Dr. Henri Ford of L.A. to Help Open University Hospital of Mirebalais, Haiti

As reported by the Beverly Hills Courier, Dr. Paul Farmer, Co-Founder of Partners in Health, has tapped Dr. Henri Ford, Chief of Surgery at Children’s Hospital in Los Angeles, Vice Dean of Medical Education at University of Southern California’s Keck School of Medicine, and member of the Board of Regents of of the American College of Surgeons, to help open the new state-of-the-art teaching hospital in Mirebalais, Haiti.

“In addtion to recruiting the new board, Ford will help develop standards of surgical care and a medical education training program, in particiular for pediatric medicine and critical care of children and adults.

“There is a critical need for pediatric care in Haiti. Ford says that in this country of 10 million, with 50 percent of the population under the age of 15, there are just two pediatric surgeons, and they aren’t well-trained by American medical standards.

“‘We want to set a course of excellence, reminiscent of a great hospital in the U.S.,’ he says. ‘And we hope to replicate this elsewhere in the country. We need one great academic health center and we have to make sure it succeeds.’”

For the full article see: http://bhcourier.com/chlas-ford-helps-open-haitian-hospital/2012/11/16

Jim Ansara is Director of Construction for the University Hospital of Mirebalais. Karen Ansara serves on the board of Partners in Health, based in Boston. Partners in Health provides health services for the poor in ten countries, relying on thousands of paid community health workers providing preventive health education, medicine, referral and follow-up care through regular home visits. The University Hospital of Mirebalais will be Haiti’s premier teaching hospital and fully operated by Haiti’s Ministry of Health within ten years.