More Intensive Educational Sessions, Hands-On Ultrasound and Meetings with Officials Mark Day Three

The third day of our visit provided intensive morning didactic/interactive sessions on ultrasound of the liver and gall bladder given by Rusty Brown, M.D. and pediatric orthopedic ultrasound provided by Jennifer Nicholas, M.D. The afternoon sessions were highlighted by orthopedic ultrasound hands-on ultrasound sessions led by Lacy Gandor, RDMS.

Rusty Brown, M.D. provides a lend lecture on ultrasound of the liver during the third day of trip.

Amused residents enjoy listening to lecture from Jennifer Nicholas, M.D. Dr. Nicholas provided an extensive lecture on the use of orthopedic ultrasound in children.

During the afternoon, Drs. Brown, Ernst Garcon, M.D. and Brad Short visited with officials from Grace Children’s Hospital and took a tour of their new educational facility as well as their radiology department. Former Health Minister and current Medical Director, Dr. Josette Bijou provided an update on the radiological needs of GCH and the future prospects for expansion. Additionally, Dr. Bijou discussed the ongoing efforts of GCH to provide public health outreach in Haiti.  The hospital was significantly damaged during the January 2010 earthquake.

During the late afternoon, the team met with Dr. Georges Michel, Interim Chair of Radiology at the University Hospital. Dr. Michel noted that the residents were greatly appreciative of the added instruction provided by the ACR Foundation and dedicated teams from Imaging4Change and RAD-International. He noted the short, medium and longer-term goals of the department as they pertain to the existing and future new facility. He was further appreciative of the individual efforts of US radiologists to bring the senior residents to the US as part of observership programs and attendance at various US radiological meetings including the ACR, RSNA and SPR meetings. Finally, he expressed his thanks for the learning materials provided to enhance their study and development. 

The team also met with Drs. Mainville and Telemaque of the University Hopsital. The two leaders provided some context for the future facility and overall planning goals for medicine and radiology in the country. They both expressed their sincere appreciation for the long-term support of the ACRF and discussed the ramp-up of new technologies and the specific needs that it will impose for radiologist and technologist training as well as referring physicians as they begin utilizing newer modalities and move to the use of electronic health records and PACS systems. The ACRF, along with other stakeholder groups, was asked to assist in the radiology department design and establish a proper timetable for the introduction of the new technology. Discussions ensued about the plans for a new radiologic technologist program, the need for maintenance training of individuals in Haiti to keep equipment operating, the need for medical physicists to ensure optimal image quality and lower radiation dose and the desire for facilities to work more closely together to ensure improved health outcomes for Haiti’s residents. The ACRF was and is honored to play a small role in this transitional process.