Dr. DeHeer, was acknowledged at the American Podiatric Medical Association (APMA) convention this week for the generous heart he has for patients all over the world.

According to releases from the APMA

“The Humanitarian Award is given in recognition of truly outstanding humanitarian efforts that have a profound impact on the public and a definable positive impact on podiatric medicine.”

Acknowledgment of Dr. DeHeer’s work with patients in Haiti both before and after the tragic earthquake in January 2010, his past service as chair of the Podiatric Health Section of the American Public Health Association and his long record of humanitarian medical service all over the world made up the announcement at the convention. WoundCareHaiti.org is non-profit organization that Dr. DeHeer started in Haiti to offer care to earthquake victims and diabetes sufferers

“I am honored to receive this recognition from my peers” commented Dr. DeHeer.

Childs Walker wrote in the Baltimore Sun about Huguens Jean and Clifford Muse who as students at the University of Maryland, planned to return to Haiti to honor their grandfather dying there from cancer. His special request had been for them to return and carry his coffin wearing white to express joy for their future even as they were saddened by death.

Then, the earthquake hit and changed everything. Their grandfather survived the tragedy, but passed a month later and they were unable to get to his funeral.

The brothers traveled to Haiti and filmed their conversations with people who are surviving the earthquake. Their 82 minute documentary, “Lift Up”, expresses the spirit of the Haitian survivors and honors their grandfather. It debuted this month at the Haitian embassy in Washington DC

Read more about Haiti, the people and particularly Jean and Muse, two brothers who found a unique way to make a statement of honor and love at

UMBC students finish film about Haiti’s resilience after earthquake

Tania McBride wrote a post for Unicef.org about the Concern Baby Tents set up in Haiti after the 2010 earthquake.

The tents provide information and guidance for mothers trying to take care of babies in the face of disaster and disease.

The article entitled:

Nutrition in a time of cholera: A challenge for Haitian mothers and babies

Tells of the successful programs, has testimonials and also describes measures the group is taking to control spread of cholera in or around the ten.

As Craig and Marc Keilburger note in their Global Voices  article at TheStar.com,   Haiti Struggles to Prevent Cholera Spread,  the tools for prevention of cholera — clean drinking water and safe sanitation are not available in the refugee camps where Haitians still live during delayed recovery from the January 2009 earthquake.  The earthquake’s damage was heightened by Hurricane Tomas, but the cholera epidemic had begun before the hurricane blew  through.

The tent camps have become communities with people helping others in their ‘neighborhood as they can, but the basic infrastructure of a thriving community is almost totally missing.

Before the earthquake, Haitians were challenged to keep clean water and sanitation.  After the situation has become worse.

Small children, the elderly and anyone whose health is compromised is particularly vulnerable to the ravages of cholera.  People who are fighting diabetes and the potential for wounds that can come with the condition are among those at risk.

At the hospital mentioned in the article, the staff has managed to contain cholera by ‘quarantine’.  The ‘wing’ of the tent hospital is cordoned off by yellow caution ribbon. The staff can always use more supplies because they must change their ‘blues’ and gloves frequently and burn them to prevent the spread of cholera to other vulnerable wards such as newborns, malnourished infants or HIV/AIDS patients who would have no chance against the disease.  The staff does a wonderful job within their conditions and have had few deaths among the patients being treated.  Soon they will need more supplies such as IV needles and antibiotics.

Please don’t forget Haiti’s needs.  Contact Dr. DeHeer if you need more information about how you can help.

According to an AP report on Yahoo News today, the United Nations is seeking more monetary aid to provide treatment and prevention/control of the cholera epidemic which has struck Haiti in the aftermath of natural disaster including the earthquake of January 2010 and Hurricane Tomas just a couple weeks ago.

Read more at Haiti cholera toll rises, so do appeals for aid

This report says that an experienced team from Bangladesh is making arrangements to come to Haiti to help manage this newest problem for the people.

Cholera, which is transmitted through contaminate food or water, has not been epidemic in Haiti or the region for many years. There is little treatment experience among the medical professionals; their generation has managed to avoid the bacterial pest.

The website for the Mayo Clinic has some risk factors regarding Cholera. There are ways to prevent the disease, but some of the risk factors listed are part of life after a disaster. Prevention methods, particularly sanitation, can be difficult. Access to non-contaminated water and food is difficult. People with compromised health from other conditions are at greater risk.

Read more at MayoClinic.com — Cholera

Surely, pursuing recovery from the earthquake and strengthening the health system and other infrastructure for Haiti is going to be part of the battle. Training, rebuilding and maintaining the potential for Haiti beyond cholera is the goal for Wound Care Haiti.

When I found this post in the Florida Baptist Witness, about Haiti on November 5, 2010 I was encouraged.

The post entitled, Nine Months After Earthquake, Haiti Relief Turns Corner from Rescue to Rebuild, by Barbara Denman of the Florida Baptist Convention, tells about families being able to move into newly constructed homes and intended help that will be coming from Florida and other states to help people get some of the stability they need to do more than survive.

The hope is still there, although it was down for a minute or two when Hurricane Tomas went after the people in tents still waiting to get their toehold and move ahead from earthquake damage nearly a year ago.  That was kind of discouraging to them and to the people who are working to help.

Nothing moves as quickly. And this is not all bad. Haiti deserves a chance to create a solid rebuild, not a slap-happy, lick-and-a-promise project that will not be lasting.

The hurricane has passed and the people who are both positive and intelligent will gather themselves and carry on.

We’re still putting things together to continue with the wound care projects for people in Haiti who are both under diagnosed regarding diabetes and under treated when the problem arises.

Haiti is in the midst of the later rainy season that occurs annually, embracing October and November. When there are so many still unsettled from the December earthquake that has slipped from the mind of most to the rest of the world, adding thunderstorms to the mix leads to a lot of discomfort.

The altitude in Haiti makes the weather unpredictable during other times of the year, but there are many times when visitors can catch good weather.

According to the weather reports at Yahoo, there are indeed thunderstorms going on today and tonight with a temperature of 82 degrees that feels like 90 degrees.

Due to the conditions that continue after the earthquake along with the rainy season, the people of Haiti will be needing our thoughts, prayers and other support that we can offer.

Remember Haiti and come back often to learn about progress for the clinics we’d like to see established in Haiti, helping our friends there develop and enjoy their potential.

The non-profit organization I have started Wound Care Haiti was invited to participate in the World Diabetes Day by The Haitian Foundation for Diabetes and Cardiovascular Disease (FHADIMAC).  I traveled to Haiti along with two colleagues Dr. Timothy Syperek, DPM and Dr. Robert Hatcher, DPM.  The weeklong program was utilized to help Wound Care Haiti and FHADIMAC establish a world-class wound care center in Port-au-Prince, Haiti.

Haiti is one of the poorest countries in the Western Hemisphere and has a population of about 9 million people, half of which live in the capital Port-Au-Prince.  FHADIMAC’s epidemiology study for the rate of diabetes in Haiti is seven percent.  This would equate to approximately 63,000 diabetics in Haiti.  Using the “15-15” rule, that would put the amount of diabetic foot ulcers at approximately 9,500 and the amputations at approximately 1,425.  The five-year survival rate for a lower extremity amputation is only 50%, which means almost 750 Haitians will die within five years of their amputation.  The good news however, is that studies have shown that the number of amputations can be decreased by 45% to 80% with a dedicated wound clinic.  This is the goal of Wound Care Haiti and FHADIMAC for the people of Haiti, and the promise I made to my Haitian brothers and sisters on World Diabetes Day.

Our week consisted of arrival in Port-Au-Prince on Tuesday evening.  Lectures were given to Physicians (10 hours), Nurses (5 hours) and Pedicurist (3 hours); consisting of an extensive list of lectures covering all aspects of wound care.  Two hands-on workshops on total contact casting and football dressings application, indications, and techniques.  Approximately 3 hours of clinic patient visits were done on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday between morning and afternoon lectures.  The total number of patients seen for the week was over 100.  We also did hospital rounds at the University Hospital and St. Francis de Sales each day.  The cases seen at the University Hospital were extreme and not something you see in the United States, as they would have had earlier and more aggressive intervention.  Most of these patients required above the knee or below the knee amputations, which significantly limited the amount of surgery performed on our trip.  We were able to do a Transmetatarsal amputation and Tendo-Achilles lengthening on one case and prevented a higher-level amputation.  We had several general surgeons and orthopedic surgeons observing the surgery.   Although the equipment was severely limited for example a Gigli saw without handles was used for the metatarsal osteotomies, the case went very well.  On World Diabetes Day that took place on November 14, 2009, at the Plaza Hotel, FHADIMAC sponsored a fantastic educational program for the general public.  I had the opportunity to speak on the importance of proper diabetic foot care and prevention of complications in the diabetic foot.

The wound care center at the FHADIMAC facility is up and going with three general surgeons, the only vascular surgeon in Haiti and one orthopedic surgeon seeing patients.  They are working closely with the endocrinologist of FHADIMAC for comprehensive patient care program.  This program is just getting started and has a long way to go, but those of us involved with it are dedicated to Haiti and its people.  Supplies and equipment are lacking for now, but knowledge has be shared with physicians and nurses raising awareness and developing a referral center for those in need.  Haitians deserve a wound care center comparable to any throughout the world; Wound Care Haiti is going to make this happen.  If you would like to assist in this project please contact Dr. Patrick A. DeHeer, DPM via email at padeheer@sbcglobal.net and visit our website at woundcarehaiti.org.