Cell Phone Photo

Cell Phone Photo

Wed, November 17, 2010

Today started with the promise of rain and cooler weather for the day but only lasted until it was time to start our day at 0700 or for some, 0705-ish!

It was pretty routine with the normal medication refill patients and well baby checks.  Our well baby check included a tiny premature baby girl, 1.57 Kg.  The mother birthed her at home 2 months premature and brought her to us for her first check.  She barely filled the palms of our hands.  She had a set of lungs that let us know she was doing QUITE WELL!!!

The sun started shining through the clouds, the chance of rain dissipated, and the temperature rose.  Still after two weeks, some of us are not acclimated … well not as much as those who had their fans running … they know who they are!!!

One of our returning babes was our hydrocephalic baby who is maintaining despite further medical care outside our clinic.  Our day was filled with the sounds of the guy mimicking the wail of a 1950’s ambulance siren as he ran down the dirt pathway carting a poor patient being battered about in his rusty wheelbarrow.  Of course, there are the roosters, puppies, and baby goats adding to the cacophony of sounds. 

To our astonishment, our third fractured jaw patient arrived to FOTCOH!  Peter our amazing dentist once again used his (soon to patented) coat hanger invention for jaw stabilization.  We are now down to only plastic hangers so those motorcyclists need to slow down.  Hopefully the patients we wired shut will set an example for motorcycle safety.     

We ended our day swimming in the surprisingly cooler waves of the Caribbean Sea on the beach at the Cyvadier Hotel.

Our Haitian patients continue to capture our hearts and bring us the awareness that hope can still exist when none is in sight.  In return, as FOTCOH workers, we pray that we’re a part of that hope, faith, and love that they give us so freely. 

Best regards,

Diane Close, Dianne and Kate Peterson

Another day is done

The morning started with oatmeal of course and then work began. We took care of many ill patients and only turned away 15 which is a nice feeling.

The team members that were ill are all back up to par for the most part. I am feeling attached to the interpreters and volunteers here at the clinic and it is sad knowing that we have just gotten to know one another and our time is almost through.

I have a learned a little Creole and say bonjou and bonswa so much that I feel I will be saying it back in the states for a little bit as it has become part of my routine.

We are all so blessed to have such a wonderful team to work with, everyone is so efficient and we run like a well oiled machine.

After clinic some of us walked to Cyvadier beach where we cooled down and enjoyed a beverage. We also spent some time looking at the stuff the vendor had for sale, and while I have already purchased some items, something different catches my eye every time.

We all enjoyed a delicious dinner and now folks are watching old Dean Martin Roast’s. It is nice to hear laughter!

I fell in love today with a 2 year old boy who lost his parents in the earthquake and is now being raised by a cousin. I would love to bring him home with me, and when he left clinic today, he walked away with my heart. I will forever think about this little boy and so wish he could be mine. Of course there are many similar stories; however this little guy really captured me.

Well I hope all is well in the states, we are all safe and healthy or on the road back to good health. Only two more days of clinic and then back to the US we go.

May you all have a blessed day!

Krissy Miars RN, BSN

Even the healthiest, vulnerable

We opened the second day of clinic today in preparation of what is traditionally the busiest day of work. The first team members out in the morning were met with a crowd of Haitians, many of whom had been waiting outside since early Sunday morning. Immediately, the medical staff began triaging patients and by 7:30am, providers were seeing patients. Numerous Haitians were filed through the stifling heat and humidity to see the physicians for whom they had traveled for many miles to see. Despite queuing for unimaginable hours and waiting in oppressive humidity, the respect and grace of all the Haitians was evident from the smiles of the children, softly spoken “thank you’s,” and the diligence of all the local workers.

Through the hours of the morning, it was unfortunate that we also became compelled to care for several team members that had fallen ill. While lunch usually served as a time to pause, relax and reflect, today we were driven to care for our colleagues while preparing to care for our Haitian charges waiting outside clinic. Many hurriedly nourished their bodies before returning outside. Again, the work that was accomplished today would not have been possible without the dedication of our Haitian workers as well as the determination of many of the FOTCOH volunteers.

Following the close of clinic, many chose to stay in house while others chose to return to the Cyvadier beach which has been a local respite for the last week. Dinner brought comfort to many as we saw our colleagues on the mend. While we have seen no evidence of the region’s cholera outbreak, it is humbling to see the vulnerability of even the healthiest people to illness. As always, we continue to hope for the health of the community we are serving but also tonight for the health of our volunteers.

Weekend in Haiti

Hello my friends. Friday we finished clinic at a good time and headed to rid ourselves of any potential critters crawling on us and then headed back to clinic for a dinner. Dinner consisted of crabs caught by a local fisherman fresh that day. This fisherman cooked the crab in a fire and even took the meat out of the shell for us. This was a very delicious meal for us.

Saturday we woke for a half day of clinic and we were able to see all the patients that were waiting, so this was a good feeling for all the team members.

Everyone then lounged about for a while and then those of us who wanted to, took a tour of the city of Jacmel and visited some local shops selling paintings and other items.

It is in Jachmel that we witnessed a lot of the devastation from the earthquake that happened in Jan. The streets were crowded with people and rubble. After our time in Jachmel we headed to Hotel Cyvadier where we enjoyed dinner out. There were approximately 15 different selections of food. I had the goat which was tender and delicious and I even tried Conch which was good as well. We also had bread, plantains and rice. We sat and chatted while Haitian music played in the background.

Today we were delighted that Darrel cooked pancakes and Beth and Bill made bacon. After this enjoyable breakfast I led a church services that involved several readings and worship music. It was a very nice ending to a heart wrenching week.

Then we all lounged and snacked on cheese crackers and a yard o beef. At 1230 we headed to a beach about 20 minutes down the road that was sandy, not rocky like the one close to clinic. Everyone enjoyed time cooling off in the surf.

We saw a young man dive down and grab a conch shell, and later he took the Conch out and cleaned it and I purchased this beautiful colored shell. We dined on red snapper, heads still attached, plantains and rice, once again a delicious meal. I thought I was going to lose weight in Haiti, however it is a Carb fan’s dream come true here in Haiti. Some of the team laid in the sun, or on the grass, while others played rummy.

We all checked out merchandise from local vendors and most of us made a purchase or five. I found that if you buy from one vendor they all start walking up to you asking if you want what they have to sell. I was happy to purchase to Haitian paintings, now if I can get them in my suitcase.

We are now back at the clinic getting ready for bed as we start a new week tomorrow. I wonder what this week will bring; I am guessing tears and laughter just as last week.

I hope all is well at home and in my next blog I would like to discuss travel and rules of the road in Haiti, it is quite comical.

Goodnight all and God Bless!

Krissy Miars RN, BSN

An emotional day in Haiti

Today started like any other day, I woke early to watch the sun rise while listening to the swish, swish of the broom and enjoyed a cup of coffee.

I went downstairs and had breakfast with my fellow team mates who are fabulous. We enjoyed oatmeal with an assortment of toppings, this is our breakfast every day. Everyone went to their stations and began the clinic for the day.

I went with Shellie for the first time for crowd control, where she hand selects who is to be seen at clinic. This is not a job I ever desire to attain.

She tries to make chaos manageable with the help of the Haitians working with us and Darrell. IT is very difficult for me to watch. Everyone wants to be seen and we would love to see everyone, but with limited time down here we try to see the worst cases.

I head back to inside the gate, all the while keeping my composure. I sit out with the providers and enjoy looking at some chunky babies as they smile and show there dimples.

At one point a little boy comes up to me and points to his feet, this means that he wants shoes. I take him to where the shoes are and he points to a pair of tennis shoes that would fit me and he is about 5 years old.

I start digging for another pair of tennis shoes and he lights up and says bon (good) when he spots a pair of shoes that will fit him. It does not matter to him that they are pink and are girl shoes, he is just happy that his feet will be covered.

At the end of the day I get a woman and her two children and the baby needs a breathing treatment. I start the treatment and learn that she has three children and dad has died. The 5 year old boy whose belly is swollen from malnourishment and worms has the biggest darkest emptiest eyes I have ever seen.I try to get him to smile and when he is brought a matchbox car he lights up for a second.

I had some a bundle of dollar bills with 10 ones in it and decided that this is one of the patients I feel would benefit from a few dollars and I handed it to her without anyone else seeing. I followed her outside and carried the 5 year old with the swollen belly and got a small smile out of him.

When the mother was told it was ok for her to go home she came up and hugged me saying merci (thank you). I could not believe how much ten dollars would make a person so happy, we easily throw that away in 10 minutes back home.

At this point the damn is starting to break and I try not to break into a sob. I try to hold back my tears, but in one breath I am sobbing uncontrollably and run into my room.

Shellie informs me that this happens to everyone at least once on this trip. I couldn’t control it I haven’t sobbed as I did today in a long time.

Diane C. reminded me that we are needed here and everyone appreciates us and we do what we can. I agree and we discuss the chubby babies and good things we saw out of the day.

This helps me and I regain my composure. We all head to the beach to cool of in the ocean and a Haitian man swims out to us and asks if we love Jesus, which I responded to with a yes.

He would start singing a contemporary Christian song to which I would join in. It was a pleasant end to a trying day.

God bless you all and continue to pray for us!

Love to everyone.

Krissy Miars RN, BSN  

November team begins work

Bonswa or good evening from Haiti,

I just finished up my first day in clinic and am truly blessed. I am so thankful for this opportunity to work with such beautiful people. The Haitians are amazing. 

Shellie and Darrell went out first thing this morning and selected the patients that we would see for the day. The patients were then sent to triage where a wonderful crew took vital signs and their reason for the visit.

Throughout the day I provided wound care, doctors took care of individuals who have diabetes, high blood pressure and children coming in for checkups, or sent to the surgeon to schedule surgery if needed.

After treatment was provided patients were directed to Mary in the lab for testing if needed and then off to the pharmacy for their medications. A special thank you to all our pill counters!

It is amazing to watch this clinic run so smoothly. Initially I definitely had some culture shock as this is my first time out of the country and my first time in a third world country so it is definitely eye opening for me.

I smiled every time I saw the beautiful smile of the Haitian children who lovingly call us blancs (white). The patients here are so appreciative of our help and wait for hours and sleep under the stars on hard benches for treatment and medication. I easily feel at home here and am glad to be able to assist these individuals.

I would like to discuss one treatment that was performed by a dentist that is here with us.  So we had two motorcycle accident victims and it just amazes me what these individuals walk around with. We have a low tolerance for pain compared to these individuals. So the two victims have been walking around for 2 weeks with a broken jaw for both and one with a broken arm.

The patient with multiple breaks was sent to an orthopedic and the one with just a jaw fracture was treated here by our dentist.

This wonderful dentist used what he had to keep the patients jaw in line for optimal healing. You wonder, what did he use to do this? Well folks he used a coat hanger, you read right a coat hanger that he made into a splint for the patients jaw. It is truly amazing what our doctors will do to help these individuals.

We had a wonderful day and got most of the patients waiting into the clinic and will continue tomorrow morning.

For now the team is going to reflect on the day’s events and try and relax a little. I hope all is well at home!

-  Krissy Miars RN, BSN

Work to be done...

I first heard about FOTCOH from my colleague Dr. Hijinio Carreon, a fellow emergency medicine physician at Mercy Medical Center in Des Moines, Iowa.  He spoke of this experience he had way back when he was in residency in Peoria, Illinois.  I will save him from letting his actual age be known by saying it was “a few years ago”.  He mentioned going on a medical mission trip to Haiti with this organization I had never heard of and that he was looking for others to join him this year.  After more discussion and much thought I decided this would be a great opportunity to “give something back” and help others less fortunate in one of the few ways I know how, through medicine. 

After deciding on making this trip, I still wasn’t quite exactly sure what I was getting into.  I also wasn’t sure why I was called to this particular organization.  I researched the website and thoroughly read the many group emails to gain a better understanding on what we were doing and why.  I found that it is an organization that runs on volunteers and donations in serving.  With that it was time to find some donations.  Since our first conversation, Dr. Carreon had also recruited Andrew Swanson, an EMT at our hospital.  In our search for donations we asked at churches, among our friends and family, and also among other colleagues and coworkers.  So many were willing to share what they had with us.  To those of you reading this, thank you very much for everything you have donated. 

Finally the time arrived to make the journey here.  We ended up taking multiple aircraft in our trip from Des Moines to Port au Prince.  It was during the flight from Port au Prince to Jacmel that I began to understand what FOTCOH is about and why we are here.  From the sky one sees beautiful mountains, green trees, and vegetation.  But in and spread all around these are what appear to be countless buildings with blue roofs. I soon found out that these blue roofs are nothing but tarps that remain from just after the earthquake.  Many homes consist of only tents or these tarps alone while others may have aluminum or cinder block walls.  On our ride to the FOTCOH compound we passed many of these homes.  Many were open to the street with no wall between us passing by and the inhabitants.  One can easily peer into family life.  Children in what little clothing they have, mothers sweeping dirt floors, and fathers, brothers, and sisters selling wares along the side of the road to help support and feed the family.  Despite these conditions the children were still excited to see new people and would run out and wave and smile.  Since arriving I have discovered that many still live in tents and may indefinitely since the earthquake occurred.  They rely on public water for drinking and cooking and electricity is sparse.

The next day was the start of the clinic.  I soon learned that our work days consist of seeing many, many patients.  Each provider sees around 30-50 patients in a given day.  They wait in line sometimes overnight to see the nurses, physicians, and other staff at the clinic.  So many cannot afford shoes, toys, medicines, or any other type of medical care.  They come here to be aided and treated, many of them beaten and wore down.  I soon discovered that what they find when they get here is more than just medical treatment.  They find the people of FOTCOH.  They find people that listen to them attentively and show affection.  They find the touch and reassurance that most need to survive.  We do our best with what we have to make and treat diagnoses.  But many times they are happy to know that they “will be ok”.  It means telling a mother that their young child is growing well and that she is doing a good job feeding and raising him or her.  Or it is telling someone with an injury that he or she will heal.  You can see it in their eyes and hear it in their voices that they appreciate what we are doing.  It can also be witnessed in the smiles of the children as you hold, hug, or even high-five them.  After seeing this I had come to understand why I was called to this organization and to these people of Haiti. 

I’ve heard many discussions among return volunteers in how the patients seem to be much healthier today compared to before FOTCOH was established.  It is proof that this is working and is truly making a difference.  Many volunteers here come regularly while others come once or twice.  I truly applaud all that are involved in what this group is doing. Since my arrival I have come to understand why we are called here and what Friends of the Children of Haiti is about.  While we come from many different backgrounds, both medical and non-medical, we are called here together to help the people of Haiti and our work is on-going. 

Dustin D. Derflinger, D.O.

Dept. of Emergency Medicine

Mercy Medical Center, Des Moines, IA

Glimmer of hope

The last patient today is a three years old girl. The pretty little dress that her grandmother put her in is wrinkled and stained with sweat by the time we see her. It shows us at once that she has made a formidable journey. The grandmother tells us that they have gotten up five that morning to make a four hour journey from Peredo to Cyvadier.

“She says she took the tap-tap, then a motorcycle, and then walked the rest of the way.” The translator explains to us.

Yet, the grandmother greets us with gentleness. There is no hurry or irritation in her demeanor. The one of the little boys she brought with her has no shoes on his scabies-laden feet. The other boy too has scabies. They are both small for their age and very thin. Still, they are just boys. They don’t stay still even for a moment. They play and wander off as their grandmother tries to keep them in line.

The girl, however, stays quiet nestled in her grandmother’s arms. She doesn’t cry or fuss. I can’t tell whether she is just sleepy or seriously ill. Her docility worries me more than the boys’ rambunctiousness. So, I am almost relieved when she breaks out into tears on the exam table. After measuring her, Dr. Trainor plots her weight against her height on the growth chart. She is three standard deviations below average.

Normally, such failure to thrive would be a bad news. But, today, it qualifies her for FOTCOH’s Medika Mamba program. Dr. Trainor brings out the packaged supply and gives detailed instructions to the grandmother.

“She has to put 11 tablespoons of it into the bottle and fill the rest with treated water. Please, tell her that this is serious… that the girl may not survive otherwise.”

Usually cheerful Dr. Trainor looks uncommonly serious. The grandmother nods as the translator relates what he just said.

I am serious too as I think for a moment about the logistics. The children in the Medika Mamba program have to return each week to get a check-up and to receive another week’s supply. Knowing that they live four hours away, I wonder for a second if this frail grandmother would be able to make such a long journey again. Then, I remember how far she has already come. Only strength inspired by love can accomplish such a feat. So, I feel a little glimmer of hope as I see them leave. 

- Yoo Jin Na

The whisper

She had a very serious look as she talked softly to Roger, our Pharmacy interpreter. The room was noisy and Roger had to concentrate to hear her. He had given her medication for her children to take when they got home. But something of a much more serious nature was on her mind. Roger did not know her, but he is the kind of person that can be trusted.

Haitians are known to be emotional and outspoken, which made her demeanor unusual. A mother with children in Haiti has a formidable task. The January earthquake complicated the task further, destroying homes, killing family members, interrupting food shipments, etc. All the more reason for the woman to be emotional and vocal about her situation. But she was talking to Roger in a whisper.

I was taking trays of medication to the interpreters and saw the look on her face. Roger stood motionless, patiently listening to her. It is my job to make sure that patients understand the medication instructions, as explained by the Haitian interpreters. Often, I watch the faces of the patients to see if they seem to understand. When they seem confused or overwhelmed, I ask the interpreter to have the patient repeat back what they had just heard. I waited and watched for a moment to interrupt the conversation.

Roger is usually doing the talking, but not this time. He stood quietly and listened. She continued to talk to him, as if she was making her case over and over. Sometimes, the patient asks the interpreter for additional medications for aches or pains. Our rule at the FOTCOH Pharmacy is that the provider (physician, dentist, nurse practitioner, etc.) must
prescribe the medications, not the pharmacist.

Then, quickly as it started, she was gone. Roger stood for a moment in silence. I walked up to him and asked about their conversation. Was there a problem with our medication? Had we missed something in our workup of her children¹s health assessment? Roger paused a moment, as if he would have preferred to move on to the next patient.

She is the mother of both of those children. She doesn't have a husband. Her home was wrecked in the earthquake. She and her children are living in a temporary shelter, like one of the millions of blue plastic tarps or tents visible from the airplane flying over Port-au-Prince. Temporary shelters that will be gone in the first "siklon" (Haitian creole
for hurricane).

Roger continued, "She did not have any problems with the medications, but she asked if we (FOTCOH) could give her any food or money to buy some food for her children. They had not had any food to eat for a couple of days." Unfortunately, this is not the first time that Roger heard this request from a patent coming to the FOTCOH clinic. It happens every day.

I am proud of the work we do in the FOTCOH Pharmacy, bringing medication for our providers to use and explaining how to take the medication. There are many problems in Haiti and it will take the combined efforts of many organizations like FOTCOH to bring up the standard of living. For one woman and one Haitian interpreter, the problems were very real that day.

- Bob Hoy, Pharm D.

Gerald Jean

When Gerald entered the room, everyone lit up and jumped up to embrace him. Not knowing who he is, I was startled by all the commotion. But, as soon as I had my first conversation with him, I knew why he was so well liked. Smart, articulate, and yet unaffected; he told me the incredible story of his life without an ounce of presumption.

He told me that he first met Barbara and Richard when the FOTCOH clinic was being built. Only sixteen at the time, he was working on site.

“Dick asked me why I was not going to school.”

It had not occurred to him before that he could go to school. His family simply could not afford it. Then, Richard suggested finding him a sponsor through FOTCOH’s sponsor program. Next thing he knew, he was going to school and getting excellent grades. Inspired by his experiences on the clinic construction site, he knew he wanted to work on designing and constructing buildings that are functional and safe.

“I wanted to build house that would stand in earthquakes and hurricanes. I didn’t know what that meant at the time, but I knew it was what I wanted to do.”

His dreams took on a new meaning after the recent disaster. Unfortunately, however, his college, Universite Richard Leconte, was destroyed in the earthquake and his education suddenly halted. He was just one year away from getting his civil engineering degree. With many of the professors deceased, school could not offer all of its courses even when it did resume.

Nonetheless, he did not waste time despairing. He found work with international NGO called Medair that builds shelters for the earthquake victims. And, on Saturdays, he travels two hours on rough terrain from Jacmel to Port-Au-Prince to continue his education. With his school still in jeapordy, he is currently planning to finish his education in Dominican Republic. Even as he talks about the uncertainties of his situation, his face beamed with optimism and confidence. Looking at him, I felt hopeful yet apprehensive. 

How many other could-have-been-Gerald-Jeans are out there? I shutter to think what would have happened if Dick had not taken the initiative to encourage him. Such failing could have robbed Haiti of a much needed mind and talent. Thus, I reflect again on the power of a lending hand. Small sacrifices that we make can mean a brighter future not only for one individual but for a whole village, town, city, and sometimes the whole nation. 

- Yoo Jin Na

A patient's journey at the clinic

Waiting in a long line, some overnight to get to the check in to start the patient chart for the visit weight and vitals done. Each hand that they encounter there to help.

This patient is a 6-month-old with a fever and cough for 3 days. Infant appears very tired and not feeding well per mom's report. A somewhat anxious mom patiently waits thru each step of the process.

Exam by MD reveals probable pneumonia. Patient is given 2 breathing treatments, antibiotic injection, and some pedialyte and formula fed by syringe. Mom is given a prescription for an antibiotic, and inhaler given with spacer to use at home made with paper cup to attach to the end of inhaler. Mom was taught how to use this for the patient along with how to syringe and bottle feed her infant and given a return to clinic card for the next day to start the process all over again.

Next day reveals infant not feeding well mom again taught to syringe and bottle-feed. Breathing greatly improved. Mom and infant seem more at peace, and grateful for the care.

What a blessing to be part of a process for each of us to truly touch a life, and our heart forever. 

- Chris Hoy

"Small things"

We’ve been in Haiti for three days now, and I still wake up anticipating what we might see today, when we open the front gate to the clinic. We have seen a great many people, and all of them exhibit great need. We have pediatricians, doctors, nurses, and surgeons, who see patients to heal them. All our instincts push us to do great things to help them. But, sometimes even little things can make a difference.

I have come to the FOTCOH clinic as a Physical Therapist to help these people however I can.  I have been working in triage, taking blood pressures and heart rates as part of the initial assessment of patients at the clinic. I have taken inventory of our therapy supplies and equipment to support almost any injured part of the body. But most of the day I check people’s heart rate and blood pressure.

Late in the day a gentleman sits down in front of me with an appointment to see the surgeon. I take his blood pressure and write it down. I notice that he has walked many miles over the mountain rising north of the clinic. His threadbare shoes are red with clay. His shirt is worn and smuged with dirt. He is in his 80’s and his cane is worn so that only the metal bar rests in his hand. Calloused, thin hands shake mine after I am done with my measurements. He thanks me and walks over to a bench to wait for the surgeon. I ask him to wait before he leaves, and after looking through our supplies, I am able to find a water-resistant foam cushion for his cane.  He thanks me, and continues on to see the surgeon.  I know that the surgeon will be able to give him more vital medical care than I have, but I watch him walking away, gripping a cane that has been rejuvenated and I know his journey home will be easier.  

I want to do great things for our patients, but every small act we perform here makes a difference, maybe even more than we can anticipate. That is why I come to Haiti.

-Chris Hoy

September team arrives

Our team arrived in Port-au-Prince yesterday afternoon. From there, we took another 30 minute flight to Jacmel. Then, we took a bumpy ride on the back of a tap-tap to get to Cyvadier.

When we finally arrived at the clinic, I was surprised to find patients already waiting for us outside the gate. Founder of FOTCOH, Richard Hammond, told us that patients often come the day before the clinic opens so that they could be first to be seen the next morning. It was obvious that the whole community has been anticipating our arrival. 

When we went out early this morning to meet these patients, their numbers have multiplied into a crowd. Many waved their “return to clinic cards” in front of us hoping to enter. Fortunately, our veteran volunteers knew exactly what to do and made sure we worked efficiently. Thus, we were able to take care of all those who needed to be seen.

I took advantage of a rare slow moment in the triage to visit the new “water factory.” There, we met a young, Haitian man named Ernst. He greeted us in fluent English and showed us around. He explained that FOTCOH has partnered with a nonprofit organization in Puerto Rico to deliver reusable water filters to the local community.

Ernst, who is in charge of the project’s development, actually went to Puerto Rico to master the filter-making technique. He came upon the opportunity while working for FOTCOH. Artistically inclined, he was familiar with ceramics. Moreover, he spoke Spanish as well, making him a perfect fit for this project. 

In such ways, FOTCOH has encouraged local residents to take active part in bettering their community. Moreover, this project is being developed with sustainability in mind. The filter itself is made from clay, which is readily available. And, the kiln is fired with sugar cane leaves.

These filters are planned to be distributed to about three hundred families who are being sponsored by FOTCOH. If successful, this project will benefit the community greatly by decreasing incidences of waterborne diseases. It was refreshing to see how FOTCOH has worked with others to find a creative solution to a major healthcare concern.

- Yoo Jin Na