Here is an amazing slideshow of Haiti from the Arizona Daily Sun:
Haiti After the Quake
Soundslide presentation of Hait earthquake aftermath. Photos taken and soundslide presentation put together by Josh Biggs.
~PJ
Saturday, May 29, 2010
Thursday, May 27, 2010
"snuba" diving, crab racing and fire dancing
Over the weekend, I got a chance to check go "under da sea" off of Roatan.
On Saturday I went "snuba diving" with the med and nursing students. "Snuba diving" is like a cross between snorkeling and scuba diving. You have the mask and respirator like scuba, but the air tank is on a raft that floats above the water instead of strapped to your back. There's no certification necessary, but you can only go down 25 feet. It was a fun adventure, and really got me excited to do some actual diving on Sunday! Photos might be posted of this adventure later - our guide, Clint, had an under water camera and took some pictures that he'll be emailing to me, but my experience has been that underwater photos don't come out that great.
Sunday I got up early and headed down to the Coconut Grove Dive Shop to "discover scuba diving". I knew I must be at the right spot when I was introduced to the owner, PJ. It was pretty funny - every time someone said "PJ", we'd both answer. I suspected my instructor, Marco, was having a bit of fun with it, so when people called out his name I yelled "Polo". Actually, the first time they yelled "Marco", I instinctively yelled "Buffalo" - long, inside story, but it's how to find my family in a crowd.
PJ, scuba instructor, and PJ, la farmacista:
The class was very small - just myself and a girl named Lexi. We spent the morning in the classroom and in the lagoon testing our skills before heading out to do our first open water dive. I love, love, LOVE scuba diving! We saw lots of fish, lobsters, interesting corals, and I swam with a sea turtle about 40 feet under water! My plan is to complete the whole certification course (Denise said she'd do it with me the next time I'm on Roatan). Apparently the classroom stuff can be done online, so I'll try to get through that in "all my spare time."
With Marco (scuba diving instructor):
After a day under the sea, I met up with Denise and Scotty at BananaRama for dinner, crab racing, and fire dancing on the beach!
~PJ
On Saturday I went "snuba diving" with the med and nursing students. "Snuba diving" is like a cross between snorkeling and scuba diving. You have the mask and respirator like scuba, but the air tank is on a raft that floats above the water instead of strapped to your back. There's no certification necessary, but you can only go down 25 feet. It was a fun adventure, and really got me excited to do some actual diving on Sunday! Photos might be posted of this adventure later - our guide, Clint, had an under water camera and took some pictures that he'll be emailing to me, but my experience has been that underwater photos don't come out that great.
Sunday I got up early and headed down to the Coconut Grove Dive Shop to "discover scuba diving". I knew I must be at the right spot when I was introduced to the owner, PJ. It was pretty funny - every time someone said "PJ", we'd both answer. I suspected my instructor, Marco, was having a bit of fun with it, so when people called out his name I yelled "Polo". Actually, the first time they yelled "Marco", I instinctively yelled "Buffalo" - long, inside story, but it's how to find my family in a crowd.
PJ, scuba instructor, and PJ, la farmacista:
The class was very small - just myself and a girl named Lexi. We spent the morning in the classroom and in the lagoon testing our skills before heading out to do our first open water dive. I love, love, LOVE scuba diving! We saw lots of fish, lobsters, interesting corals, and I swam with a sea turtle about 40 feet under water! My plan is to complete the whole certification course (Denise said she'd do it with me the next time I'm on Roatan). Apparently the classroom stuff can be done online, so I'll try to get through that in "all my spare time."
With Marco (scuba diving instructor):
After a day under the sea, I met up with Denise and Scotty at BananaRama for dinner, crab racing, and fire dancing on the beach!
~PJ
working in the Pharmacy at Clinica Esperanza
Most of my photos are of me and my new friends relaxing and enjoying the beautiful tropical paradise of Roatan, but let's not forget what brought me here - Clinica Esperanza.
As you can see from the picture, space was a little tight in the pharmacy!
Dr. Patrick was great. He reminds me of a younger version of my Uncle Paul, so in a way it was like I was family from the start! I greatly appreciate him letting me pluck his brain about all sorts of things, including IDA orders and the challenges of running a NGO. It was also great to joke with someone who understands about the "junk for Jesus" donations!
Me and Dr. Patrick:
Dr. Raymond's youngest son came to work with him on my last day at Clinica Esperanza. I enlisted his help counting vitamins so his dad could see some patients. We both needed some practice counting to 30 in Spanish, so it was great for the pair of us!
Take your kid to work day at la Clinica:
Working in the pharmacy in Clinica Esperanza:
~PJ
As you can see from the picture, space was a little tight in the pharmacy!
Dr. Patrick was great. He reminds me of a younger version of my Uncle Paul, so in a way it was like I was family from the start! I greatly appreciate him letting me pluck his brain about all sorts of things, including IDA orders and the challenges of running a NGO. It was also great to joke with someone who understands about the "junk for Jesus" donations!
Me and Dr. Patrick:
Dr. Raymond's youngest son came to work with him on my last day at Clinica Esperanza. I enlisted his help counting vitamins so his dad could see some patients. We both needed some practice counting to 30 in Spanish, so it was great for the pair of us!
Take your kid to work day at la Clinica:
Working in the pharmacy in Clinica Esperanza:
~PJ
gecko love
One of the best parts of my trip to Roatan was where I stayed - Ms. Marilyn runs a great place - way cheaper than most of the touristy places and most of the people staying there are locals (always a good sign). My two upstairs neighbors, Denise and Scotty, were super friendly. Most nights you could find the three of us, sitting on the porch, sipping something cold and giggling about the "gecko porn" all around us.
In addition to a cheap, clean place to stay with friendly neighbors, Ms. Marilyn runs a restaurant - about $5 for a huge plate of delicious, authentic island food for either lunch or dinner. I suspect I gained back a good portion of the weight I lost in Haiti while staying there!
Ms. Marilyn asked me to come back to Roatan to help her out the week before Thanksgiving, and I'm going to try to make it happen. For Thanksgiving she makes a huge feast and invites all of the poor children on the island (most of whom go hungry quite often) to come stuff themselves at her house. Last year she fed over 300 kids, and is expecting more this year!
Ms. Marilyn & Mr. Doland:
Me with Denise & Scotty:
The beach dock that approximately a 3-minute walk from our apartment:
~PJ
In addition to a cheap, clean place to stay with friendly neighbors, Ms. Marilyn runs a restaurant - about $5 for a huge plate of delicious, authentic island food for either lunch or dinner. I suspect I gained back a good portion of the weight I lost in Haiti while staying there!
Ms. Marilyn asked me to come back to Roatan to help her out the week before Thanksgiving, and I'm going to try to make it happen. For Thanksgiving she makes a huge feast and invites all of the poor children on the island (most of whom go hungry quite often) to come stuff themselves at her house. Last year she fed over 300 kids, and is expecting more this year!
Ms. Marilyn & Mr. Doland:
Me with Denise & Scotty:
The beach dock that approximately a 3-minute walk from our apartment:
~PJ
first international geocache
I taught my neighbor, Denise, about geocaching and logged my first 2 international geocaches!
~PJ
~PJ
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
where in the world is PJ?
For those playing the "Where in the World is PJ?" Game: I'm back in San Salvador, looking forward to a late dinner/early breakfast with my sister in Venice Beach!
~PJ
Editor's Note: We have added a "Where in the World is PJ" snippet to the sidebar on the right --->
~PJ
Editor's Note: We have added a "Where in the World is PJ" snippet to the sidebar on the right --->
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
roatan, parte uno
I know, it's been a while since I've written anything. Between clinical interventions at Clinica Esperanza, working on my first IDA order for my "new job", and exploring Roatan, I've been pretty busy. Oh yeah, and I've been catching up on 3 weeks of sleep.
Clinica Esperanza
First of all, you might be wondering what I'm doing in Roatan, or as several people have phrased it, "who said you could leave Haiti?!?!". I was asked to come to Roatan to help at Clinica Esperanza and assess the possibility of bringing students for rotations. My alma mater, Pacific University, is partnering with the small community safety net clinic on an island off the coast of Honduras. Pacific University is planning to send health profession students here for rotations starting with the Physician Assistant Program this fall.
I was pleasantly surprised at how excited everyone was when I showed up - and how grateful they have been for my help and expertise. Clinica Esperanza has been around for almost a decade and has never had a pharmacist so much as visit the facility. In fact, other than me, there is only one licensed pharmacist on the entire island that has a population of about 60,000 (more like 100,000 if you include all the ex-pats) and has several pharmacies, clinics and a hospital. Apparently, pharmacies here are run as dispensaries, with no consultations and no way to check for drug interactions. So when we visited the public hospital there were many questions for me, and again at la Clinica.
It's been an interesting experience - especially on the heels of so much time in Haiti. In many ways, things here are way more organized; we're in a building (not circus tents), with a room specifically for the pharmacy - with shelves, a computer system (with real prescription labels!), and running water. But there is a lot of work to do here - no one runs interaction checks, counsels on side effect profiles or proper use of medication. Well, let me rephrase that - the nurses here, who are often the ones explaining how to use the medications (en espanol, por su puesto) would gladly relay the information if they knew it.
For example, the other day we dispensed alendronate (generic fosamax). It has very specific instructions on how to take it: first thing in the morning with a full 8-ounce glass of water, at least 30 minutes before any other medicine, food or beverage, and the patient has to stay upright (no laying down) for at least 30 minutes after taking the pill. I explained (in Spanish) to the nurse how to take it and how important it was to take it properly, and she said no one had ever told her to tell patients that. Taking the medication incorrectly can, at the least, cause it to not be absorbed, or at the worst, cause erosion of the esophagus.
Over the past week I've been able to make some important clinical interventions, help with medication therapy management and "therapeutic substitutions". I've also been able to identify some great projects to help improve services here at Clinica Esperanza. And there's been a few added bonuses: I've been making friends and exploring a beautiful tropical island, and have been able to network with an NGO and get all sorts of advice for my new job...
"New Job"
Late one night during my last deployment in Haiti, I was discussing formulary management with Tom (the Chief Operations Officer), and said to me "I need you here - you can't leave".
It may be old news to some of you, but I have officially accepted the position of "Chief Pharmacy Officer" with University of Miami / Project Medishare. It's a temporary position that runs through the end of August, and spans the transition from "three-tent-circus" hospital to our new building - Bernard Mev.
I also found out that a move date has been set - June 5th we will be moving out of the tents and into an honest-to-God building with electricity and A/C that work all of the time! Of course, I'm not holding my breath; they've been saying we're moving for months. But we've got a lease, and an actual date, which is way more than we've had in the past!
Being here in Roatan has been so helpful for my new position! The chance to learn from health care providers experienced in matters such as IDA orders, finessing customs agents, and dealing with massive quantities of expired/un-needed donations has been invaluable.
I meant to write about my adventures here in Roatan, but I think my neighbors are taking me out to dinner so I'm gonna sign off for now...
Que tengas una buena noche!
~PJ
Clinica Esperanza
First of all, you might be wondering what I'm doing in Roatan, or as several people have phrased it, "who said you could leave Haiti?!?!". I was asked to come to Roatan to help at Clinica Esperanza and assess the possibility of bringing students for rotations. My alma mater, Pacific University, is partnering with the small community safety net clinic on an island off the coast of Honduras. Pacific University is planning to send health profession students here for rotations starting with the Physician Assistant Program this fall.
I was pleasantly surprised at how excited everyone was when I showed up - and how grateful they have been for my help and expertise. Clinica Esperanza has been around for almost a decade and has never had a pharmacist so much as visit the facility. In fact, other than me, there is only one licensed pharmacist on the entire island that has a population of about 60,000 (more like 100,000 if you include all the ex-pats) and has several pharmacies, clinics and a hospital. Apparently, pharmacies here are run as dispensaries, with no consultations and no way to check for drug interactions. So when we visited the public hospital there were many questions for me, and again at la Clinica.
It's been an interesting experience - especially on the heels of so much time in Haiti. In many ways, things here are way more organized; we're in a building (not circus tents), with a room specifically for the pharmacy - with shelves, a computer system (with real prescription labels!), and running water. But there is a lot of work to do here - no one runs interaction checks, counsels on side effect profiles or proper use of medication. Well, let me rephrase that - the nurses here, who are often the ones explaining how to use the medications (en espanol, por su puesto) would gladly relay the information if they knew it.
For example, the other day we dispensed alendronate (generic fosamax). It has very specific instructions on how to take it: first thing in the morning with a full 8-ounce glass of water, at least 30 minutes before any other medicine, food or beverage, and the patient has to stay upright (no laying down) for at least 30 minutes after taking the pill. I explained (in Spanish) to the nurse how to take it and how important it was to take it properly, and she said no one had ever told her to tell patients that. Taking the medication incorrectly can, at the least, cause it to not be absorbed, or at the worst, cause erosion of the esophagus.
Over the past week I've been able to make some important clinical interventions, help with medication therapy management and "therapeutic substitutions". I've also been able to identify some great projects to help improve services here at Clinica Esperanza. And there's been a few added bonuses: I've been making friends and exploring a beautiful tropical island, and have been able to network with an NGO and get all sorts of advice for my new job...
"New Job"
Late one night during my last deployment in Haiti, I was discussing formulary management with Tom (the Chief Operations Officer), and said to me "I need you here - you can't leave".
It may be old news to some of you, but I have officially accepted the position of "Chief Pharmacy Officer" with University of Miami / Project Medishare. It's a temporary position that runs through the end of August, and spans the transition from "three-tent-circus" hospital to our new building - Bernard Mev.
I also found out that a move date has been set - June 5th we will be moving out of the tents and into an honest-to-God building with electricity and A/C that work all of the time! Of course, I'm not holding my breath; they've been saying we're moving for months. But we've got a lease, and an actual date, which is way more than we've had in the past!
Being here in Roatan has been so helpful for my new position! The chance to learn from health care providers experienced in matters such as IDA orders, finessing customs agents, and dealing with massive quantities of expired/un-needed donations has been invaluable.
I meant to write about my adventures here in Roatan, but I think my neighbors are taking me out to dinner so I'm gonna sign off for now...
Que tengas una buena noche!
~PJ
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