NewsPeace Fall 2011

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HEAL t h e w o r l d .

news peacephysicians for peace h W I N T E R 2011

HEAL t h e w o r l d .

Raising the BaR: BuRn CaRe in undeRseRved aReas

LATEST HAPPENINGSPFP Supporters Gather for Annual Gala

On Oct. 15, more than 450 people came together in Norfolk, Va., to celebrate PFP’s Sixth Annual Gala. The fun-filled black-tie event was a party with a purpose. Attendees bid on prize packages – vacations, jewelry and more – to benefit PFP and raised their glasses to honor our 2011 award winners:

Medical Diplomat, Physician: In 2005, Josephine “Penny” Bundoc, MD, launched Walking Free, PFP’s signature program for amputee care, in the Philippines. In doing so, she mobilized key partnerships, including an alliance with the Philippines General Hospital (PGH), that have helped the program flourish. Today, Walking Free-Philippines has trained seven prosthetic technicians while maintaining three clinics and two prosthetic and orthotic workshops.

Medical Diplomat, Healthcare Provider: Since 2004, Emily Tinsley, RN, MSNEd, has played a leadership role on PFP missions to Central and South America. On missions, Tinsley uses her experience as a burn care educator and nurse to train and support healthcare professionals in underserved areas, where burns pose a serious threat to women and children. Tinsley also serves on PFP’s Medical Operations Committee.

Medical Diplomat, Mission Support: Last year, Charlie Henderson, Jr. delivered a $25,000 grant to PFP from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Thanks to the grant, PFP presented lectures and training to doctors, surgeons, nurses and community health workers in rural India. In 2010, Henderson also helped organize a mobility device drive in Suffolk, Va.

Presidential Award: Harvey L. Lindsay, Jr. has supported PFP as a donor, friend and advocate. The financial gifts of Lindsay and his wife, Frances, have empowered PFP to plan missions and build healthcare education programs. Lindsay also has been a key “connector” for PFP, offering his personal endorsement of the group and inspiring new partnerships with other organizations and individuals.

Charles E. Horton Humanitarian Award: Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the Emmy Award-winning chief medical correspondent for CNN. He was among the first journalists in Haiti after the massive earthquake in January 2010 and has been on the frontline of some of the world’s most dire humanitarian crises, including the famine in Eastern Africa.

In MeMorIaM

Non-Profit Org.U S Postage

PAIDNorfolk, VA

Permit No. 2015

Burns By the numBersIn developIng countrIes, someone suffers from a burn Injury every 5 seconds. more than 40 percent of these vIctIms are under 15.

Penny Bundoc, MD

Sanjay Gupta, MD

Emily Tinsley (second from left) and family

Harvey L. Lindsay, Jr. with Linda Lilly and Dr. Ed Lilly

Charlie Henderson, Jr. (second from right)

Working with partners from around the

world, Bonilla (center) spearheaded efforts to build a state-of-the-

art burn unit in San Salvador. PFP was on

site when the unit opened in June 2010.

When you talk about Physicians for Peace (PFP) missions, patient stories

tend to come first. Jon Niszczak, OTR/L, remembers Pablo in El Salvador,

who couldn’t work or provide for his family after his face and arms were

badly burned. Lisa Arceneaux, Psy.D., thinks of the nine-year-old boy in

the Dominican Republic who wrote her a thank-you note after she helped

him recover from burns all over his body. Susan Meagher, RN, can’t forget

the 13-year-old in Honduras who arrived at a clinic with 60 percent of her

body covered in burns and infections. These patients represent one of

the world’s least reported global health crises: burn injuries.

In developing countries, burns pose a health threat – particularly to

women and children – on a scale unimaginable to most Americans.

Lifestyle factors, including outdoor fires and overcrowded housing, as

well as lax regulations on electrical wiring, make burns more prevalent in

impoverished areas. The issue is compounded, with devastating results,

by a lack of trained healthcare professionals and properly equipped

treatment facilities.

“In many countries, even a small burn can become very serious, because

the clinics rely on outdated equipment and treatments, or a patient has

waited days to seek help,” said Michael Buffalo, RN, ACPNP. “(PFP)

wants to help the healthcare providers improve overall care. How we

move to that new level, together, is always the next challenge.”

For more than 15 years, PFP has helped healthcare providers in

underserved regions deliver better care. In this special, year-end issue

of NewsPeace, we’ll look at where we stand today and how our shared

vision for the future can restore the lives of burn victims.

Dr. Antonio BonillaVision. Compassion. Intelligence. These are just some of the words used to describe Dr. Antonio Bonilla, a beloved Salvadoran surgeon who died on Oct. 29. As the president and founder of the Association for Burned Children of El Salvador (APROQUEMES), Bonilla was an inspiration to PFP – and a true friend. He lived a life of service and healing, and his legacy will be a generation of young burn victims who have a better chance to lead happy, healthy lives.

nov. 1 – 5Tegucigalpa, Honduras – Burn Care

nov. 6-12Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – Walking Free

nov. 9-19Kochi, India – Maternal and Child Health

nov. 11-13Manila, the Philippines – Seeing Clearly

nov. 29 - dec.4Leon, Nicaragua – Dental Care

dec. 3 -11Santa Cruz, Bolivia – Specialized Surgery

Physicians for Peace Mission schedule — fall/Winter

online bonus: visit www.physiciansforpeace.org to watch short videos from each of our 2011 award winners, including an inspiring

address to pfp supporters from dr. sanjay gupta.

A burn can happen in a moment, but burn injuries take a lifetime – and skilled healthcare providers – to heal. By ensuring in-country teams have the education and resources they need, PFP can make a real difference in patients’ lives.

“With burns, it’s not just about the injury, but also the treatment and long-term rehabilitation,” said Lisa Arceneaux, Psy.D. “When we take off a patient’s dressing, it can be painful. Rehabilitation can be painful. For children, the pain is traumatizing.”

Encouraging a team approach poses its own challenges. In underserved areas, physical and occupational therapy are still new professions, nurses aren’t always empowered to advocate for patients and psychologists may not be recognized in treatment plans. With education, however, these approaches to care can shift. In El Salvador, for instance, Michael Buffalo, RN, ACPNP, was surprised that the nursing team remained quiet on rounds. Later, during training sessions, he encouraged them to speak up more. That coaching paid off.

“When I returned for my second mission, the nurses offered suggestions and asked questions,” he said. “I saw them engaging with patients, talking and laughing.”

Likewise, three years after her initial mission to Honduras, Susan Meagher, RN, saw “big changes” at a pediatric burn unit in Tegucigalpa when she returned this year.

“The team is managing for infection control through hand washing and daily dressing changes,” she said. “They’re encouraging the kids to get up and play, which can help with rehabilitation and overall mental health.”

All Together

Building support for patients’ rehabilitation and follow-up care means educating healthcare providers and families about burn victims’ long-term needs.

“Ideally, a team would follow these patients for their whole lives,” Buffalo said. “Children in particular may need therapy for years.”

Jon Niszczak, OTR/L, said he’s excited to return to mission sites in 2012 (and beyond) to begin the important work of benchmarking progress. Because face masks can reduce patients’ scarring, for example, Niszczak has worked closely with Michael Serghiou, OTR, to teach the technique to

host country professionals. On follow-up missions, they’ll record how the technique has been utilitzed.

“One mission can’t change a practice forever,” Niszczak said. “You need ongoing training to make these skills sound.”

Aligning Resources and Training

In many PFP partner clinics, resources American healthcare providers take for granted (mild soap, surgical knives and blades) aren’t available. Other clinics and units have the resources they need, but not the training to use them. That was the case in El Salvador, where Buffalo found shower tables collecting dust as the staff relied on outdated tubs to bathe patients.

“Showers are more sanitary than tubs and, because they have manual lifts, they’re

easier on the nurses,” he said. “Another nonprofit donated the showers, but no one explained the benefits to the staff. All they saw was strange

equipment that seemed to require more effort, without obvious advantages.”

Buffalo jumped at the challenge to change the nurses’ opinions. He bathed patients while the staff learned from his techniques. His demonstration worked. By morning, all of the showers were set up and ready for use.

“Having equipment is great, but you still need training,” Buffalo said. “The staff adapted quickly once they understood the logic.”

In delivering donated materials and equipment, PFP responds directly to requests from host-country partners. In this way, we ensure that in-country teams can put resources to immediate use. For information about current needs, contact [email protected] or visit www.physiciansforpeace.org

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEODear Friends,

In the coming months, we’ll use our newsletter as a platform to discuss specific global health challenges, starting with burn care. Burns are a major health threat to many people and they can have debilitating effects on communities; yet burns are rarely at the forefront of global health discussions.

On behalf of patients around the world, we’re working to reshape those conversations. The need for education has never been stronger. In the words of Dr. Tom Gampper, a longtime PFP volunteer leader: “In underserved regions, it’s not about losing your personal belongings in a fire. It’s about losing your life, your family and your livelihood. Even when people survive, a burn injury can condemn them to a miserable life. Added to that, burns disproportionally affect women and children, a fact that has a huge, negative impact on future generations.”

Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) support Gampper’s firsthand experience. WHO reports that 2 billion people worldwide still use open fires for cooking, light, and warmth, and more children die from burn injuries caused by fires than of tuberculosis or malaria each year. With your support, we’ll continue to build on efforts in burn care, to help ensure that burn victims return to the classroom, workplace and home with fewer scars and a renewed chance at a healthy life.

Beyond burn care, it’s been a robust few months for PFP:

• In October, Robin Jones, CNM, returned to Pampaida, a Millennium Village in rural Nigeria, to train 62 traditional birth attendants and present Helping Babies Breathe, neonatal resuscitation curriculum for resource-limited circumstances, to a team of healthcare providers. Because of Jones, mothers and babies are leading healthier lives.

• ChildFund International has reaffirmed its commitment to PFP, delivering a second grant, for more than $300,000, to support our efforts in Haiti. PFP also continues to provide physical therapy education and care at the Hanger Clinic in Deschapelles.

• In the Philippines, PFP worked with partners to launch Paradise Heights, a residential and community center, which will offer vision, dental, prosthetic, orthotic and rehabilitation services. The center is a true testament to transformation: The site used to be a garbage dump. Now, the center will help patients recover and heal.

These are just a few highlights from our fall calendar. I invite you to visit our Web communities for updates, including reports on ongoing distance learning prosthetic and orthotic programs in the Caribbean, upcoming vision conferences in the Philippines and exchanges between PFP and dental professionals in Central America.

As we move into 2012, PFP’s core purpose – to transform lives by training, supporting and empowering healthcare professionals working with the world’s underserved populations – has never been more necessary. If you haven’t already made your annual contribution to PFP, please do so before year’s end. Your investment will make a difference.

Have a joyful and healthy holiday season.

Brig. Gen. Ron Sconyers (USAF, Ret.)President and CEO

Team Approaches to Patient-Centered Care

Lisa Arceneaux

Jon Niszczak

Michael Serghiou

P h y s i c i a n s f o r P e a c e

Partner SPotlight

Ginna Parra, occupational therapist

When occupational therapists Michael Serghiou and Jon Niszczak met Ginna Parra, they were impressed by her hands-on techniques and creative use of PVC piping to make splinting devices for her patients in Costa Rica.

“Burn therapists tend to have the same attitude: we’re tasked with getting something done, and we get it done,” Niszczak said. “Ginna just needed support to take her ideas to the next level.”

Since PVC is available in much of the developing world, Parra’s splints are a low-cost, effective answer to patients’ needs. In September, she joined PFP at a burn conference in Mexico, where she presented her technique to burn care pros from South America, the Caribbean, Central America and even Asia. Serghiou and Niszczak are now working with Parra on more in-depth research to compare the costs of her PVC piping with off-the-shelf splints.

Parra’s participation in the conference elevated her ideas to an international audience and brought PFP’s mission to enhance our partners’ skills full circle. By attending the conference, Parra was empowered to teach others. In doing so, she helped provide better care to patients she’ll never even meet.

burn care tImelIne

In the early ‘90s, Dr. Charles E. Horton Sr. became convinced that PFP could improve

burn care in underserved regions. Under the leadership of medical volunteers, including surgeons Dr. Bill Ruffin and Dr. Garry Brody, therapist Rick Seiller and nurse educator

Emily Tinsley, RN, MSNEd, PFP deployed its earliest burn missions. Key dates from

the program history:

1994: PFP mobilizes a surgical Burn Care mission to Managua, Nicaragua.

2003: PFP teams deploy to the Dominican Republic and Guatemala, beginning the expansion of the burn program throughout Central America and the Caribbean.

2006: Representatives from Latin American burn units gather in Norfolk, Va., to establish the Central American and Caribbean Burn Consortium, a first-of-its-kind collaboration among the region’s burn units and clinics.

2008: A mission to Costa Rica incorporates both nursing and psycho-social Burn Care education.

2010: 130 attendees from 13 countries attend the Burn Consortium’s annual conference in Managua.

2011: PFP volunteers present lectures and workshops at an international conference in Mexico. On a separate mission, two volunteer therapists deliver a Burn Care workshop in the West Bank.

Coming Up: Next year, PFP-Philippines will expand its Burn Care program, with help from a team at Sentara Norfolk General in Virginia. PFP also will devote more resources to evaluate the training and resources we provide, so that we can better present that

information to the international community.

PFP SPecial RePoRt: BuRn caRe

Nicaragua, 2006

Honduras, 2008

Dominican Republic, 2011

West Bank, 2011

StePheN KAtz

DANA KUhN

KriS GiAcObbe

“With PFP’s help, we’ll be able to address the needs of more burn patients, helping them give back to their communities.” Dr. Dorothy Dy ching bing Agsaoay, PFP partner (Philippines)

“There has been much progress in the burn unit since the mission. I’ve already applied what I learned from PFP about skills like positioning, splinting, casting.” Mohaned Mansoor, therapist and PFP partner (West bank)

Who reports that 2 billion people worldwide still use open fires

for cooking, light, and warmth, and more children die from

burn injuries caused by fires than of tuberculosis or malaria

each year. With your support, we’ll continue to build on efforts

in burn care, to help ensure that burn victims return to the classroom, workplace and home with fewer scars and a renewed chance at a healthy life.

“When I returned for my second mission,the nurses offered suggestions and askedquestions. I saw them engaging with patients,

talking and laughing.” — Michael buffalo, rN, AcPNP

“one mission can’t change a practiceforever. you need ongoing training to make these skills sound.”

— Jon Niszczak, Otr/L

Ginna Parra (center)

A burn can happen in a moment, but burn injuries take a lifetime – and skilled healthcare providers – to heal. By ensuring in-country teams have the education and resources they need, PFP can make a real difference in patients’ lives.

“With burns, it’s not just about the injury, but also the treatment and long-term rehabilitation,” said Lisa Arceneaux, Psy.D. “When we take off a patient’s dressing, it can be painful. Rehabilitation can be painful. For children, the pain is traumatizing.”

Encouraging a team approach poses its own challenges. In underserved areas, physical and occupational therapy are still new professions, nurses aren’t always empowered to advocate for patients and psychologists may not be recognized in treatment plans. With education, however, these approaches to care can shift. In El Salvador, for instance, Michael Buffalo, RN, ACPNP, was surprised that the nursing team remained quiet on rounds. Later, during training sessions, he encouraged them to speak up more. That coaching paid off.

“When I returned for my second mission, the nurses offered suggestions and asked questions,” he said. “I saw them engaging with patients, talking and laughing.”

Likewise, three years after her initial mission to Honduras, Susan Meagher, RN, saw “big changes” at a pediatric burn unit in Tegucigalpa when she returned this year.

“The team is managing for infection control through hand washing and daily dressing changes,” she said. “They’re encouraging the kids to get up and play, which can help with rehabilitation and overall mental health.”

All Together

Building support for patients’ rehabilitation and follow-up care means educating healthcare providers and families about burn victims’ long-term needs.

“Ideally, a team would follow these patients for their whole lives,” Buffalo said. “Children in particular may need therapy for years.”

Jon Niszczak, OTR/L, said he’s excited to return to mission sites in 2012 (and beyond) to begin the important work of benchmarking progress. Because face masks can reduce patients’ scarring, for example, Niszczak has worked closely with Michael Serghiou, OTR, to teach the technique to

host country professionals. On follow-up missions, they’ll record how the technique has been utilitzed.

“One mission can’t change a practice forever,” Niszczak said. “You need ongoing training to make these skills sound.”

Aligning Resources and Training

In many PFP partner clinics, resources American healthcare providers take for granted (mild soap, surgical knives and blades) aren’t available. Other clinics and units have the resources they need, but not the training to use them. That was the case in El Salvador, where Buffalo found shower tables collecting dust as the staff relied on outdated tubs to bathe patients.

“Showers are more sanitary than tubs and, because they have manual lifts, they’re

easier on the nurses,” he said. “Another nonprofit donated the showers, but no one explained the benefits to the staff. All they saw was strange

equipment that seemed to require more effort, without obvious advantages.”

Buffalo jumped at the challenge to change the nurses’ opinions. He bathed patients while the staff learned from his techniques. His demonstration worked. By morning, all of the showers were set up and ready for use.

“Having equipment is great, but you still need training,” Buffalo said. “The staff adapted quickly once they understood the logic.”

In delivering donated materials and equipment, PFP responds directly to requests from host-country partners. In this way, we ensure that in-country teams can put resources to immediate use. For information about current needs, contact [email protected] or visit www.physiciansforpeace.org

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEODear Friends,

In the coming months, we’ll use our newsletter as a platform to discuss specific global health challenges, starting with burn care. Burns are a major health threat to many people and they can have debilitating effects on communities; yet burns are rarely at the forefront of global health discussions.

On behalf of patients around the world, we’re working to reshape those conversations. The need for education has never been stronger. In the words of Dr. Tom Gampper, a longtime PFP volunteer leader: “In underserved regions, it’s not about losing your personal belongings in a fire. It’s about losing your life, your family and your livelihood. Even when people survive, a burn injury can condemn them to a miserable life. Added to that, burns disproportionally affect women and children, a fact that has a huge, negative impact on future generations.”

Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) support Gampper’s firsthand experience. WHO reports that 2 billion people worldwide still use open fires for cooking, light, and warmth, and more children die from burn injuries caused by fires than of tuberculosis or malaria each year. With your support, we’ll continue to build on efforts in burn care, to help ensure that burn victims return to the classroom, workplace and home with fewer scars and a renewed chance at a healthy life.

Beyond burn care, it’s been a robust few months for PFP:

• In October, Robin Jones, CNM, returned to Pampaida, a Millennium Village in rural Nigeria, to train 62 traditional birth attendants and present Helping Babies Breathe, neonatal resuscitation curriculum for resource-limited circumstances, to a team of healthcare providers. Because of Jones, mothers and babies are leading healthier lives.

• ChildFund International has reaffirmed its commitment to PFP, delivering a second grant, for more than $300,000, to support our efforts in Haiti. PFP also continues to provide physical therapy education and care at the Hanger Clinic in Deschapelles.

• In the Philippines, PFP worked with partners to launch Paradise Heights, a residential and community center, which will offer vision, dental, prosthetic, orthotic and rehabilitation services. The center is a true testament to transformation: The site used to be a garbage dump. Now, the center will help patients recover and heal.

These are just a few highlights from our fall calendar. I invite you to visit our Web communities for updates, including reports on ongoing distance learning prosthetic and orthotic programs in the Caribbean, upcoming vision conferences in the Philippines and exchanges between PFP and dental professionals in Central America.

As we move into 2012, PFP’s core purpose – to transform lives by training, supporting and empowering healthcare professionals working with the world’s underserved populations – has never been more necessary. If you haven’t already made your annual contribution to PFP, please do so before year’s end. Your investment will make a difference.

Have a joyful and healthy holiday season.

Brig. Gen. Ron Sconyers (USAF, Ret.)President and CEO

Team Approaches to Patient-Centered Care

Lisa Arceneaux

Jon Niszczak

Michael Serghiou

P h y s i c i a n s f o r P e a c e

Partner SPotlight

Ginna Parra, occupational therapist

When occupational therapists Michael Serghiou and Jon Niszczak met Ginna Parra, they were impressed by her hands-on techniques and creative use of PVC piping to make splinting devices for her patients in Costa Rica.

“Burn therapists tend to have the same attitude: we’re tasked with getting something done, and we get it done,” Niszczak said. “Ginna just needed support to take her ideas to the next level.”

Since PVC is available in much of the developing world, Parra’s splints are a low-cost, effective answer to patients’ needs. In September, she joined PFP at a burn conference in Mexico, where she presented her technique to burn care pros from South America, the Caribbean, Central America and even Asia. Serghiou and Niszczak are now working with Parra on more in-depth research to compare the costs of her PVC piping with off-the-shelf splints.

Parra’s participation in the conference elevated her ideas to an international audience and brought PFP’s mission to enhance our partners’ skills full circle. By attending the conference, Parra was empowered to teach others. In doing so, she helped provide better care to patients she’ll never even meet.

burn care tImelIne

In the early ‘90s, Dr. Charles E. Horton Sr. became convinced that PFP could improve

burn care in underserved regions. Under the leadership of medical volunteers, including surgeons Dr. Bill Ruffin and Dr. Garry Brody, therapist Rick Seiller and nurse educator

Emily Tinsley, RN, MSNEd, PFP deployed its earliest burn missions. Key dates from

the program history:

1994: PFP mobilizes a surgical Burn Care mission to Managua, Nicaragua.

2003: PFP teams deploy to the Dominican Republic and Guatemala, beginning the expansion of the burn program throughout Central America and the Caribbean.

2006: Representatives from Latin American burn units gather in Norfolk, Va., to establish the Central American and Caribbean Burn Consortium, a first-of-its-kind collaboration among the region’s burn units and clinics.

2008: A mission to Costa Rica incorporates both nursing and psycho-social Burn Care education.

2010: 130 attendees from 13 countries attend the Burn Consortium’s annual conference in Managua.

2011: PFP volunteers present lectures and workshops at an international conference in Mexico. On a separate mission, two volunteer therapists deliver a Burn Care workshop in the West Bank.

Coming Up: Next year, PFP-Philippines will expand its Burn Care program, with help from a team at Sentara Norfolk General in Virginia. PFP also will devote more resources to evaluate the training and resources we provide, so that we can better present that

information to the international community.

PFP SPecial RePoRt: BuRn caRe

Nicaragua, 2006

Honduras, 2008

Dominican Republic, 2011

West Bank, 2011

StePheN KAtz

DANA KUhN

KriS GiAcObbe

“With PFP’s help, we’ll be able to address the needs of more burn patients, helping them give back to their communities.” Dr. Dorothy Dy ching bing Agsaoay, PFP partner (Philippines)

“There has been much progress in the burn unit since the mission. I’ve already applied what I learned from PFP about skills like positioning, splinting, casting.” Mohaned Mansoor, therapist and PFP partner (West bank)

Who reports that 2 billion people worldwide still use open fires

for cooking, light, and warmth, and more children die from

burn injuries caused by fires than of tuberculosis or malaria

each year. With your support, we’ll continue to build on efforts

in burn care, to help ensure that burn victims return to the classroom, workplace and home with fewer scars and a renewed chance at a healthy life.

“When I returned for my second mission,the nurses offered suggestions and askedquestions. I saw them engaging with patients,

talking and laughing.” — Michael buffalo, rN, AcPNP

“one mission can’t change a practiceforever. you need ongoing training to make these skills sound.”

— Jon Niszczak, Otr/L

Ginna Parra (center)

A burn can happen in a moment, but burn injuries take a lifetime – and skilled healthcare providers – to heal. By ensuring in-country teams have the education and resources they need, PFP can make a real difference in patients’ lives.

“With burns, it’s not just about the injury, but also the treatment and long-term rehabilitation,” said Lisa Arceneaux, Psy.D. “When we take off a patient’s dressing, it can be painful. Rehabilitation can be painful. For children, the pain is traumatizing.”

Encouraging a team approach poses its own challenges. In underserved areas, physical and occupational therapy are still new professions, nurses aren’t always empowered to advocate for patients and psychologists may not be recognized in treatment plans. With education, however, these approaches to care can shift. In El Salvador, for instance, Michael Buffalo, RN, ACPNP, was surprised that the nursing team remained quiet on rounds. Later, during training sessions, he encouraged them to speak up more. That coaching paid off.

“When I returned for my second mission, the nurses offered suggestions and asked questions,” he said. “I saw them engaging with patients, talking and laughing.”

Likewise, three years after her initial mission to Honduras, Susan Meagher, RN, saw “big changes” at a pediatric burn unit in Tegucigalpa when she returned this year.

“The team is managing for infection control through hand washing and daily dressing changes,” she said. “They’re encouraging the kids to get up and play, which can help with rehabilitation and overall mental health.”

All Together

Building support for patients’ rehabilitation and follow-up care means educating healthcare providers and families about burn victims’ long-term needs.

“Ideally, a team would follow these patients for their whole lives,” Buffalo said. “Children in particular may need therapy for years.”

Jon Niszczak, OTR/L, said he’s excited to return to mission sites in 2012 (and beyond) to begin the important work of benchmarking progress. Because face masks can reduce patients’ scarring, for example, Niszczak has worked closely with Michael Serghiou, OTR, to teach the technique to

host country professionals. On follow-up missions, they’ll record how the technique has been utilitzed.

“One mission can’t change a practice forever,” Niszczak said. “You need ongoing training to make these skills sound.”

Aligning Resources and Training

In many PFP partner clinics, resources American healthcare providers take for granted (mild soap, surgical knives and blades) aren’t available. Other clinics and units have the resources they need, but not the training to use them. That was the case in El Salvador, where Buffalo found shower tables collecting dust as the staff relied on outdated tubs to bathe patients.

“Showers are more sanitary than tubs and, because they have manual lifts, they’re

easier on the nurses,” he said. “Another nonprofit donated the showers, but no one explained the benefits to the staff. All they saw was strange

equipment that seemed to require more effort, without obvious advantages.”

Buffalo jumped at the challenge to change the nurses’ opinions. He bathed patients while the staff learned from his techniques. His demonstration worked. By morning, all of the showers were set up and ready for use.

“Having equipment is great, but you still need training,” Buffalo said. “The staff adapted quickly once they understood the logic.”

In delivering donated materials and equipment, PFP responds directly to requests from host-country partners. In this way, we ensure that in-country teams can put resources to immediate use. For information about current needs, contact [email protected] or visit www.physiciansforpeace.org

LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT AND CEODear Friends,

In the coming months, we’ll use our newsletter as a platform to discuss specific global health challenges, starting with burn care. Burns are a major health threat to many people and they can have debilitating effects on communities; yet burns are rarely at the forefront of global health discussions.

On behalf of patients around the world, we’re working to reshape those conversations. The need for education has never been stronger. In the words of Dr. Tom Gampper, a longtime PFP volunteer leader: “In underserved regions, it’s not about losing your personal belongings in a fire. It’s about losing your life, your family and your livelihood. Even when people survive, a burn injury can condemn them to a miserable life. Added to that, burns disproportionally affect women and children, a fact that has a huge, negative impact on future generations.”

Statistics from the World Health Organization (WHO) support Gampper’s firsthand experience. WHO reports that 2 billion people worldwide still use open fires for cooking, light, and warmth, and more children die from burn injuries caused by fires than of tuberculosis or malaria each year. With your support, we’ll continue to build on efforts in burn care, to help ensure that burn victims return to the classroom, workplace and home with fewer scars and a renewed chance at a healthy life.

Beyond burn care, it’s been a robust few months for PFP:

• In October, Robin Jones, CNM, returned to Pampaida, a Millennium Village in rural Nigeria, to train 62 traditional birth attendants and present Helping Babies Breathe, neonatal resuscitation curriculum for resource-limited circumstances, to a team of healthcare providers. Because of Jones, mothers and babies are leading healthier lives.

• ChildFund International has reaffirmed its commitment to PFP, delivering a second grant, for more than $300,000, to support our efforts in Haiti. PFP also continues to provide physical therapy education and care at the Hanger Clinic in Deschapelles.

• In the Philippines, PFP worked with partners to launch Paradise Heights, a residential and community center, which will offer vision, dental, prosthetic, orthotic and rehabilitation services. The center is a true testament to transformation: The site used to be a garbage dump. Now, the center will help patients recover and heal.

These are just a few highlights from our fall calendar. I invite you to visit our Web communities for updates, including reports on ongoing distance learning prosthetic and orthotic programs in the Caribbean, upcoming vision conferences in the Philippines and exchanges between PFP and dental professionals in Central America.

As we move into 2012, PFP’s core purpose – to transform lives by training, supporting and empowering healthcare professionals working with the world’s underserved populations – has never been more necessary. If you haven’t already made your annual contribution to PFP, please do so before year’s end. Your investment will make a difference.

Have a joyful and healthy holiday season.

Brig. Gen. Ron Sconyers (USAF, Ret.)President and CEO

Team Approaches to Patient-Centered Care

Lisa Arceneaux

Jon Niszczak

Michael Serghiou

P h y s i c i a n s f o r P e a c e

Partner SPotlight

Ginna Parra, occupational therapist

When occupational therapists Michael Serghiou and Jon Niszczak met Ginna Parra, they were impressed by her hands-on techniques and creative use of PVC piping to make splinting devices for her patients in Costa Rica.

“Burn therapists tend to have the same attitude: we’re tasked with getting something done, and we get it done,” Niszczak said. “Ginna just needed support to take her ideas to the next level.”

Since PVC is available in much of the developing world, Parra’s splints are a low-cost, effective answer to patients’ needs. In September, she joined PFP at a burn conference in Mexico, where she presented her technique to burn care pros from South America, the Caribbean, Central America and even Asia. Serghiou and Niszczak are now working with Parra on more in-depth research to compare the costs of her PVC piping with off-the-shelf splints.

Parra’s participation in the conference elevated her ideas to an international audience and brought PFP’s mission to enhance our partners’ skills full circle. By attending the conference, Parra was empowered to teach others. In doing so, she helped provide better care to patients she’ll never even meet.

burn care tImelIne

In the early ‘90s, Dr. Charles E. Horton Sr. became convinced that PFP could improve

burn care in underserved regions. Under the leadership of medical volunteers, including surgeons Dr. Bill Ruffin and Dr. Garry Brody, therapist Rick Seiller and nurse educator

Emily Tinsley, RN, MSNEd, PFP deployed its earliest burn missions. Key dates from

the program history:

1994: PFP mobilizes a surgical Burn Care mission to Managua, Nicaragua.

2003: PFP teams deploy to the Dominican Republic and Guatemala, beginning the expansion of the burn program throughout Central America and the Caribbean.

2006: Representatives from Latin American burn units gather in Norfolk, Va., to establish the Central American and Caribbean Burn Consortium, a first-of-its-kind collaboration among the region’s burn units and clinics.

2008: A mission to Costa Rica incorporates both nursing and psycho-social Burn Care education.

2010: 130 attendees from 13 countries attend the Burn Consortium’s annual conference in Managua.

2011: PFP volunteers present lectures and workshops at an international conference in Mexico. On a separate mission, two volunteer therapists deliver a Burn Care workshop in the West Bank.

Coming Up: Next year, PFP-Philippines will expand its Burn Care program, with help from a team at Sentara Norfolk General in Virginia. PFP also will devote more resources to evaluate the training and resources we provide, so that we can better present that

information to the international community.

PFP SPecial RePoRt: BuRn caRe

Nicaragua, 2006

Honduras, 2008

Dominican Republic, 2011

West Bank, 2011

StePheN KAtz

DANA KUhN

KriS GiAcObbe

“With PFP’s help, we’ll be able to address the needs of more burn patients, helping them give back to their communities.” Dr. Dorothy Dy ching bing Agsaoay, PFP partner (Philippines)

“There has been much progress in the burn unit since the mission. I’ve already applied what I learned from PFP about skills like positioning, splinting, casting.” Mohaned Mansoor, therapist and PFP partner (West bank)

Who reports that 2 billion people worldwide still use open fires

for cooking, light, and warmth, and more children die from

burn injuries caused by fires than of tuberculosis or malaria

each year. With your support, we’ll continue to build on efforts

in burn care, to help ensure that burn victims return to the classroom, workplace and home with fewer scars and a renewed chance at a healthy life.

“When I returned for my second mission,the nurses offered suggestions and askedquestions. I saw them engaging with patients,

talking and laughing.” — Michael buffalo, rN, AcPNP

“one mission can’t change a practiceforever. you need ongoing training to make these skills sound.”

— Jon Niszczak, Otr/L

Ginna Parra (center)

500 E Main Street, Suite 900Norfolk, VA 23510

Would you like to give online?Go to our website: www.physiciansforpeace.org

HEAL t h e w o r l d .

news peacephysicians for peace h W I N T E R 2011

HEAL t h e w o r l d .

Raising the BaR: BuRn CaRe in undeRseRved aReas

LATEST HAPPENINGSPFP Supporters Gather for Annual Gala

On Oct. 15, more than 450 people came together in Norfolk, Va., to celebrate PFP’s Sixth Annual Gala. The fun-filled black-tie event was a party with a purpose. Attendees bid on prize packages – vacations, jewelry and more – to benefit PFP and raised their glasses to honor our 2011 award winners:

Medical Diplomat, Physician: In 2005, Josephine “Penny” Bundoc, MD, launched Walking Free, PFP’s signature program for amputee care, in the Philippines. In doing so, she mobilized key partnerships, including an alliance with the Philippines General Hospital (PGH), that have helped the program flourish. Today, Walking Free-Philippines has trained seven prosthetic technicians while maintaining three clinics and two prosthetic and orthotic workshops.

Medical Diplomat, Healthcare Provider: Since 2004, Emily Tinsley, RN, MSNEd, has played a leadership role on PFP missions to Central and South America. On missions, Tinsley uses her experience as a burn care educator and nurse to train and support healthcare professionals in underserved areas, where burns pose a serious threat to women and children. Tinsley also serves on PFP’s Medical Operations Committee.

Medical Diplomat, Mission Support: Last year, Charlie Henderson, Jr. delivered a $25,000 grant to PFP from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Thanks to the grant, PFP presented lectures and training to doctors, surgeons, nurses and community health workers in rural India. In 2010, Henderson also helped organize a mobility device drive in Suffolk, Va.

Presidential Award: Harvey L. Lindsay, Jr. has supported PFP as a donor, friend and advocate. The financial gifts of Lindsay and his wife, Frances, have empowered PFP to plan missions and build healthcare education programs. Lindsay also has been a key “connector” for PFP, offering his personal endorsement of the group and inspiring new partnerships with other organizations and individuals.

Charles E. Horton Humanitarian Award: Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the Emmy Award-winning chief medical correspondent for CNN. He was among the first journalists in Haiti after the massive earthquake in January 2010 and has been on the frontline of some of the world’s most dire humanitarian crises, including the famine in Eastern Africa.

In MeMorIaM

Non-Profit Org.U S Postage

PAIDNorfolk, VA

Permit No. 2015

Burns By the numBersIn developIng countrIes, someone suffers from a burn Injury every 5 seconds. more than 40 percent of these vIctIms are under 15.

Penny Bundoc, MD

Sanjay Gupta, MD

Emily Tinsley (second from left) and family

Harvey L. Lindsay, Jr. with Linda Lilly and Dr. Ed Lilly

Charlie Henderson, Jr. (second from right)

Working with partners from around the

world, Bonilla (center) spearheaded efforts to build a state-of-the-

art burn unit in San Salvador. PFP was on

site when the unit opened in June 2010.

When you talk about Physicians for Peace (PFP) missions, patient stories

tend to come first. Jon Niszczak, OTR/L, remembers Pablo in El Salvador,

who couldn’t work or provide for his family after his face and arms were

badly burned. Lisa Arceneaux, Psy.D., thinks of the nine-year-old boy in

the Dominican Republic who wrote her a thank-you note after she helped

him recover from burns all over his body. Susan Meagher, RN, can’t forget

the 13-year-old in Honduras who arrived at a clinic with 60 percent of her

body covered in burns and infections. These patients represent one of

the world’s least reported global health crises: burn injuries.

In developing countries, burns pose a health threat – particularly to

women and children – on a scale unimaginable to most Americans.

Lifestyle factors, including outdoor fires and overcrowded housing, as

well as lax regulations on electrical wiring, make burns more prevalent in

impoverished areas. The issue is compounded, with devastating results,

by a lack of trained healthcare professionals and properly equipped

treatment facilities.

“In many countries, even a small burn can become very serious, because

the clinics rely on outdated equipment and treatments, or a patient has

waited days to seek help,” said Michael Buffalo, RN, ACPNP. “(PFP)

wants to help the healthcare providers improve overall care. How we

move to that new level, together, is always the next challenge.”

For more than 15 years, PFP has helped healthcare providers in

underserved regions deliver better care. In this special, year-end issue

of NewsPeace, we’ll look at where we stand today and how our shared

vision for the future can restore the lives of burn victims.

Dr. Antonio BonillaVision. Compassion. Intelligence. These are just some of the words used to describe Dr. Antonio Bonilla, a beloved Salvadoran surgeon who died on Oct. 29. As the president and founder of the Association for Burned Children of El Salvador (APROQUEMES), Bonilla was an inspiration to PFP – and a true friend. He lived a life of service and healing, and his legacy will be a generation of young burn victims who have a better chance to lead happy, healthy lives.

nov. 1 – 5Tegucigalpa, Honduras – Burn Care

nov. 6-12Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – Walking Free

nov. 9-19Kochi, India – Maternal and Child Health

nov. 11-13Manila, the Philippines – Seeing Clearly

nov. 29 - dec.4Leon, Nicaragua – Dental Care

dec. 3 -11Santa Cruz, Bolivia – Specialized Surgery

Physicians for Peace Mission schedule — fall/Winter

online bonus: visit www.physiciansforpeace.org to watch short videos from each of our 2011 award winners, including an inspiring

address to pfp supporters from dr. sanjay gupta.

500 E Main Street, Suite 900Norfolk, VA 23510

Would you like to give online?Go to our website: www.physiciansforpeace.org

HEAL t h e w o r l d .

news peacephysicians for peace h W I N T E R 2011

HEAL t h e w o r l d .

Raising the BaR: BuRn CaRe in undeRseRved aReas

LATEST HAPPENINGSPFP Supporters Gather for Annual Gala

On Oct. 15, more than 450 people came together in Norfolk, Va., to celebrate PFP’s Sixth Annual Gala. The fun-filled black-tie event was a party with a purpose. Attendees bid on prize packages – vacations, jewelry and more – to benefit PFP and raised their glasses to honor our 2011 award winners:

Medical Diplomat, Physician: In 2005, Josephine “Penny” Bundoc, MD, launched Walking Free, PFP’s signature program for amputee care, in the Philippines. In doing so, she mobilized key partnerships, including an alliance with the Philippines General Hospital (PGH), that have helped the program flourish. Today, Walking Free-Philippines has trained seven prosthetic technicians while maintaining three clinics and two prosthetic and orthotic workshops.

Medical Diplomat, Healthcare Provider: Since 2004, Emily Tinsley, RN, MSNEd, has played a leadership role on PFP missions to Central and South America. On missions, Tinsley uses her experience as a burn care educator and nurse to train and support healthcare professionals in underserved areas, where burns pose a serious threat to women and children. Tinsley also serves on PFP’s Medical Operations Committee.

Medical Diplomat, Mission Support: Last year, Charlie Henderson, Jr. delivered a $25,000 grant to PFP from the Bank of America Charitable Foundation. Thanks to the grant, PFP presented lectures and training to doctors, surgeons, nurses and community health workers in rural India. In 2010, Henderson also helped organize a mobility device drive in Suffolk, Va.

Presidential Award: Harvey L. Lindsay, Jr. has supported PFP as a donor, friend and advocate. The financial gifts of Lindsay and his wife, Frances, have empowered PFP to plan missions and build healthcare education programs. Lindsay also has been a key “connector” for PFP, offering his personal endorsement of the group and inspiring new partnerships with other organizations and individuals.

Charles E. Horton Humanitarian Award: Dr. Sanjay Gupta is the Emmy Award-winning chief medical correspondent for CNN. He was among the first journalists in Haiti after the massive earthquake in January 2010 and has been on the frontline of some of the world’s most dire humanitarian crises, including the famine in Eastern Africa.

In MeMorIaM

Non-Profit Org.U S Postage

PAIDNorfolk, VA

Permit No. 2015

Burns By the numBersIn developIng countrIes, someone suffers from a burn Injury every 5 seconds. more than 40 percent of these vIctIms are under 15.

Penny Bundoc, MD

Sanjay Gupta, MD

Emily Tinsley (second from left) and family

Harvey L. Lindsay, Jr. with Linda Lilly and Dr. Ed Lilly

Charlie Henderson, Jr. (second from right)

Working with partners from around the

world, Bonilla (center) spearheaded efforts to build a state-of-the-

art burn unit in San Salvador. PFP was on

site when the unit opened in June 2010.

When you talk about Physicians for Peace (PFP) missions, patient stories

tend to come first. Jon Niszczak, OTR/L, remembers Pablo in El Salvador,

who couldn’t work or provide for his family after his face and arms were

badly burned. Lisa Arceneaux, Psy.D., thinks of the nine-year-old boy in

the Dominican Republic who wrote her a thank-you note after she helped

him recover from burns all over his body. Susan Meagher, RN, can’t forget

the 13-year-old in Honduras who arrived at a clinic with 60 percent of her

body covered in burns and infections. These patients represent one of

the world’s least reported global health crises: burn injuries.

In developing countries, burns pose a health threat – particularly to

women and children – on a scale unimaginable to most Americans.

Lifestyle factors, including outdoor fires and overcrowded housing, as

well as lax regulations on electrical wiring, make burns more prevalent in

impoverished areas. The issue is compounded, with devastating results,

by a lack of trained healthcare professionals and properly equipped

treatment facilities.

“In many countries, even a small burn can become very serious, because

the clinics rely on outdated equipment and treatments, or a patient has

waited days to seek help,” said Michael Buffalo, RN, ACPNP. “(PFP)

wants to help the healthcare providers improve overall care. How we

move to that new level, together, is always the next challenge.”

For more than 15 years, PFP has helped healthcare providers in

underserved regions deliver better care. In this special, year-end issue

of NewsPeace, we’ll look at where we stand today and how our shared

vision for the future can restore the lives of burn victims.

Dr. Antonio BonillaVision. Compassion. Intelligence. These are just some of the words used to describe Dr. Antonio Bonilla, a beloved Salvadoran surgeon who died on Oct. 29. As the president and founder of the Association for Burned Children of El Salvador (APROQUEMES), Bonilla was an inspiration to PFP – and a true friend. He lived a life of service and healing, and his legacy will be a generation of young burn victims who have a better chance to lead happy, healthy lives.

nov. 1 – 5Tegucigalpa, Honduras – Burn Care

nov. 6-12Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic – Walking Free

nov. 9-19Kochi, India – Maternal and Child Health

nov. 11-13Manila, the Philippines – Seeing Clearly

nov. 29 - dec.4Leon, Nicaragua – Dental Care

dec. 3 -11Santa Cruz, Bolivia – Specialized Surgery

Physicians for Peace Mission schedule — fall/Winter

online bonus: visit www.physiciansforpeace.org to watch short videos from each of our 2011 award winners, including an inspiring

address to pfp supporters from dr. sanjay gupta.