The Orthopaedic Institute on a mission in Haiti

The team leaving to Haiti on a UF charter plane

A medical team from The Orthopaedic Institute left yesterday morning for Haiti on a mission. The goal? To provide medical support to the injured people in the area of Port-au-Prince Haiti after the devastating earthquake on January 12, 2010.

Once the medical team arrives in Haiti, the southern command has offered to assist with transportation to the areas in need of medical assistance. The group plans to meet up with civilian and military surgeons, who are already engaged in the relief efforts.

Dr. Maxey says “the ability to use our surgical skills to help relieve the suffering of the injured is a great privilege and this is an excellent opportunity to give back to those in dire need.”

An out-pouring of community support from The Orthopaedic Institute, Orthopaedic Surgery Center, North Florida Regional Medical Center and Shands has provided many of the need¬ed medical supplies in Haiti, such as:
• Gloves
• Masks
• Sani-Cloths
• Marcaine (numbing medicine)
• Hand Sanitizer
• Suture Sets
• Surgical Instruments
• Durable Medical Equipment (leg and arm immobilizers)
• Casting and Splinting materials
• Basic OR supplies
• Surgical masks
• Gigli Saws (for amputations)

They plan to provide medical services for 7 to 10 days.

Dr. Rosenberg says, “fire fighters, police and military are the true heroes and always the ones running in when others are running away. This is a unique way for doctors to contrib¬ute in the same manner.”

To check the updates on The Orthopaedic Institute’s medical team’s mission in Haiti please visit http://www.twitter.com/toihealth. The Orthopaedic Institute plans to make a monetary donation on behalf of the followers of the Twitter site.

--Kari Brill