Opening Ceremony 2/21/15

VOTE OF THANKS

Dearest Ladies, Gentlemen, Brothers, Sisters, Friends & Honorable Guests. Good Afternoon!

On behalf of Jericho Road Community Health Center in Buffalo, NY, it is a privilege and an honor to share this moment with you today. The opening of Adama Martha Memorial Community Health Center marks the culmination of tireless efforts by many whom have come before me, and a new beginning for the people who live here in Kono. It has been the dream of several visionaries to make this a reality. Phebian is our sister from Buffalo who is here to carry the flag.

I would be so wrong if I mentioned only a few names within this speech, as this effort is so much more than that. The dedication of the team in Buffalo that has helped make this happen is beyond words. It was Phebian's dream, but we made it our mission. Numerous people on the team have given generously of their time, effort, and money for this project. The support is immense. And I want each and every one of you to know that the Jericho Road family is 200 strong and is here for you until the end. And guess what, this is only the beginning. 

On the ground here in Sierra Leone, we have had many dedicated patrons. Several of you are here today. As the saying goes, "Rome was not built in a day." This place did not build itself. The success today was not without hurdles. Most of you know of the many obstacles that we faced, and what strength it took to overcome them. The bricks were not laid by the faint of heart. It took passion, love, determination, and a true pioneer to be a part of this process. and for that I am very thankful to each one of you today.

I love to tell stories and in closing, I am going to share one with you today. This is the story of the Good Samaritan. According to the Gospel of Luke (10:29-37), a traveler (who may or may not have been a Jew) is stripped of clothing, beaten, and left half dead along the side of the road. First a Priest and then a Levite come by, but both avoid the man. Finally, a Samaritan comes by. Samaritans and Jews generally despised each other, but the Samaritan helps the injured man. Jesus is described as telling the parable in response to the question regarding the identity of the "neighbor" who should be loved. In the Bible, these events are described as taking place none other than on Jericho Road. 

When Dr. Myron Glick started Jericho Road Family Practice in Buffalo about 18 years ago, he took this concept of 'loving your neighbor' seriously. This has been the philosophy on which we operate, to serve the least of the least, the marginalized and the most needy. To us at Jericho Road, you the people of Kono district, are our neighbors, and we are here to love you. 

Thank you to each and every one of you. Have a blessed day. 

Speech written and given by Dr. Rohith Saravanan at the Grand Opening Ceremony on 2/21/15.

Stories from Week One of Providing Healthcare in Kono

"Clinic ran smoothly as usual. We actually saw around 29 patients today, including the 3 in the fever tent. That was the main attraction today. There was some drama involved, but none of the cases met case definitions for Ebola. So, we didn't have to send anyone away. All received treatment and left feeling happy. We closed at 3 pm as planned. Staff are all in good spirit. The prayers during open and close is a very nice touch and really helps boost morale."

Dr. Rohith Saravanan (2/18/15)

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"We had a great day today - we saw 27 patients. They started queuing up early - 7:30 am when we open at 9! A few patients had fevers and had to be seen in the fever tent by team members in full personal protective equipment - a little disconcerting for the patients in a time of Ebola, but none actually had it - phew! Putting on and taking off the PPE is quite a lengthy process and so the providers seeing patients were a bit delayed by it. It caused a bit of a wait for patients and lead Sahr Albert to declare at the end of the day at our closing staff meeting - "we need another doctor!" Sahr Albert is one of the volunteer reception team members and has really taken the job seriously - a great customer focused attitude." 

Brett Lawton (2/19/15)
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"I had some fun filming two painters as they added the Jericho Road logo to the front of the clinic alongside the name of the clinic, which had been painted previously. The guys were incredibly skilled and painstakingly detail-oriented: lacking a protractor or compass with which to create a stencil for the circular logo, they made do with a ruler and a keen eye (and did a better job of it than I would have even with the proper tools). The resulting logo was icing on the cake - a symbolic stamp of approval on a clinic five-plus years in the making."

Hans Glick (2/18/15)

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Reflections from our team

Right now we have a Jericho Road team of three people over in Sierra Leone assisting the Sierra Leone based team that includes Phebian, Karlin, and Pastor Joshua in getting the health center operational. The Jericho Road team includes Rohith Saravanan, a family practice physician whose presence has greatly helped solidify the final details of the screening process and layout. He's been able to teach the staff the process of putting on and taking off PPE. The second team member is Brett Lawton who directs clinical operations at Jericho Road in Buffalo. His presence has been helpful in setting up medical records and other systems within the clinic. The third team member is Hans Glick who is a videographer and has been working to really capture the story of the medical clinic and bring that story back to Buffalo. Here are some of their reflections on experiencing the opening of the clinic for patient care on 2/16/15.

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"We started our day with a group huddle and ended the same way. There was good energy in the air. The clinic is breezy in the hallways, and hot inside the room behind closed doors. The staff cleaned up after themselves, and took some ownership of the responsibility given.

The mix of patients ranged from pediatric to prenatal to geriatric. The mix of medical conditions were from acute infections, to suture removal, to chronic medical conditions. The medications dispensed were from ampicillin to ibuprofen to a wrist splint.

The patients were thankful for the care. Some were able to pay the full charge, and some only paid partial amounts. Kids under 5 receive free care. Prenatal patients receive free care, because the charge comes at the time of delivery. All staff receive free care.

It was a rewarding experience to be a part of. I lift today's accomplishment to each one of you. Your support, your prayers, and your faith in this mission made this possible. And this is only the beginning. Bravo and Cheers!"

Dr. Rohith Saravanan
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"Today we saw our first 22 patients! God was gracious to make it not an overwhelming day and everyone performed amazingly well! Our team members are such quick learners and so eager to learn new things. The reception team already started operating like a well oiled machine. All our new patients have been added to our Excel spreadsheet for future reference. The pharmacy team already has a good system down!

This day deserves some credit and kudos to the predecessors who've traveled to Kono the past five years. It is built on their valiant efforts, especially Phebian, who heard God's call to leave behind her life in the US to come here for this purpose. For Dr. Glick, who continued to push us to do this and move forward with our plans for opening now in spite of the Ebola crisis. For the teams that have come and met with community leaders and started providing care and giving Jericho Road a good name. For the donors and fundraising efforts to build this beautiful facility and provide staff to handle the load of patients. We are truly blessed to be here to witness this amazing event. God is so good!"

Brett Lawton
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"Day one of the Adama Martha Memorial Community Health Center is officially in the books! It was a cool thing to be a part of. A total of 22 patients came through the doors, and from what I could see, things seemed to run remarkable smoothly for the first day. Granted, we didn't exactly encounter the open-the-floodgates moment I was half-expecting, but the smaller number of patients gave the staff time to settle into their roles. 

I want to extend a quick word of congratulations to everyone who had a hand in making this clinic possible. To have achieved such a tangible, impactful result despite countless challenges is a testament to the faith, courage, and determination motivating this project from the beginning." 

Hans Glick
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"Yesterday we had our general orientation for all the staff. The room was full. I tried to do a quick count on the numbers in the room and I think there were close to 30 people (many of them young volunteers). There were some emotional moments as we reflected on the process of getting to this point and looking forward. This calling from the Lord has been burning in Phebian's heart for years. After moving to the US as a refugee as a result of Sierra Leone's civil war she felt a strong compulsion to return and help her people. Tomorrow's events will be the culmination of years of work, planning, preparation. I've been blessed to join this work rather late in the game."

Karlin Bacher, RN
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The Adama Martha Memorial Community Health Center Team after Day #1

Today is a new day for Kono!

Today the Adama Martha Memorial Community Health Center was opened for it's first patients!

A total of 22 patients were seen today. Here are a few pictures of our very first patients seen in our brand new clinic!

Despite significant logistical challenges, fierce opposition at times, and an unprecedented Ebola epidemic, the clinic has opened against all odds because God has been faithful, Phebian has shown incredible courage and leadership, and so many people in both Buffalo and Kono have invested so much to make this clinic become a reality.

So today is a time to celebrate and to be thankful. Ebola has not had the last word.

Here are a few pictures from today and of our Sierra Leone Staff.

Our CHO seeing patients.

Dr. Saravanan seeing a patient.

Our fearless leader, Phebian.

The Sierra Leone and visiting Buffalo Staff.

The Pharmacy.

Screening.

Reception.

Triage.

Thank you to all who have been on this journey with us! The journey is far from over so we will press on with grace, peace, and perseverance. Continue to keep the people of Kono, Phebian, our team, and our clinic in your prayers.

SLA Food Program January 2015 Update

An update from Dr. Glick on the Sierra Leone Alliance Food Program (January 2015).

As I write this report this evening it is snowing in Buffalo and daytime in Sierra Leone. There is good news in Sierra Leone as the number of Ebola cases are decreasing. However, the need is still great and our teams are doing amazing work in feeding so many people in quarantined homes across the country. 

For January 2015: 
The number of households fed was 353. 
The number of individuals fed was 1,931.

Thank you to so many who are giving financially to support this program. Your generosity is making a real difference. We intend to continue this program until Ebola is a distant memory and until the country of Sierra Leone is no longer in crisis. Please continue to support this program financially and with your prayers.

Thank you to the faithful members of the teams in Sierra Leone. May God Bless you for your daily sacrifice. And May God Protect each one of you and your families.

Please watch and share this video on the Sierra Leone Alliance Food Program.

Food support to quarantined home.

Training our Sierra Leone Staff

The Adama Martha Memorial Community Health Center is scheduled to open it's doors for patient care on February 16, 2015! This has been a 5 year journey and a long awaited day! We praise the Lord for his faithfulness to our mission in Sierra Leone.

Phebian and Karlin have been working hard to get our health center operational. One of the tasks is to train the 15 person staff that we have hired. Here are some of the staff we've hired: a medical doctor, a community health officer, 3 nurses, 2 medical assistants, 2 security guards, a cook, a grounds keeper, a house keeper, and 3 community health workers. The health professionals in particular the nurses, medical assistants and community health workers have undergone daily staff training for the past week. We have a few pictures to document the process.

A group of medical staff training.

Attentive students inside the classroom in our health center.

Learning how to read a malaria test.

The community health officer teaches a lecture.

The community health workers learn how to take a blood pressure.

A Miraculous Day

An update from Karlin (RN) who is currently on the ground in Sierra Leone with Phebian.


After much work and political wrangling Phebian cleared the container from the Freetown Port.

The truck drove through the night arriving in Koidu at 5am this morning. I hadn't realized it was coming this morning. I heard a lot of action outside, but it being Saturday morning I took my time getting outside.

What an incredible surprise to see the container, and to see it well on it's way to being uploaded. The storeroom under the mission house now has full shelves.

I had begun to have a certain level of stress as I contemplated the challenge of safely opening our clinic without all of these supplies. God knew though, and he cleared the container right on time.

What a neat privilege to be part of the loading process in Buffalo with the sourcing and packing of supplies, and now to be on the ground when it arrives. So many people have been part of this process from start to finish.

Thankful for each one!

Sincerely,
Karlin

Unloading the container.

This is how things are carried in Sierra Leone.

The storage shelving in full!

The truck outside our clinic.

Unloading an exam table.

The driver - he gets a lot of credit for driving on Sierra Leonean roads at night!

General Sierra Leone Mission Project Updates

It's been an eventful few weeks!

We have several updates in regards to our Sierra Leone Mission Project that we would like to share with you.

The official name of the clinic is called Adama Martha Memorial Community Health Center. Phebian chose this name in honor of her grandma (Adama) and mother (Martha) who motivated her to purse a career in health care.

The back of the Health Center. 

 Both Phebian and Karlin have arrived in Kono and are making the necessary preparations to begin clinic operations in the next 2 weeks. A local team from Jericho Road will be joining them for 3 weeks to help with the operational process, train local staff, and see patients.

We've hired a Sierra Leonean Medical Doctor to work at our health center. He received his training in Freetown and is a recent graduate. He starts with us next week! We've also hired 15-20 other staff members who will report to work next week and receive training prior to the grand opening. The grand opening is the week of February 16, 2015!

Local carpenters are finishing up some last minute projects (without power tools!).

The solar panel system is installed and fully functional!

The ambulance is being used to transport patients in Kono. We are using it in conjunction with Wellbody, another local medical clinic.

The container filled with furniture, supplies, and so many other things, is set to arrive this week in Kono!

Ebola is on an overall downward trend in Sierra Leone, and in particular, the Kono District. There are still cases but not as many as before. This significant reduction is due to more Ebola Treatment Units and Community Care Centers throughout the country, as well as, increased compliance with quarantine, proper burial techniques, and basic hand hygiene.

Please continue to pray for our mission, our team, and the people of Sierra Leone.