Howard University Hospital Embarks Upon Medical Mission to Haiti

WASHINGTON, June 21, 2018 /PRNewswire-USNewswire/ -- Howard University Hospital (HUH) in partnership with the New York Chapter of the National Organization for the Advancement of Haitians (NOAH-NY) have joined together for a humanitarian medical mission to Haiti, June 24 - 30.

Thirty HUH physicians, faculty members, medical and nursing students working in tandem with Haitian and non-Haitian physicians will provide medical care, health screenings and clinical training as part of an International Medicine Service Learning Project. HUH has played a pivotal role assisting Haiti each year, since a 7.0 magnitude earthquake devastated the country in 2010.

"The medical service project in Haiti is an excellent program that grooms medical students grow into well-rounded physicians who practice with empathy and compassion," says Dr. Hugh E. Mighty, Dean of Howard University College of Medicine and vice president of clinical affairs. "This initiative is a great endeavor for our students who are passionate and committed to international humanitarian service."

Haiti is one of the most impoverished nations in the world, facing a continuing shortage of trained physicians, medical support and affordable healthcare. The HUH team will work in the city of Fort-Liberté and surrounding areas to offer care, distribute medicine and provide dental work to residents. The team will also conduct educational workshops and clinical training for local physicians on a wide array of health services aimed at improving the health and wellbeing of the Haitian people.

Many HUH team members participating in the project have close ties to Haiti. Bertrand Vulcain is a third-year medical student from Miami studying to be a psychiatrist. Both of his parents are Haitian-born physicians who completed their medical residency in the States but often return to Haiti to serve in a medical capacity. While most students his age enjoy summer break, Vulcain is returning to his roots with a mission to bring quality healthcare to the less fortunate.

"As a person of Haitian descent and a Howard Univerity student, I am proud to be a part of an initiative that encourages people to take up humanitarian efforts that will impact thousands of underserved people," says Vulcain. "Howard University's work in Haiti speaks to the notion of people's goodwill and their resiliency to seek positive change under some of the most challenging conditions. It's a principle that the University was founded on."

For media inquiries contact: Sholnn Freeman, sholnn.freeman@howard.edu.

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SOURCE Howard University Hospital