Children’s Hospital International Services

Post by Caroline Hale, trip coordinator:

Monday morning began our second and final day of surgeries. Our team left the hotel a few minutes earlier than usual to avoid rush hour traffic. Apparently, most hours are “rush hours” in Guatemala! Nashville traffic pales in comparison.

We arrived at the Moore Pediatric Surgery Center at 7:30 a.m. and made our way to the locker rooms to change into our scrubs.  We then disperse to begin each of our normal routines: prepping the operating rooms, assembling and priming IV tubing, rounding on surgical patients from Sunday who spent the night, or pre-oping children for the day. Our 13-member team defines ‘team’ in the best sense of the word. Everyone works together to make the overall experience the best it can be for every patient and family. Watching the interactions between the children and people such as Dr. Landsman and Dr. Tanaka–and frankly everyone on our team–an outside observer would know we work at an institution that fervently supports family-centered care.

The children here are so adorable and gracious, even when facing the burdens of severe poverty. It is an overwhelming feeling to realize the positive contributions the team is making in the lives of these children by providing much-needed surgical care. Additionally, the care provided by the Guatemalan nurses and doctors who staff the Moore Center is remarkable.

The intent of this trip was ensuring all equipment and operational processes were in place to support later trips by larger teams. All 13 surgical cases during this trip happened without a hitch. The center is equipped with everything needed to make a surgery trip of this kind successful. I believe I represent the collective feelings of our team by stating we have all had a wonderful time, and the beautiful weather has not hurt!

Later today, we will board a flight back home to Nashville. We owe a huge thank you to the Shalom Foundation, Steve Moore, Dr. Ken Moore, Maria Jose, Allison Bender, Kevin McQuaig, Dr. Luis Perez, and so many others who ensured the success of this trip. In the coming days, we will put together a slide show of pictures from our stay, so please check back soon!

Karin League, Caroline Hale, and Anna Brummel during a quick lunch break.

Our team, with members of the Shalom Foundation, after the last surgery.

Dr. Ira Landsman with Abner, 2, and his mom before surgery.

Sunday was our first day of surgeries. We scheduled six cases, and included one add-on case later in the afternoon. The first surgery began at 8 a.m., and with the exception for a brief break to refuel during lunch, our team worked 8 1/2 hours in the operating rooms. It was a very busy day.

Dr. Karsanac and Roni Nylander anesthatizing a patient before surgery, as Carolyn Maness looks on.

Maria Jose, program director of the Shalom Foundation, carries Sarahi (and Bella, her stuffed animal) through the holding area before surgery.

After a long day of screening patients and prepping the operating rooms, our team returned to the hotel to quickly freshen-up before the ceremonial opening of the Moore Pediatric Surgery Center. It was a  moving event, with about 70 leaders from Guatemala and the United States, including members of Shalom Foundation’s advisory board, gathered in the surgery center’s beautiful courtyard for the ribbon cutting. Steve Moore, founder of the Shalom Foundation, gave a passionate speech describing the long journey behind the surgery center. Dr. Brock spoke briefly about the wonderful partnership between Children’s Hospital and the Shalom Foundation. 

We have scheduled 12 patients for surgery: Six on Sunday and six on Monday. Please check back for posts as we continue our work. 

Dr. Brock, Lori Graves, Carolyn Maness, Dr. Landsman, Cindy Sisco and Dr. Tanaka at the cermonial opening of the surgery center.

Left to right: Dr. Ken Moore, Dr. Sheny Vasquez, Allison Bender, Maria Jose de Gallardo, Dr. John Brock, Steve Moore, Pastor Alvaro Perdomo, Dr. Luis Perez, Dr. Sidney Hagen.

Saturday was a whirlwind! Several members of our team screened a few dozen children for surgery while others prepped the operating rooms for cases on Sunday and Monday. Below is a post from Carolyn Maness about the day.

PACU nurse Anna Brummel screening Carlos, 12, for surgery.

Post by Carolyn Maness

After a great night’s sleep and wonderful breakfast, the team made its way to the Moore Surgery Center in Zona 1. The waiting room was full when we arrived.  As the physicians began their work assessing the kids for surgery, the OR and PACU team members began their work.

We have three fully equipped operating rooms and a four-slot PACU. The hospital is beautiful. I can only imagine how many volunteer hours were spent renovating the space and packing supplies to make sure we have everything we need to provide these children the best possible care.

I am so proud to be part of this wonderful team and to be an OR nurse in Guatemala!

Marcos, 12, and his family being screened by Dr. Brock for surgery. Dr. Carlson is helping to translate.

Post by Lori Graves, RN, from the Atlanta airport

This is the second hospital in my nursing career that I have had the opportunity to help open. This particular facility is meaningful to several members of our mission team as we were asked to have an active part in the planning as well as the outfitting of the hospital.

We spent many Saturday mornings at Project Cure picking out discarded hospital supplies that would find a new life at the Moore Center in Guatemala.  Picking through all of the older models of common items in the giant Project Cure facility was akin to a treasure hunt! We would get excited when an essential item for the hospital was located in the warehouse.

It will be thrilling to see the new hospital and realize our small part in helping to ensure the success of this facility for use in future mission work in Guatemala City.  It has been a privilege and honor to participate in work that will help so many deserving children.

On March 24, around 4 a.m., 13 leaders from Vanderbilt University Medical Center will make their way to the airport and board a flight bound for Guatemala City. The team will be in Guatemala for five days for the soft-opening of the Moore Pediatric Surgery Center. This new surgery center, located in the heart of Guatemala City, provides a safe place for impoverished children to receive surgical care.  The surgery center has been a long-time vision of the Shalom Foundation, a not-for-profit organization based in Franklin, Tennessee.  The Monroe Carell Jr. Children’s Hospital at Vanderbilt and Shalom Foundation started working together in 2006, and  the relationship continues to grow. The Foundation plays an instrumental role in the logistical and operational success of each of our surgical trips to Guatemala.

We will perform urologic surgeries on several children, while ensuring that the facility is operationally sound and ready to receive more surgery teams. The surgical team is led by Dr. John W. Brock III, surgeon-in-chief of Children’s Hospital, and Dr. Ira Landsman, chief of the division of Pediatric Anesthesia. The team has spent months preparing for tomorrow.  Nursing leaders Carolyn Maness, RN,  Lori Graves, RN, and Karin League, RN as well as Anna Brummel, RN, and Cindy Sisco, Scrub Tech, have led the supply packing effort. This is not a task for the weary! With the team’s planning efforts, we anticipate yet another very successful trip.  Please stay tuned for more posts from me, Caroline Hale, the trip coordinator, and other members of our team. Upon our return, we hope to bring some Guatemalan sunshine to Nashville! 

Also on our team is Dr. Kathryn (Kate) Carlson, assistant professor of Pediatrics, Dr. Stacy Tanaka, assistant professor of Urologic Surgery, Dr. Christopher (Chris) Karsanac, assistant professor of Pediatric Anesthesia, Veronica (Roni) Nylander, CRNA, and Cathryn Rolfe, director of International Administrative and Clinical Initiatives.

This trip marks the eighth time since 2006 that a team from Children’s Hospital will travel to Guatemala to perform pediatric surgeries.  However, this is the first time our team will operate at the new Moore Pediatric Surgery Center.  Plastic surgery, general surgery and ENT teams have also operated on children in Guatemala. In total, 283 successful surgeries have been performed.

Visit the Shalom Foundation website to learn more about the organization.
 http://www.theshalomfoundation.org/

Click the photo below to watch a slide show of the Plastic Surgery trip to Guatemala:

We had six cases and had to pack and inventory during the same time. We did have our first and only no-show of the week. We couldn’t determine why they missed their surgery. It was a simple case that wouldn’t have taken much time, so we didn’t fret too much about it. In the end, the team ended up performing 56 operations on 54 patients over the span of 4 and a half days. The week flew by. The team didn’t seem to realize that we were done until we were on the buses, packed up and on our way to Antigua.

Everyone did an awesome job and really pulled together as a team! Of course, none of this could have been possible without the help from the Shalom Foundation. Maria Jose, Claudia and Kevin were our “goto people”! They made sure that we had everything we needed to run smoothly and efficiently. We also want to send out our thanks to the Guatemalan Pediatric Foundation for getting the word out to the pediatricians about the surgical trip. Without them, we wouldn’t have been able to connect with the patients. Finally, I know that I speak for all of the team members, we would like to thank Dr. Brock, Caroline and everyone back home for all of their hard work on the logistics of the trip! Muchas Gracias!!!!

Chris K.