This is the week I have been anticipating with joy: going into the community with the Community Health Physician and with the Community Health Worker visiting the Prometora Program. Clinica Esperanza has 11 communities which have a “promotora” or community health worker. There program targets children under 5 with a monthly visit for weight, height and brief assessment. The community health worker visits each community once every month, meeting with the prometora and doing the assessments with her.
Yesterday we went to a public school for vision screening for glasses. The team consisted of 5 volunteers, Dr. Stacey, and the driver Estevan who helped with translation and with the flow of the screenings. We screened 205 students!
Today I shadowed a physician at the Emergency Room Hospital Roatan. She works the mornings in the ER as an attending physician then afternoons in Clinica Esperanza. Having been an Emergency Room nurse for many years in U.S., it was a most interesting observational experience. Triage and controlled chaos were very familiar. Again, I witness the exceptional collaboration between physicians and excellent clinical diagnosis without access to diagnostic testing. There is no CT or MRI or portable Xray. There are limited diagnostic labs as well. I was very appreciative of the experience today!
Photos: community area for Health Promotora; with permission: photo of Promotora Dora and some children to assess; photo of Hospital Roatan, ER, and a poster in ER for Mosquito illnesses. Adios para ahora, Cheryl
