People signed in to a log book and then were presented with gifts of socks and ponchos. Next, they stood in line patiently waiting for a hot dinner of chicken, carnitas, rice, beans, tortillas, and various types of cakes.

The warm atmosphere along with the lively Christmas music playing in the ackground lifted everybody’s spirits and allowed them to converse and relax in a safe, comforting environment.

While signing in people at the doors and handing out desserts, I was able to get to know the folks a little better, whether it be their preference for strawberries or peaches or their love for rock music.  My experience at the event was very rewarding.  I realized how grateful I should be for everything I have taken for granted my whole life. Hearing them thank me graciously, I came to the realization that even the little things we do can mean a lot.  Although a dinner and a mat to sleep on for one night may not seem like much, it holds a huge significance for the homeless and provides them with a place they can call home, at least for the night.

By Brittany

Global Health Force is happy to announce that the net total amount raised from the 2011 Global Gala Event was $40,220. Thank you to everyone who donated or purchased tickets to the event. A special thank you to our anonymous donor who made a matching gift of $10,000 at the event.

(Last minute donors not included above: Brenda Walsh B’s Baubles, Norman San Pedro Hilario (Architect), Vista Investments, Salustri Wines, and Harbour Surf Shops of Seal Beach)

Thank you to the Master of Ceremony Attorney Conor French, COO and CFO of the nonprofit Indego Africa, who travelled all the way from New York to help us.

Thank you to all the performers who donated their time and talent to our Global Gala event: The Charles Orena Saxophone Quartet, Awaya Kai Koto Music Conservatory, and Dance 1 Studio.

Thank you to Bissonne Moliere, RN and Dr. Amy Nguyen for speaking at the gala to share their experiences and reflections from the medical missions.

Thank you to  the volunteers who helped plan and put together the event Thank you also to the volunteers who worked at the event and cleaned up afterwards. Your hard work helped make the event a success.

Thank you to all the people who came to the gala to celebrate with us and to raise needed funds for Global Health Force.

This was my fifth trip time with Global Health Force.  I’ve been to Vietnam, Haiti, Dominican Republic and now India with Dr. Tran and other volunteers.  The main reason why I go is to find a sense of purpose by serving the poor and needy.  I enjoy the bonding experience with other volunteers; the beautiful
landscapes of Vietnam and Dominican Republic; and amazing cultural exchanges in Haiti and India.   I was born in Vietnam and immigrated here at a very young age.  Given my immigrant story and background as a family physician, I carry a longing desire and commitment to give back to the underserved where access to medical care is limited.

In our current trip to India, we had several challenges along with many  highlights.  We were able to administer primary care to people in villages outside the city limits of Bangalore, to retired senior citizens in a nursing home, and to street children at a local youth home.   We tasted some of the best Indian food at our hotel and local restaurants. I was able to perform minor surgeries on more patients in India than I have in any of our other trips.

Some of our challenges involved getting acclimated to the culture and the traffic in Bangalore.  If you think L.A. traffic is horrendous, you haven’t been to Bangalore. With 10 million people residing in the city, sometimes it took us close to 2 hours to go 15 miles.  In Vietnam,
we’re used to getting up when the rooster crows at 5am and getting on the bus to arrive at the local village by 8am.  We would work straight through lunch until the afternoon before boarding our bus to go back to the hotel.  In India, we started our bus ride at 8am and would arrive around 10am at the local work site.  Then, we were invited to have tea with the administrator and didn’t begin work until a bit later.  Around 1pm, lunch would be offered, and then afternoon tea.  Needless to say, we were not accustomed to the culture, and this caused some frustration for me because I am used to American time and maximizing our efforts to see as many people as possible in one examining day.

What I have valued the most from my trips with Global Health Force is the ability to balance work and fun.What you may not know is that all the volunteers spend their vacation time and hard-earned money to go on these trips.  While it is true that they would like the humbling exerience of helping the poor and needy, it is just as important to share with the volunteers rich cultural experiences along with the surrounding sights and sounds.  A balance of fun and hard work is wrapped all together in a rewarding and humbling gift to treasure for a lifetime.

This is pretty much the reason why I return to work with Global Health Force every year.  I knew that although I would have to work hard and travel long hours to reach the people, I knew that I would have some down time to enjoy the cultural delights that India has to offer.

I believe that the Indian patients, who came into our primitive, man-made “clinics,” all had in common a sense of gratitude and  ppreciation for our work and presence in their country.  It didn’t matter if you’re playing the role of doctor, nurse, or pharmacist, you are
given the gift of a genuine smile and thank you with every life that you touch. As a doctor working with Global Health Force, I am inspired by the amount of generosity of the volunteers and graced by the kindness of the Indian people.  Our patients have limited means
to pay for their health care; most of them do not know how to say thank you in English; but they have the uncanny ability to give me a lasting memory about my trip—whether it’s a smile from a baby receiving a stuffed toy animal or a squeal of laughter from a young boy playing soccer with some of our volunteers.

These patients are not as fortunate as you and I.  Often times, they do not know how they are going to feed their families; how they are going to afford for their kids to go to school; how they are going to make a living; or how they are going to pay for the medicines to treat their diabetes and hypertension.  Global Health Force not only provides free health care and several months supply of free medicine, they work with local volunteers to help pay for staple foods, mosquito nets, blankets, and general household supplies.  Also, we bring over huge suitcases full of donated toys for the children of the local community.

We are not like the other international organizations that have fancy doctors performing complicated cataract surgeries or life changing cleft lip operations.  We are a group of ordinary people with simple missions to work together with our counterparts around the world to deliver medical care, education, resources, and supplies to those most in need so that they might have a more hopeful and productive future, and to live a more dignified life.

With all that I give and teach to our patients abroad, it pales in comparison to the bountiful gift of grace and humility that our patients give me in return.  They teach me that simplicity, kindness, and love can offer beauty and peace into my life no matter where I am.  That is the lasting feeling I bring back with me to the USA, and I hope lasts all year long…or at least until the next time I travel on my medical missions.

To be a part of Global Health Force as a family physician, a woman, and a volunteer is a tremendous experience that I recommend for everyone.  No matter our profession, gender, age, or language of choice, the gift of volunteering provides immense joy and rewarding humility that lasts a lifetime and lives deep within our soul for all the days to come.  What I realize from my volunteer experiences is that I am not healing the poor, sick and needy, but they are lifting my spirits and leave me richer than ever before.

Dr. Amy Nguyen

Christmas Eve 2010: Global Health Force sponsored a holiday dinner for the homeless at the Santa Ana through the Armory Emergency Shelter. Our volunteers served tacos with carnitas and carne asada, fried rice, egg rolls, steamed vegetables, and a variety of cakes and beverages. GHF gave out backpacks, rain ponchos, socks, and nail clippers.

GHF strives to serve the poor and underserved in our local communities as well as those living abroad. We are always looking for local partners and opportunities to help those in need at home.

The astounding success of this mission began with the backbone of Global Health Force (GHF): the Pharmacy.  In past GHF clinics, the pharmacy has often struggled to keep up with the prescription orders for the hundreds of patients who have been waiting sometimes hours for medical care.  On this trip, however, the pharmacy not only filled prescriptions with lightning speed, but also handed out baseball cards.  This level of efficiency can be at least partially attributed to the fact that 60 percent of the pharmacy volunteers on the trip were attorneys.  However, as all volunteers for Haiti/DR 2011 can attest to, the main factors contributing to the competence displayed by the pharmacy volunteers were clearly hard work and good looks.

Another bright spot in the GHF rotation for Haiti/DR 2011 was the equally good-looking nursing staff.  When not posing for pictures with the cutest kids ever or icing their ears from hours of stethoscope abuse, these wonderful nurses could always be seen putting smiles on faces of anxious Haitian and Dominican patients.  The nursing group, which consisted of savvy elder stateswoman Elaine, spiritual leader Bissonne, body fluid specialist Kat, palliative care expert Noriko, and the heroic male-nurse Cullen, can also be proud of accomplishments such as setting up a mobile ICU for a patient experiencing seizures and getting the entire clinic dancing during “Nurse Time!”.

Global Health Force also brought a terrific, diverse, and experienced group of healthcare practitioners to Haiti and the Dominican Republic.  These MD’s, NP’s, and PA’s always knew exactly which antibiotic to prescribe and exactly where to apply antifungal ointments.

The Haiti/DR 2011 GHF volunteers as a whole displayed enormous heart by bringing their years of training thousands of miles to help strangers in one of the most impoverished places in the world.  This is what I love most about Global Health Force and why I will continue to go on GHF missions as long as I can contribute: the privilege of spending time with a group of people with hearts so big.  If we were able to give back to the people in our clinics just a fraction of the joy that we volunteers take from the trips, I am happy.

Cullen Torsney

During our first clinic day it was hard to not become overwhelmed with the sea of patients who all needed so much.  But at the same time it felt so satisfying to be able to help meet some of these needs.  Many patients showed the physical manifestations of life long manual laborers working long hours bent over in rice or coffee fields.  This meant that we saw a lot back pain!  For many people, just providing something as simple as a pain medication like Advil helped to improve their quality of life.

It was very hard to see many patients with advanced diseases that if they had the resources, could have been easily preventable.  One example of this was a man who had such severe Gout that his hands, elbows, knees, ankles and feet had become permanently deformed, and all we could do was to help alleviate some of his pain.  It was very sad knowing that if he could have had access to a simple, inexpensive, daily, preventative medication he would still have full, uninhibited use of his limbs.

All of the patients needed so much, but were so grateful for whatever little things we could provide them.  So many appreciative smiling faces greeted us at each of our stops. I think that it helped many patients just to know that there were people from all the way across the world that cared about them and wanted to help them.

In the afternoons and evenings, once all our work was done, we were able to get to experience some of the wonderful, interesting flavors of Vietnamese cuisine. We also had time to get to know each other.  Although we came from all different places and different backgrounds we were all united in our desire to help serve those in need. This trip would not have been as successful as it was without all of the hard work of each and every volunteer and without all of the labor-intensive preparations of the organizers of the Global Health Force.

Jennifer Timmons, MD

These are the words that continually return to me, thinking back to my medical trip to the Dominican Republic with Global Health Force. They were the first words that Dr. Vivian Credidio, a psychologist from Los Angeles serving as a medical interpreter, used when we asked her to describe the day she had taken to explore the village outside Baharona (an impoverished but wonderfully vibrant town in the southwest region of the DR). She told us about riding the small and cramped guaguas (small buses the size of minivans used for public transportation), and meeting the frail but energetic elderly woman who was determined to be Vivian’s personal guide around the little town. Vivian told us about being greeted by a smile and song by the people on the streets (she being the clear foreigner), despite the sense of struggle that existed in the air.

Vivian’s day in the town encapsulates what we all felt on that trip—the power of hope. Twenty-five strangers of all ages and from all walks of life were brought together by Dr. Thuy Tran and Peace Corps veterans, to deliver medical services, treatment and latrine building to the people of Santo Domingo, Baharona, Bahoruco and the Haitian bateyes. We all came to this place of service for different reasons, answering different callings. For me, the need to serve grew in the wake of the devastating earthquake in neighboring Haiti. It felt like fate when Dr. Tran told me about her upcoming trip to the southwest region of the DR, where we would be caring for Haitians as well—Haitian people living as third-class citizens in the DR, because of their immigration status. As the daughter of Mexican immigrants, the job especially called to me.

Having been deeply engrossed in a public health research fellowship for the past year, I was happily propelled back into patient care. On July 9, 2010, we were on our journey from Los Angeles to the island country of Santo Domingo. Clinically, it was an invigorating experience to return to. We ran makeshift clinics out of the local schools, with the organizing help of Peace Corps volunteers in the area. We diagnosed and treated hypertension, diabetes, asthma and heart failure. We provided medication for run-of-the mill ailments: allergies, low back pain, headaches, and dehydration.  We treated scabies and upper respiratory infections. It felt good to help people who had no other recourse in terms of medical care. But many of us providers were also left with a sense of “what now?”— we cared for 1000 patients over the course of the week. How would these people fare when they ran out of their medications? Where would they go? What would happen to the young children, when starvation and intestinal parasitic infections were at the root of their nutritional deficiencies.

For so much good that was happening before our eyes, it was difficult not to become frustrated by the visions of poverty and injustice. The most difficult moment for me came when we worked at Batey Number Nine. A batey is a town consisting of barracks and a few houses, located close to cane fields, historically owned by the sugar cane companies. Every year for seventy years or more, seasonal immigrants from Haiti arrived to work the sugar harvest in the DR. The migrants were lodged in rooms at the bateyes (sometimes with no facilities) and often found that they were not free to leave their batey. Actually, it was not uncommon for us to see armed Dominican guards in the neighboring areas—our driver explained that this was basically to keep illegal Haitians from roaming about. We learned that the Dominican government provides fewer public services to bateyes than to similarly sized communities in the rest of the country, as bateyes are regarded as exceptions to the country’s governance system. It is often left to the State Sugar Council (CEA: Consejo Estatal de Azúcar) or private companies to provide basic services, a responsibility that all too often they do not fulfill. Since the Haitians who originally filled the bateyes were not legal immigrants, their children have been denied citizenship papers. Without citizenship papers, these children of Haitian immigrants (even if born on Dominican soil) cannot receive the benefits that normal Dominican citizens reap.

There was something different about the poverty we encountered in Batey Number Nine. It wasn’t the barren landscape or the row after row of concrete shanty houses, or the schoolhouse with an uneven dirt floor. I was struck by the loss of freedom. I remember one of my co-workers saying with tears in her eyes “You know, I’ve obviously never seen a concentration camp, but this is what I’d imagine that would feel like.” That sense of entrapment weighed heavily on everyone. The low and high point of that day—when a 12 year-old malnourished boy of Haitian descent, living in conditions no child should live in, offered me some candy as a gift after his medical check-up. He was generous with the little he possessed. He gave all he had.

Despite the palpable weight of injustice, that gift of human strength and giving colored our trip with beauty. This is what I will always keep in my memory from those days in July—the medical team patiently giving their undivided attention and sympathy to each of their patients, no matter how complicated or irremediable the issue. I’ll remember how Dr. Laura Kim brought a Polaroid camera to take pictures of patients with their families, pictures for those patients to keep. I’ll remember the young men and women from our group working alongside community members in the humid heat to build 25 new latrines for the residents of the Los Patos village. I’ll remember the hugs that we gave each other after long days, and the silly jokes on the back of the bus. I’ll remember everything that I learned about the DR in the front seat of our van—no better social commentary than that coming through the unfiltered eyes of a seasoned driver. I’ll remember dancing the last night away in the Los Patos village with my co-workers, as the residents taught us bachata in the streets (and in the rain!). I’ll remember the enveloping hug that the woman who prepared our dinner on the last evening, gave to me. I had forgotten that she was also a patient I tended to during one of our earlier clinic days. She didn’t let me forget. She embraced me, turned to her friend and said “Ella es mi doctora” (“She is my doctor”). It was a trip full of color.

 by Alejandra Casillas, MD

The 11-person team organized through Global Health Force united to help and serve the people of Haiti. On January 12, 2010, the people of Haiti were struck by a devastating 7.0 earthquake. Many countries responded to appeals for humanitarian aid, and dispatching rescue and medical teams. Our team traded the comfort of our homes, and even vacation time, to take part in a once-in-a-lifetime experience. We saw approximately 400-500 patients each day amongst the 7 providers. I enjoyed the autonomy of seeing patients without having to document on charts. I polished up on my history-taking and physical examination skills due to the lack of resources such as a computer, radiology or laboratory. This was a humbling experience. We clinically diagnosed malaria, secondary syphilis, rectal prolapse, dysentery, and so much more.

But it was the stories that were the most inspiring, and the people who I had a chance to work with that brought meaning to this trip.

A 7-year-old boy who had an above-the-knee amputation of his right leg was running around with his crutches in the entrance of the hospital.

The social worker commented that his whole family had died from the earthquake; he was the only survivor. My eyes teared up, but all I saw was this boy with a huge smile and all I heard was laughter. Another patient came into clinic complaining of low back pain that started after the earthquake. He then told the provider that he was trying to lift all the rubble that afternoon to save his niece. These are some examples of stories shared by the patients every day.

We also befriended the people we worked with — the translators. The translators spoke English, French, and Creole. Without their help, we would not have been able to provide medical care to the people. One volunteer would walk two hours each way to come to the clinic! They were kind, warm-hearted, and intelligent individuals who also shared moving stories. One translator shared his experience in the earthquake. He was in his room reading his Bible when the ground started to shake. He ran outside and heard voices calling for help coming from under the rubble but no visible bodies. People began flooding the hospitals. But the vision of unfortunate people who did not make it to the hospital haunts him each day.

This mission trip would not have been complete without the amazing team. Despite the bumpy road to get to Haiti, courtesy of American Airline, we laughed together, shared our frustrations together, and encouraged one another. One of the small rooms in the clinic was set-up as a pharmacy. Several of our team members did a wonderful job organizing all the medications. It was also the perfect place to come and unwind. We would come in for a refreshing Sprite, joke about how much Valium we had but would trade it for just one tube of Permethrin cream (for scabies, which was prevalent), and freely discuss cases and ask one another for advice. We worked as a team with a unified purpose.

I answered the translator, “Yes, we come from different backgrounds. And I have come to help your people with what I have, which is medicine. But I have realized that the people of Haiti have touched my life in ways unimaginable, beyond what medicine can bring. So, thank you.”
Diane Rhee, MD – Family Medicine Resident, UCLA

The Global Health Force team that evening consisted of Phuong Tran, Lynn Tran, Hanh Nguyen, and Sandra Bresnahan. There were two young students: Kenny Pomeroy, and Richard Luers and, finally, myself (Judith) and my husband, Bill Tighe. We set up shop at the back of the Armory, initially packing small zip-lock bags with band-aids, antibiotic ointment and a few other items to create a small first aid kit. This simple task helped us bond as a team.

The response to our medical table for blood pressure and blood sugar monitoring was immediate and a steady flow continued for the length of our stay. The majority of the attendees were middle-aged men. Some were curious, some familiar with their health problems and some surprised by the results. All were polite, and grateful. All listened attentively to Sandra, the Nurse Practitioner as she gave realistic advice given their situation.

Some of us were enlisted to serve the food, which Global Health Force had donated. On the menu that night was Pizza and Vietnamese cuisine.  Some of us sampled it and I can attest that the Vietnamese food was delicious! One man, who came to have his blood sugar checked, smiled in anticipation of eating rice after hearing what was for dinner!

Aside from helping out with the Gala each year, this was our first time to volunteer with Global Health Force and although we are all aware of the homeless population in the Los Angeles area, it is rare to interact so closely with them.  Many were accepting of their situation and there was a sense that they knew the system. There was no anger. It was understood that we were there to help and they did not look upon the effort as some sort of right. They were happy to find people who would talk to them and listen to their problems.

Although there was nothing earth shattering about what we did that rainy winter evening, my husband and I felt better educated about the plight of many in our communities and that we had made a very small contribution. On the journey home we exchanged experiences and decided  it was a more satisfying way to spend a Saturday evening than sitting in front of the TV.

Bill’s Postscript:  We are often cynical about volunteering. We think that our contribution is so small and the problems are so big that it really doesn’t matter. If everybody thought that way – nothing would get done. We did help that night. One man had a blood sugar that was dangerously high and a response team was called. We provided healthy food and good advice. We gave out information concerning the location of free clinics in the area that many were unaware of. Mostly, we showed fellow human beings that we cared.