010, an earthquake hit Haiti and left, by some estimates, more than 300,000 people dead. C2C was in its infancy then, preparing to ship its first clinic fabricated from shipping containers to a community in the Dominican Republic.

We received a call requesting that we redirect the containers to Port-au-Prince, where the City’s largest provider of maternal and child health care, Grace Children’s Hospital, had seen more than 80% of its examination areas and hospital rooms reduced to rubble.

Thus began C2C’s partnership with Grace, a five-year effort that gives us the opportunity to celebrate:

20,000+ patient visits

1,500+ ultrasounds to detect potential pregnancy risks and gynecological disorders

3,500+ home visits by trained Community Health Workers

5,000+ new enrollees in free family planning programs

A successful rebuilding effort for Grace Children’s Hospital

We are incredibly grateful to our partners at Grace. Together, we have provided quality perinatal care in a safe, respectful setting and built a robust community health education program to support that care. We are delighted that the hospital has been able to rebuild most of its infrastructure, and no longer has a need for the exam, lab, and pharmacy spaces in the containers.Looking to the next five years and beyond, these containers will be refurbished to bring care to thousands more families in a new location in Northern Haiti, where C2C is conducting market research to determine the best community for our newest clinic.Haiti is resilient. Although there is much left to do, much has been accomplished following the devastating quake. As the country continues to rebuild, C2C prepares to serve a new community, bringing high-quality, affordable primary care and free community health education to families in need.Today, and always, our thoughts are with those who lost loved ones in this horrific tragedy and we look forward to being part of Haiti’s bright future.

C2C Solicits Community Feedback to Location for First New Clinic in 2015

C2C has been conducting market research in northern Haiti for the past 6 weeks to identify a community for our next clinic. The feedback loop between patients and C2C is strong at our Camp Coq clinic, and we’ve learned what patients value most about the care they receive from us: quality services, caring and attentive staff, and affordable pricing.

We’re asking the same questions of our prospective clients: What do you look for in a health facility? What services do you and your family need? How do you know that the care you are receiving is good? This information is the foundation for C2C’s social business model. Community-based research is a combination of art and science. For that reason, C2C devotes a significant amount of time to the research phase. We ensure that we are hearing and integrating feedback from families across the social-economic spectrum as we make decisions.

What we hear most often is that the quality of health care services in Haiti varies widely. So often, clients are disappointed in their health service providers because the facilities do not have adequate equipment or inventory and because they are not treated well. A positive patient experience is at the heart of the C2C clinic model and we listen closely to the perspective of our partner communities. This week, C2C is conducting more than 500 household surveys (using tablet-based technology) to capture feedback from Haitian people directly about what they most want in their healthcare experience. The thoughts and opinions these families are sharing will directly impact the location of our next clinic as well as the services we offer. We’re looking forward to sharing with you once our new location is determined!

How does C2C ensure that the Camp Coq community understands the quality of our services?

Many people think that advertising for essential services like healthcare isn’t necessary. However, people in poor and under-resourced communities make shrewd and thoughtful choices about how to invest in their health. It is C2C’s job to communicate that our services are high-quality, affordable, and that our patients’ health and satisfaction are our top priorities.

C2C is working to establish brand recognition in the Camp Coq community and beyond. Marketing information in Haiti is disseminated through many traditional but powerful channels: announcements in churches on Sundays, flyers at the local market, radio spots, and, of course, word of mouth.

At C2C, we have a special commitment to “accueil”, a Kreyol word that translates directly as “welcome,” but more broadly conveys a sense of hospitality. Our staff members treat patients with kindness and respect from the moment they walk in the door and that differentiates C2C from other service providers. We are integrating “accueil” into the C2C brand identity in Camp Coq and at all our future clinics in northern Haiti.

Camp Coq Clinic Turns 1!

Happy birthday to C2C’s newest clinic in Camp Coq, Haiti! We had a wonderful time celebrating with members of the Camp Coq community, our patients and local Steering Committee included. Everyone was invited to take part in health education sessions tailored to address concerns we see most often in the clinic, games, and – of course – medical consultations.

The clinic staff wanted the anniversary festivities to be equal parts fun and educational. Dr. Youveline Preval and Nurse Herlande Duvot lead two education conferences: one on the importance of immunizations, and the other on family planning. In addition to the primary care that is always offered, our visiting OB/GYN was also on site for pre-natal consultations.

Following the information sessions, the birthday party continued with a C2C-sponsored soccer match, held near the clinic. Area children enjoyed games of musical chairs, trivia challenges, and racing!

Clinic staff gathered feedback from many community members who said that the C2C clinic has become their first choice when seeking healthcare. They’re confident that when they visit C2C they’re going to be feeling better right away.

The good news is that our fabulous birthday party didn’t tire us – it inspired us! C2C loves hearing from the community; how they feel is so important to us and informs every decision we make. As Dr. Preval said, “C2C participates in community activities so they know us and we understand their needs. We are hearing from the community that they are happy they get better care here.”

Our teams in Haiti and the US absolutely cannot wait to see what Year Two brings in Camp Coq.

Attention to Community Feedback Ensures Quality Care

How can C2C ensure our patients have the best possible experience at our clinic? We work toward that goal every day, most recently sending our Community Health Workers (CHWs) to talk with past patients as well as Camp Coq community members who have not yet been to the clinic. Their goal was to identify what we are doing well and where we can improve.

CHWs interviewed more than 60 patients and potential patients; half had visited the clinic and half had not. The results were truly encouraging: 97% of users said that they will visit the C2C clinic next time they or someone in their family is sick, and 100% said they would recommend the C2C clinic to family and friends. Why? A good pharmacy, quality care, and kind staff were the top three reasons patients mentioned for choosing or recommending C2C.

Interviewees who had not yet visited the clinic said they had heard from friends and neighbors about the quality care and good pharmacy. The number one reason for not having gone to the clinic was simply that they had not been sick, and 94% of non-users questioned said they would choose the C2C clinic next time they or a family member need to see a doctor.

Allison Howard-Berry, Director of Global Operations and Partnerships, said, “Our clinic staff and U.S.-based team will use this data to examine how we can achieve our goal to offer the highest-quality experience. Patient feedback is essential to C2C clinic operations, and we’re very pleased that after less than one year in Camp Coq, almost 100% of our patients are satisfied with the care they receive.”

C2C Director of Global Operations and Partnerships shares the latest on our CHWs

Community Health Workers, or CHWs, play an important role on the C2C team. Working closely with the clinic staff, they schedule follow up visits with patients, and travel throughout the community, educating and raising awareness.

Camp Coq is spread over a large area and the CHWs need to be able to reach all corners of the community. Finding a patient’s home can be quite difficult, as there are no street names or house numbers, but we are committed to 100% follow up with all of our patients. With this in mind, team members Julia Maxwell, Global Programs Manager, Dr. Jean-Eric Calvaire, Haiti Country Manager, and myself, recently worked with our CHW team to conduct a mapping activity of the community.

The CHWs led the process of neighborhood identification. Their grassroots connection with the community is integral, not only to this exercise, but to the clinic’s operations as well.

During the activity, the team worked to create a map that would: divide up the neighborhoods to ensure complete coverage, flag vulnerable areas where families might need particular kinds of support, and map routes for accessing hard-to-reach areas (some require several hours walk, while others are accessible by motorbike).

Having a strong visual tool to aid them will allow the CHWs to ensure they are able to reach all of our patients in the Camp Coq Community.

"C2C does not wait for the fire to come to us. We find the fire in the community."

“C2C doesn’t wait for the fire to come to us. We find the fire in the community,” Fusley Laguerre, C2C’s lab technician in Camp Coq, told me during my visit last week.

He’s right! C2C is about giving people the tools they need to keep themselves and their families healthy, from preventive education to efficient treatment. Our clinicians and Community Health Workers are constantly in the community – in schools, in people’s homes, in churches – to educate as many people as possible about ways to avoid illness. We find the fire in the community and give patients the information they need to stay healthy.

When prevention isn’t enough, our clinic provides excellent clinical services. One patient, Martha, said, “I was never able to get proper care elsewhere. As soon as I heard about this clinic I came, and it has changed my life. Here, it’s human being to human being, and they treat people very well.”

The clinic’s self-appointed godmother, Rejeanne (pictured above), said, “This clinic is for us. The prices are good, we don’t have to travel, and it’s important for us to support it.”

Having visited clinics in Haiti and elsewhere, I understand what Rejeanne, Martha, and their neighbors most likely experienced before their community partnered with C2C. Travel on the back of a motorcycle taxi, long wait times (sometimes stretching into the next day), pharmacy stock-outs, non-functioning labs, rushed staff, and dirty surroundings are unfortunately the norm in many places.

I’m always in awe of our staff members on the ground, who work tirelessly to improve health in and around their community and provide a clean, safe space for treatment. Our physician at Camp Coq, Dr. Preval, said it best: “We are always in the community so everyone knows us and we have a good understanding of their needs. We hear from the community that they are happy and get better care here, and that’s why we do what we do.”

C2C and partner offer HIV testing

This year’s Parish Day in Camp Coq, the celebration of the founding of the Parish of Marie Médiatrice, included a special partnership between Care 2 Communities and St. Jean Hospital (which is the nearest hospital to C2C’s clinic).

Team members from St. Jean traveled to our clinic to offer free HIV/AIDS testing to Camp Coq locals. The event was a complete success, with more than 150 people lining up to be tested!

Dr. Jean-Eric Calvaire, C2C’s Haiti Country Manager, said, “This is a great C2C/St. Jean Hospital collaboration. The HIV testing day allows people who would never pay for the transportation to go to the hospital to be tested in their neighborhood for free. And the people who were diagnosed are now in touch with St Jean Hospital for better care. Those people might never know their positive HIV status if C2C had not sought out this partnership.”

Because HIV/AIDS testing and treatment is a very serious, and organized process globally, C2C is partnering with St. Jean Hospital to ensure our patients receive the safest and most responsible care.

The partnership is scheduled to continue, with St. Jean team members visiting the Camp Coq clinic on the first and third Tuesday of each month to test pregnant C2C patients. This testing is part of C2C’s new antenatal care program, and we are grateful to be able to offer it to the community.

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