An Update on the Hanger Clinic in Haiti

Ivan R. Sabel, CPO, chairman of the board of directors for Hanger Orthopedic Group, Austin, Texas, and chairman of the Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation provided The O&P EDGE with the following update about the Hanger Clinic in Deschapelles, Haiti. The clinic opened at the Hôpital Albert Schweitzer on February 22, 2010-less than two months after the devastating earthquake that shook Port-au-Prince. Q : Talk about the progress and success of the Hanger Clinic in Haiti to date. A : The Hanger Clinic in Haiti has experienced great success over the past year, providing care to more than 1,000 amputee patients. In addition to the provision of patient care, we implemented a long-term strategy to ensure sustainability in a way that will ultimately let the Haitian personnel run the day-to-day operations. Q : How has the work at the Hanger Clinic evolved or changed since its inception in January 2010? A : Phase one of our plan included seeing and fitting as many Haitian amputees as possible, as efficiently as we could, while simultaneously educating the Haitian staff on the adjustment and fabrication of prosthetic solutions. [caption id="" align="aligncenter" width="350"] Certified O&P technician Donald Pfau teaches fabrication techniques to four locally hired Haitian technicians at the Hanger Clinic in Haiti. Photographs courtesy of Hanger Prosthetics & Orthotics.[/caption] We have moved to phase two, which involves further education and training of Haitian staff in an effort to make this a sustainable clinic. We are seeing fewer new patients; however, we are now providing replacement limbs and sockets for those we first treated nearly two years ago. It's wonderful to know that many of our patients have been benefiting from prosthetic technology for quite some time now and are coming back as they grow and their residual limbs change. With the pace of new incoming patients reduced to a more manageable level, we are able to dedicate our focus on sustainability and the future of the clinic. Another step toward sustainability is the introduction of a formal education experience for the technicians who have already been learning the basics of fabrication on the job for the past two years. Now they can spend time learning about the techniques and theory behind the fabrication process of a prosthesis. The technicians have all been excited about and engaged in learning the details of the profession. Q : What does the future hold for the Hanger Clinic? A : The future is bright for the Hanger Clinic in Haiti. Thanks to the support of our partners in the Haitian Amputee Coalition, including the Harold & Kayrita Anderson Family Foundation, the Catholic Medical Mission Board, Physicians for Peace, medi [Bayreuth, Germany], and Donald Peck Leslie, MD, of the Shepherd Center [Atlanta, Georgia], we are well positioned to maintain a sustainable clinic in Haiti. Each organization has donated time and financial resources to our efforts. The Hôpital Albert Schweitzer has been a valuable partner and an excellent host facility for our operations. With established protocols and efficient operations in place, our primary goal now is to teach the Haitians to be able to treat the people of Haiti. By educating the local Haitians, we are in turn creating a sustainable clinic where amputees will be able to receive prosthetic care for years to come. In addition, the Hanger Ivan R. Sabel Foundation and its partners are opening a second clinic in Port-au-Prince early in the second quarter of 2012 so that we can provide services to those who are unable to travel to Deschapelles. Q : Do you have anything else to add? A : It is truly an enriching experience to be involved in this endeavor. I'm so grateful for the many people and organizations that have contributed both financially and through volunteerism to make the Hanger Clinic in Haiti the success that it is. I'm looking forward to watching the clinic evolve throughout the years to come. For more information, visit www.hashaiti.org/rehabilitation and www.hanger-sabelfoundation.org

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An Update on the Hanger Clinic in Haiti

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