CNP Partners with American Team for Mobile Health Clinics
The Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti, known locally as Kore Timoun, partnered with a U.S. church and U.S. healthcare professionals to provide free, accessible care for hundreds in Haiti.
By Maude Plucker, Kore Timoun Fellow
Community members wait for a consultation at a mobile clinic in the mountains of Leogane. For many, attending this mobile clinic is their sole access to healthcare.
The Children’s Nutrition Program of Haiti participated in five days of mobile clinics from October 22 - 26, 2018 in the West region of Haiti, including CNP’s service area in Leogane. Each mobile day clinic allowed over 100 patients of all age-groups to receive free, quality care within their own communities. Our staff carried out nutrition screenings for at least 20 children under 5 years old each day. Some of these children were added to the Kore Timoun program and are being treated at our ambulatory centers.
The Kore Timoun team, interpreters, and health practitioners hike to the village where they will setup the mobile clinic for the day
Kore Timoun Community Programs Manager Rose Elene Veillard coordinated with local communities and our network of monitrices to establish the calendar of mobile clinic locations. At least one Kore Timoun monitrices was present at each mobile clinic to act as the liaison between the provider team and the local community. Belonging to the communities they serve give our monitrices unique insight to help the mobile clinics run smoothly.
Other Kore Timoun staff members joined each day, too, including the three Fellows. Not only did they screen children for malnutrition, but they also assisted the American health professionals in their respective roles. Whether weighing children, performing patient triage, or assisting the dentist, Kore Timoun Fellows were hands-on.
Caroline André, Kore Timoun’s nutritionist, helped monitrices screen children for malnutrition at the mobile clinics
The mobile clinics were sponsored by Parkway Presbyterian Church in Winston-Salem, North Carolina.. The team of U.S. healthcare professionals included pediatricians, family nurse practitioners, pharmacists, an OBGYN and a dentist. Some have provided healthcare in Haiti each year for twenty years. Others were setting foot in Haiti for the first time. Whether experienced or novice, they agreed that their team was especially strong this year thanks to having more providers than ever before. Many echoed gratitude for Kore Timoun’s partnership.
Kore Timoun is extremely proud to collaborate with dedicated health professionals like those sponsored by Parkway Presbyterian Church. We are grateful to share our expertise of local Haitian communities and the local healthcare system to help provide more accessible, quality healthcare to the numerous Haitian communities in need.
Maude Plucker, Kore Timoun Fellow, and Yva Aristyl, Monitrice Supervisor, helped perform patient triage to ensure patients with the greatest medical emergencies could be treated first.