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December, 2008 With the winter season upon us, people of all faiths will soon be gathering with family and friends to celebrate important holidays and meaningful traditions. It is a time to give thanks to God for everything that we have…as well as to remember those who are in need. Throughout our healing ministry, we all have so much for which to be thankful. Like our Sponsors…whose leadership and vision – and unwavering devotion to serving the poor and underserved - continue to inspire and guide us all. And our board members…who so selflessly give of their time and talents to provide expert oversight and guidance. And our skilled clinicians and support colleagues…who attend to and comfort those in need, and provide services that enable our facilities to be centers of healing excellence in the communities we serve. And our volunteers…whose acts of kindness and charity help to soothe and reassure patients, residents and families in hospitals, long term care facilities, hospices and other health care facilities, programs and services throughout Catholic Health East. In addition to the volunteers who everyday grace our facilities with their reassuring touch and kind deeds, there is another very special group of volunteers who I’d like to recognize for their good deeds and inspirational work. These are the volunteers who help support the ongoing missions of Global Health Ministry. Back in 1989, at the invitation of the Sisters of Mercy in the Diocese of Chulucanas, Peru, medical volunteers from Philadelphia traveled to a distant, impoverished Peruvian community to provide medical care for the poor who had no options for care. From its humble beginnings in 1989, this global outreach effort grew over the years and is now known as Global Health Ministry. In 2008, teams of clinical and lay volunteers—over 125 in number—from throughout our Catholic Health East ministry served the needy in several remote locations throughout Latin America and the Caribbean. Four to five times a year, teams of approximately 20 volunteers are sent on a Global Health Ministry mission, each of up to two weeks’ duration. Using donated medical equipment, supplies and medications, the volunteers provide free health care—ranging from needed surgical procedures, diagnostic testing, physical exams, etc.—as well as a wide range of educational services that empower residents to learn ways to take better care of themselves and their loved ones. In 2008, primary care mission trips to Jamaica, Guatemala, Peru and Haiti were completed, as well as a large surgical mission trip to Peru. Teams of physicians, nurses, administrators, social workers and other supportive clerical staff were assigned to one of five teams. In addition to giving their time, volunteers also collected needed medicines and supplies and made personal donations or raised funds to help cover the costs. The October Team in Haiti served in Cabaret, a town ravaged by Hurricane Ike. Hurricane Relief donations sent to GHM were used to purchase over $25,000 in food and emergency supplies for the hurricane victims. The November surgical mission to Peru itself recorded nearly 200 surgical procedures, including many performed on children. In addition to directly touching the lives of thousands of poor people in developing countries, Global Health Ministry has inspired others to begin their own initiatives. Earlier this year, they partnered with Catholic Healthcare West in its first-ever international medical mission to rural Guatemala. In addition to having Mary Jo McGinley, R.S.M. (executive director, Global Health Ministry) as part of the planning and on-site support for this mission, Global Health Ministry also provided templates for team formation, site-specific supply lists, orientation materials and a point-of-service electronic medical record. As Global Health Ministry enters its 20th year of service to some of our hemisphere’s most vulnerable residents, please join me in recognizing and thanking the hundreds and hundreds of volunteers and supporters who help to make this work possible. From the volunteers who travel the globe to provide hands-on care to the needy…to the volunteers who collect and sort donated medicine and supplies to support these missions…to those colleagues who find it in their hearts to donate to this worthy cause…all of you are part of this holy work. For more information about the great things being done by Global Health Ministry, or to find out more about how you can help support these efforts, visit their web site at www.globalhealthministry.org or contact Andrea Divers-Murph at 610.355.2042 or amurph@che.org. God bless all of you for everything you do every day to serve our healing ministry, and for helping Catholic Health East to be a transforming, healing presence in the communities we are privileged to serve.
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