The UMKC Honduras Project Blog

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umkchondurasproject — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 20:02:16 +0000

We returned to KCI airport ahead of schedule yesterday safe & sound. All 17 members traveling were extremely excited to return to the comforts of flushing toliet paper and hugs & kisses from our loved ones.

Jordan, Grace & Erica were dropped off at the bus station to begin their Roatan experience for the next few days, while the 17 travelers made our way through numerous checks during our 11 hours of travel!

Thanks for all your support during the planning & traveling stages of the trip. Looking forward to crossing paths with all the members of the group in the future, where ever that might take us!

Signing off – - – Dr. O (Crystal)

Homeward Bound!!!

umkchondurasproject — Sun, 31 Jul 2011 05:19:58 +0000

Greetings family & friends!

We are within the 24 hour mark of being back home and are all very eager to share our experiences with you! After a day on the peninsula we were refreshed and renewed. Tonight brought a number of bittersweet exchanges with new friends and colleagues! We share excellent food and, of course with this group, tons of laughter!

I wanted to thank all of you for allowing your loved one to be a part of this amazing experience. I have learned so much from each of them and am looking forward to continuing those relationships for years to come!

We will be departing from Casa el Meson tomorrow at 9AM to ensure we depart on our 1145AM flight to Houston & then KC!

Crystal (Dr. Obering)

San Pedro Sula Hospitals

umkchondurasproject — Sat, 30 Jul 2011 04:15:05 +0000

Evening!!

The group has finished the clinical experiences today on the note of visiting both the public and private hospitals in San Pedro Sula. We started off on Thursday morning with a tour of the public hospital, Hospital Mario Catarino Rivas, then in the afternoon many had the opportunity to spend some time in the labor & delivery area as well as the ER and a few even slipped into the sterilization area.

Thursday night a number of the group took the opportunity to view a large grocery store to see what is on the shelves and pick up a few necessities such as chocolate and toothbrushes!

Friday morning brought us back to the hospital with time split between the ICU, ER, inpatient hospital pharmacy, and labor & delivery. In the afternoon we had the opportunity to tour the private pay hospital, Hospital del Valle. After all these experiences everyone, walked away with a real life view of the healthcare in the hospital system of San Pedro and an appreciation for the differences between.

Tomorrow we are looking forward to a relaxing trip to the peninsula, Punta Sal, which Jimmy claims is one of his most favorite places of of Honduras! We’ll be able to hike through the rainforest, spend some time on the beach, and even catch a little snorkeling time!

We are all eagerly looking towards our return home to share all of our experiences with you all!

Crystal (Dr. Obering)

San Pedro Sula Hospital

umkchondurasproject — Thu, 28 Jul 2011 13:01:59 +0000

Greetings friends & family!

After a productive morning clinic in San Isidro we safely traveled back to San Pedro Sula with a stop at a Dole Banana Plantation. The group learned about the hard work that goes in to getting those wonderful bananas from tree to table and all the manual steps in between!

The close of clinic at San Isidro left the group with an broader understanding of health care for the Honduras patients and increased efficiency in providing that care. Over the 1 and 1/2 days of clinic it was estimated that we saw over 300 patients! A lot of patients touched by the care offered by the students as well as the students touched by the gratitude of those served.

After a wonderful night’s rest at the Bed & Breakfast, we are all rested and ready to take on the exposures at the hospital. I will write more tonight or tomorrow morning to update everyone on what is experienced!

Crystal (Dr. Obering)

Headed to San Isidro

umkchondurasproject — Mon, 25 Jul 2011 14:38:43 +0000

Yesterday was another lovely day in Copan. The entire group visited the Copan ruins–one of the most intricate and well-preserved Mayan ruins in the world. The students and faculty had a great time learning about the Mayan culture and seeing the beauty of structures that were built in 400-800 A.D. After the ruins, everyone had some free time to enjoy Copan for the last time. In the late afternoon the group headed to the hot springs and enjoyed some relaxation and a cook-out.
Today we are headed to San Isidro to start seeing patients again. The group is rested and energized and ready to get back to work. We will be off the grid for a couple of days, so there will likely not be an update of the blog until Wedneday.

Dr. P

Happy Belated Birthday to Mary´s Daughter

umkchondurasproject — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 23:19:14 +0000

A very special happy birthday wish to Mary´s daughter and Renae´s son!

Another Day in Copan

umkchondurasproject — Sat, 23 Jul 2011 23:18:15 +0000

We have been having an excellent time in Copan. Yesterday, 15 of the students went on a zip line course that is high above the rainforest outside of Copan. They had an excellent time and have great photos to share when they return. Others in the group spent the day enjoying the local food, shopping, and enjoying the sunshine. In the evening, the entire group went to a local cafe and danced the night away!

Today the group went to a coffee forest and working plantation 30 minutes east of Copan Ruinas. Our guide was extremely knowledgeable about the coffee plant–its germination, cultivation, and harvest. Two-thirds of the way through the tour we stopped in the middle of the forest and ate a traditional Honduran meal of tamales, tortillas, cheese, rice, and beans. For dessert, we were treated to cappucinos made from the coffee we saw growing.

Tonight is a surprise for the students–we are headed to Hacienda San Lucas for a candlelight dinner overlooking the entire Copan valley and ruins. It is sure to be a special treat.

Tomorrow we are headed to the actual ruins themselves and the hot springs in the evening.

Until tomorrow’–

Dr. P

Back On The Grid

umkchondurasproject — Fri, 22 Jul 2011 16:10:38 +0000

Hello Friends & Family!

We have arrived in Copan safe and sound. Our three days in Cuaguatillo were absolutely amazing. We were all touched by the kindness of people in this ancient Spanish village. The village has not had a medical team in over 10 years so we were bombarded with patients with all kinds of health problems. This community just got electricity and water 6 months ago, so all of the health problems you would expect from a developing country were present–parasites, wound infections, body aches, malnutrition, malnourishment, etc. The students worked together to see over 300 patients in 2 days!

We will be relaxing in Copan for the next couple of days–since we are near an internet cafe, I will be updating the blog everyday!

Hasta Luego,

Dr. P

We’ve Arrived & Day 1!

umkchondurasproject — Mon, 18 Jul 2011 13:59:17 +0000

Hello Everyone!

Sorry for the belated post–my phone that was supposed to work down here, does not…so, Crystal Obering is the contact person for anyone who needs to contact someone in the group.

We arrived in San Pedro Sula yesterday without any problems–all of our supplies and luggage made it safely and everyone was in great spirits. Jimmy met us at the airport and we went to the large mall in San Pedro Sula for lunch. After lunch we traveled to La Buena Fey. The weather here is gorgeous–cool breezes and brief thunderstorms that cool everything off. We were all happy to have a little cool weather since we haven’t experienced any in KC for a long time!

There is another medical group here in La Buena Fey providing great care to the local people–Dr. Pam Stewart and her crew will be here until the 23rd of July. After much careful thought and planning, we have decided to forego our plans here at La Buena Fey to go to a historic Spanish village name Chillocoba (?) to set up 2 days of medical clincs. It was a tough decision to leave La Buena Fey, but are excited about visiting this new site and providing care for people who haven’t seen a medical team in over 10 years. We will be in Chillocoba from today (Monday) through Thursday and will head to Copan for rest and relaxation (as previously planned). The group is VERY excited about this new opportunityand I’m sure we will have lots of stories to share.

I will do my best to update the blog, but its possible I won’t be able to until Thursday.

Hasta Luego,

Brooke (Dr. P)

‘Twas the Night Before Honduras

umkchondurasproject — Sun, 17 Jul 2011 02:50:07 +0000

And all through KC, students were packing for 14 days in Central America….

We had an excellent day today packing up an incredible amount of medical supplies and medications-over 10 suitcases worth! Everyone seems excited to get to Honduras and for the adventure to begin.

I will try my best to post when we arrive.

Hasta Luego,
Dr. P
Brooke Y. Patterson, PharmD, BCPS, AAHIVE
Mobile: 502/741-3418