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Patient Levels in El Salvador Reach Record Highs
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August
continued the trend of increased patient flow at the FIMRC clinic in Las
Delicias, El Salvador. The total number
of patients attended reached 304! Upper respiratory infections (24%) and
ear, nose, and throat conditions (24%) constituted the most prevalent cases
treated in August. The cohorts with the largest presence in the clinic
were children ranging from 1 to 10 years old (72%). Six different health
education sessions were also incorporated into clinic outreach, with
discussions focusing on dengue fever, nutrition, micro health insurance, and
the importance of prenatal checkups.
Kids Play Outside FIMRC Clinic in Las Delicias
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Clinic
services are expanding to meet the needs of the growing population, with
partnerships being formed to introduce psychological consultation services and
initiate dialogue on different mental health issues within the community. The sustained increase in patients seeking treatment attests to the impact of FIMRC's
commitment to the underserved in Las Delicias and the dedication of field staff. To learn more about the project site in Las Delicias, click on the image.
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Language Tailor Offers Free Spanish Language Resource
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FIMRC's national partner,
Language Tailor, has designed an e-book that covers some of the fundamentals of Medical Spanish. The text covers how to
introduce yourself, greet patients, obtain personal information, ask about symptoms, and describe medical conditions.
Terms used to refer to the external parts of the body, family
relationships, common illnesses, and different types of medication are also included . Lastly, you'll acquire basic
reading comprehension skills as well as cultural insights into the Hispanic world.
This resource is being
offered absolutely free on Language Tailor's website. Studies have shown that better communication means
better care for patients. Language
Tailor's commitment to equipping the next generation of medical professionals
with proficiency in Spanish makes it the vanguard of online medical Spanish
language instruction. To take advantage of this unique opportunity click on the Language Tailor logo! |
FIMRC Launches "Young Professionals Networks" Program
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FIMRC is pleased to announce an exciting program
designed to welcome a new demographic into the FIMRC family. Starting this fall, FIMRC will be introducing
"Young Professionals Networks" to our line-up of programming. These networks are geographically centered
organizations of young professionals that are designed to engage entire
communitie s and work on disseminating the mission of FIMRC. Motivated and enthusiastic professionals will
host fund raising events, participate in community fairs, conduct public
outreach, and let others know what is going on at FIMRC project sites.
FIMRC
envisions that YPNs will give former college chapter members and members of the
community at large a rallying point to support the mission of FIMRC, even when
they are not volunteering abroad. If you
are interested in starting a YPN in your city, please contact Sarah Haney,
Director of Volunteer Programs at sarah.haney@fimrc.org.
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Slán, Dorothy!
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FIMRC would like to
thank Dorothy Byrne for all of her hard work and dedication over the past year.
Without Dorothy's vision and attention to detail, the Global Health
Volunteer Program would not have flourished as it has. She has also
impacted the overall operations of headquarters and the efficiency in which
sites receive donations. The entire FIMRC team would like to wish Dorothy
the best of luck in her future endeavors!
Dorothy Pictured on Husband's Album Cover  |
While
we are sad to see Dorothy leave, we are extremely excited to announce our
newest Global Operations Manager, Anna DiColli. Anna was an
Ambassador for FIMRC in 2008 and 2009 and has recently joined the FIMRC team in
Philadelphia. She will be spearheading many projects for the Global
Health Volunteer Program as well as strengthening our outreach for all of our
project sites and managing several new initiatives to take FIMRC to the next
level. Anna brings a unique passion and vision to the team that we look
forward to sharing with the entire FIMRC network.
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Program Manager Visits Project Peru
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Zainab
Ghadiyali, Program Manager for Project Peru, conducted a site visit from August
14th-25th. During
this time, Zainab visited Agallpampa, Huancayo, and Trujillo. She was taken aback by the uniqueness each
FIMRC site possesses in terms of public health initiatives and cultural
diversity. As she toured facilities, spoke
with clinicians, and interacted with public and social health workers, she witnessed
first-hand the synergy between FIMRC's role and the needs of the community. Zainab's praise for the group of FIMRC team
members on the ground iZainab Smiles Alongside Su Nueva Amigita
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ethic and enthusiasm for the Global Health Volunteer Program is a couple of
outstanding qualities present among Project Peru.
In
the coming months Project Peru will implement a mobile health clinic, run and
sponsor a holistic HIV home that includes a health tracking system, and enhance
assessment of health education sessions. Apart from these projects, Project Peru will
continuously identify existing best practices and address areas for
improvement. To see pictures from
Zainab's site visit, please click on the image.
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Summer 2010 Ambassador Highlight
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Congratulations
to the FIMRC Ambassador Summer Class 2010! You have gone above and beyond the call of
duty and your hard work has established a solid foundation on which to continue
moving forward with FIMRC's mission. Thank
you for your dedication to the FIMRC International Community and welcome home. Here is a highlight of all you accomplished
over just a few short months.
Headquarters: Andrew Salim, electronic medical records research, special project
support; Luisa Armstrong, FIMRC
competitor analysis, Student Health Manual for Project Bumwalukani; Travis Redd, research and logistics for
the Malaria Mitigation Campaign at Project Bumwalukani; Kevin Lee, site-wide project cost analysis, benefits model for
Micro Health Insurance Program at Project Las Delicias, Chaptership Program
outreAmbassador Gieric Paints Mural with Salvadoran Youth
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El Salvador: Steve Purcell, electronic medical records Practice Fusion pilot
program; Gieric Laput, art as a
complementary mental health initiative and community development pilot program;
Jon Hezghia, research and proposal
for a potable water system at Las Delicias elementary and secondary school.
Nicaragua: Ian Farnham, community-wide dental health campaign; Paul Roettges, First Aid for youth and
community leaders.
Costa Rica: Ameer Elbuluk, electronic medical records research, cost analysis of adult vs. child care, analysis of
trends in diagnosis.
Peru: Kaitlin Ahern, "Viviendas
Saludables"- improved baseline health through positive behavioral changes
pilot program; Susan Ondak, "Inglés para Salud"-combined interactive
English and health curriculum pilot program.
Uganda: Shane
O'Brien, improve
and expand upon FIMRC's existing Volunteer Counseling and Testing Program for
HIV/AIDS positive adults and children.
For
anyone unfamiliar with the FIMRC Ambassador Program, now is the time to find
out! The Ambassador Program was created
to provide determined and self-driven individuals with an opportunity to have a
fully engaged experience in the non-profit, international health world. Ambassadors are required to devote 1 to 6
months of service to one of our international sites or headquarters. They collaborate with local community health
leaders, FIMRC staff, and Global Health Volunteers to identify a challenge the
site is facing, investigate innovative solutions, and implement their
recommendations, thus actively addressing the challenge. It is the perfect combination of long-term
cultural immersion and sustainable project development/ management in the field
of international health.
For more information on the
FIMRC Ambassador Program, please contact Angela Supernaw, Director of Special
Projects, at ambassadors@fimrc.org.
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FIMRC Social Media Campaign Underway
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Ezell, a senior at Wabash College in Indiana, founded the FIMRC chapter on
campus and currently serves as president.
Jake was a Global Health Volunteer during Spring Break 2010 at Project
Las Delicias in El Salvador. Upon his
return he posted his journey and those of his fellow volunteers on a blog hosted
by Wabash College. The link was shared with
FIMRC field staff and eventually made its way to upper management. The content's ability to capture a "day in
the life" of a Global Health Volunteer impressed FIMRC and opened up dialog. Discussions surrounding Jake's interests led
to him linking up with FIMRC as the new Public Relations Coordinator.
Jake Taking Vitals at Clinic in Las Delicias
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Jake
will be responsible for the management and upkeep of FIMRC's social media
campaign that will involve Facebook, Twitter, Flickr, YouTube, and a brand new
blog that is coming soon. Jake may be
reaching out to some Global Health Volunteer Program alumni in the near future
to request pictures, videos, and most importantly, stories. For those who had a fantastic experience or underwent
a life-changing event while working with FIMRC, please let Jake know! He will post your contribution on the FIMRC blog
and share your story with the world.
FIMRC's
social media campaign aims to connect Global Health Volunteer Program alumni with
future participants all while promoting the mission of FIMRC. For more information on FIMRC's social media
campaign, please contact Jake Ezell, Public Relations Coordinator, at jake.ezell@fimrc.org.
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FIMRC Team Member Highlight: Elena Phoutrides
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Elena
Phoutrides, Assistant Field Operations Manager for Project Bumwalukani in
Uganda, has been very busy as of late.
The Maternal-Child Health Program highlighted in last month's newsletter
was born out of the shared vision of Elena and her fellow team members. ImplemenElena Phoutrides & Colleague Lisa Umphrey  | tation of the program was due in
large part to Elena's proactive nature.
Project Bumwalukani's next legacy project is the Community Health Educators Sponsorship Program, set to launch soon. Once again, Elena has been a lead figure in
the design and website application for what has the potential of becoming one
of FIMRC's most noteworthy accomplishments of 2010.
FIMRC
is fortunate to have Elena as a member of its international team. Thank you, Elena, for all that you do.
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