[Washington, DC - October 5, 2012] Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) is delighted to announce the launch of a new wound care program in Deschapelles, Haiti at Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (HAS). The program was created in partnership with Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC) and HAS.  

Hôpital Albert Schweitzer is a rural hospital serving approximately 300,000 impoverished Haitians living in the Artibonite Valley, covering an area of 610 square miles. It is located in Deschapelles, a town located three hours north of Port Au Prince. At present, there is no specific wound care program at HAS and wound management is typically provided during nursing rounds. The majority of wounds are traumatic or orthopedic in nature. However, diabetic foot/ulcers, abscesses, pressure ulcers, and burns are seen as well.

The primary goals of this program are to provide basic wound care training to nursing staff at HAS and to integrate physicians and rehabilitation staff into training when appropriate to improve overall standard of care.

Volunteers must be licensed active or retired nurses, physicians, or physical/occupational therapists specializing in wound care. Volunteers are required to submit a proposed wound care course outline and content prior to their assignment. Due to the additional security concerns present in Haiti, volunteers are also required to have three to five years clinical experience and prior international experience working and/or teaching in developing countries similar to Haiti. Assignments will be two weeks in length and scheduled twice a year, in the January through March and July through September timeframes. Volunteers will be part of two person teams. Interested individuals are encouraged to contact the HVO Program Department.

HVO's Wound & Lymphedema Management Programs are a partnership with the Association for the Advancement of Wound Care (AAWC) and its global initiative, the AAWC Global Volunteers.  The AAWC is the preeminent, multidisciplinary organization for advanced wound care. As a not-for-profit association, AAWC gives members numerous benefits to build a collaborative wound care community. The association exists to be the leader in interdisciplinary wound healing and tissue preservation.

Health Volunteers Overseas is a private, nonprofit organization founded in 1986 to improve global health through the education of local health care providers. In 26 years of service, HVO's training has transformed lives through the design and implementation of clinical and didactic education programs in child health, primary care, trauma and rehabilitation, essential surgical care, oral health, blood disorders and cancer, infectious disease, nursing education and wound management. In more than 25 resource-poor countries, HVO volunteers train, mentor and provide critical professional support to health care providers who care for the neediest populations in the most difficult of circumstances. For more information, visit the HVO website.

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