Do More for Haiti

Posted on Wed, Sep. 24, 2008
Do more for Haiti, some lawmakers ask
BY TRENTON DANIEL AND JACQUELINE CHARLES

The Bush administration's decision to temporarily halt deportations to Haiti after four deadly storms does not go far enough, said members of a House Foreign Affairs panel who called Tuesday for the U.S. to step up its assistance to the storm-ravaged country.

Not only should the administration treat Haiti with the same kind of urgency it showed Georgia after it was bombed by Russia, but it should afford undocumented Haitians living in the United States the same kind of temporary refugee status granted to Hondurans and Nicaraguans after Hurricane Mitch devasted those two nations in 1998, panel members said.

''It is now more imperative than ever that the United States grant Haitian immigrants Temporary Protected Status,'' U.S. Rep. Alcee Hastings, D-Miramar, said before the House subcommittee on the Western Hemisphere. ``TPS is the least expensive, most immediate form of humanitarian assistance we can provide Haiti.''

The U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement announced Friday that it would temporarily halt deportations to Haiti but would review its decision on a day-to-day basis. The relief is not Temporary Protected Status, or TPS, a designation approved by Congress in 1990 for foreign nationals fleeing civil war and natural disasters.

A longtime advocate of the Haitian community, Hastings told the committee that the Bush administration's refusal to take substantive action left Haiti's already fragile government ``vulnerable to greater political instability.''

Later he told The Miami Herald that he was satisfied the hearing had helped to bring more attention to Haiti.

''You have to keep the lamp shining on this,'' Hastings said. ``I don't think it would be recognized without the pressure.''

Hastings said he believes the attention lawmakers have sought for Haiti since the storms has convinced lawmakers to include $100 million in additional aid for Haiti in an upcoming budget bill.

''We've got to continue highlighting the need,'' he said.

FLORIDA LAWMAKERS

Soon after the hearing, Florida Republicans Lincoln Diaz-Balart, Ileana Ros-Lehtinen and Mario Diaz-Balart announced that they plan to meet Wednesday with DHS officials to follow up on a letter urging President Bush to grant TPS to Haitians.

Kirsten Madison, deputy assistant secretary of the Bureau of Western Hemisphere Affairs, told congressional lawmakers that while State Department staff members were still discussing TPS designation among themselves, there were concerns that such a designation would ''encourage people to depart'' Haiti.

''Obviously, we don't want to create a humanitarian crisis on the high seas,'' she said.

Rep. Bill Delahunt, D-Mass., said the storms created ''a disaster of epic proportion,'' in an already poor country and could trigger another kind of humanitarian crisis that left people with no choice but flee by sea.

''We have a moral obligation to move expeditiously and quickly,'' he said, pointing out that while the administration rushed to pledge $1 billion to Georgia, it was talking ''nickel and dimes'' about the disaster in its own backyard.

''Haiti always seems to be last in line. We do not want a humanitarian disaster there,'' he said.

MEEK'S ROLE IN HEARING

Tuesday's hearing was organized by Rep. Kendrick Meek, D-Miami, who toured the devastation shortly after Hurricane Ike side-swept Haiti and added to the trail of wreckage. He was joined on the trip by fellow Democrats Yvette D. Clarke of New York and Donna F. Edwards of Maryland.

''In certain regions of Haiti, the local infrastructure has been completely overwhelmed as floodwaters submerged the ports and airports, and virtual lakes formed over the roads,'' Meek said.

Haitian President René Préval, who is scheduled to address the United Nations General Assembly on Friday, has called on the U.S. and others to help him obtain emergency bridges to reconnect the country. Eight key bridges collapsed during the storms.

SLOW ASSISTANCE

The aid for Haiti has been slow in coming. The U.N. has collected only 2 percent of a $108 million flash appeal it has requested for emergency relief for the next six months, according to the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs.

Meanwhile, the Haitian government is seeking at least $123 million to replace some of the $180 million in storm-destroyed crops over the next six months.

Miami Herald staff writer Lesley Clark contributed to this report from Washington.





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© 2008 Miami Herald Media Company. All Rights Reserved.

OSF is Afraid

OSF in Peoria is afraid.

They don't want the story out.

What story?

The story that describes how they are letting their Haitian patients die miserable deaths.

Like Heureuse.

The President of OSF Healthcare System, Sister Diane Marie, is one of the remaining Sisters at OSF. She has very little control over day to day management of the medical center.

Here is what Sister recently wrote in "Connections"--an OSF pamphlet:

"While the world outside of OSF gears up for a new focus on collabortion and team-building, we can take great pride and give thanks for our Foundational Value of teamwork and for our tradition of caring for the sick, the poor, and the dying. We are well-positioned to continue and enhance our service to patients and to extend our Mission of caring "with the greatest care and love"."

Why would Sister be writing this? This is nonsense. Just ask Heureuse.

Today, I e mailed thomas.hammerton@osfhealthcare.org, stacy.litersky@osfhealthcare.org,sarah.chaddock@osfhealthcare.org,mari.osborne@osfhealthcare.org,lauren.m.obalil@osfhealthcare.org, and jayne.gibson@osfhealthcare.org.

I tried to send this this post regarding Heureuse.

All of the e mails bounced back to me because OSF has blocked my e mails.

For good reason OSF obviously don't want these Children's Hospital of Illinois Foundation members receiving my e mail. OSF's policy denying care to Heureuse is against all that the Sisters preach (and write about) and the U.S. Bishops demand regarding Catholic health care.

Haiti's Human Wreckage

The Miami Herald.

Haiti's Poor Can't Run or Hide

When the waters rise with the hurricaines, Haiti's poor have nowhere to go. However, poverty is the real killer.

See this link for descriptions of Haiti's latest insult and what to do.

Also, see Maria's post in Live From Haiti.

The White Plague

Even in the 1930's, when a man was found to have tuberculosis, he received a notice to quit his job and school children with the disease were ordered to stay home indefinitely.

Rene and Jean Dubois called tuberculosis "a social disease" in order to associate the disease with poverty.

"There will emerge from this synthesis the conclusion that tuberculosis is not, as Dickens believed, a disease the "medicine never cured, wealth never warded off". It is the consequence of gross defects in social organization, and of errors in individual behavior. Man can eradicate it without vaccines and without drugs by integrating biological wisdom into social technology, into the management of everyday life."

Rene and Jean Dubois, 1952
"The White Plague"

Hurricaine Ike

OSF-Saint Francis Medical Center and Catholic Diocese of Peoria, are you reading the news?

Photo from the Miami Herald.

Bishop Wenski

I first met Father Thomas Wenski in the late 90’s. My eighty year old mother and I stayed in his large rectory with an interesting mix of individuals. There were young law students representing Haitian refugees as well as Haitian-Americans working for Father Wenski.

I think Father charged my mom and me $6 dollars per day and this included three meals that we prepared ourselves in the simple rectory kitchen.

His rectory was located in Little Haiti in Miami and was guarded by two German shepherds. The neighborhood was dangerous. I found a bullet that had been shot on the sidewalk and two Haitian market owners were killed by burglars one Saturday on a bright sunny afternoon.

Fr. Wenski is an advocate for Haitian immigrants and for Haiti. His rectory was next door to a Catholic Church and a large school that seemed to have been vacated years before by middle class Miamians who wanted to flee this part of Miami. Father used this school for Haitians to teach them English and various other skills. He also ran a legal center across the street to give the Haitians as much free legal representation as possible.

Fr. Wenski was very matter of fact and practical. I wouldn’t describe him as warm and fuzzy, but he was very efficient in his work for Haitians. He said mass in the church nearby at 6 PM on weekdays in fluent Creole.

In the last 10 years Fr. Wenski has become a Bishop and is currently the Bishop of the Diocese of Orlando. He is also the chairman of the USCCB Committee on International Justice and Peace.

The following article is from the Catholic Post in Peoria:

U.S. church official says Haiti desperately needs political stability

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti (CNS) -- Haiti desperately needs political stability so that jobs can be created to lift the poor out of a critical situation, said the chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on International Policy. "The situation is critical, although there is still a glimmer of hope," Bishop Thomas G. Wenski of Orlando, Fla., told Catholic News Service July 16. "Haiti now needs a solid success story so that hope does not disappear." Bishop Wenski, who visited Haiti in mid-July, said that in a private meeting earlier that day, Haitian President Rene Preval expressed his thanks for the work of the Catholic Church in advocating for the Haitian Hemispheric Opportunity Through Partnership Encouragement Act and for the job opportunities it could create. The U.S. HOPE Act II, as it is known, allows the United States to import Haitian textiles and could create 30,000 jobs in Haiti where, the bishop said, it is estimated that every job feeds an extended family of 10 people, so "30,000 jobs could feed 300,000 people."
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I doubt Bishop Wenski would be thrilled with the Catholic Diocese of Peoria and the way the Diocese supported OSF when the 1.6 billion dollar OSF Medical Center in Peoria cut all funding for Haitian Hearts.

And in Peoria...

So while Heureuse hides from hurricaines and fights through her heart failure in Port-au-Prince, the Catholic Diocese in Peoria is building.

Bishop Jenky should have helped Heureuse.

Heureuse's Seaside Home

Here is Heureuse, the outside of her home, and her kitchen.

Her echocardiogram showed that the hole between the lower chambers of her heart has opened up again and her heart is shunting blood in the wrong direction.

She needs surgery soon.
And we just got done spending $104 million dollars for the four day Republican National Convention.

Photos by Frandy

Haiti and Water

Haiti has too much water right now...just not the right type.

The ratio of potable water per person in Haiti is one of the worst in the world.

The New England Journal of Medicine (August 21, 2008) had this to say about the politics of clean water and sanitation:


Most U.S. residents turn on their faucets feeling confident that they won't contract a waterborne disease. Many people in the developing world have access to only 5 liters of water per day, whereas the average American uses 10 times that amount merely to flush the toilet each day and 80 times that amount for all daily activities combined.

Hurricane Katrina reminded us, however, that our privileged status can be threatened by natural disasters that lead to contaminated drinking water and make waste removal difficult, which can trigger illness. Disasters that temporarily require a population to defecate in plastic bags, buckets, open pits, agricultural fields, and public areas for want of a hygienic alternative remind us that 2.6 billion people live this way every day.

Now Hurricaine Hanna

I received this e mail today:


Personal Account of Hurricane Damage in Haiti

Karen Ashmore Wed, Sep 3, 2008 at 10:01 AM
To: drjohn@mtco.com

In the aftermath of Hurricane Gustav, less than a week ago, devastation has struck Haiti. There are many victims who have been left homeless. The city of Gonaives is now under 2 meters of water. Since Monday morning strong rain has pounded mountain villages throughout Haiti and the waters gushing from the mountains are carrying mud and anything in their paths to flood the valley city of Gonaives.

Tidjo (Lambi Fund of Haiti regional coordinator for Northern Haiti) and Margot (Lambi Fund advisory board member) called at 3 am to inform us that Tidjo's home was flooded. Margot was traveling and had to seek refuge at Tidjo's home. Due to the sturdiness of Tidjo's home, over 20 neighbors had sought shelter on the roof top.

Many others have sought refuge on their roof tops, Gonaive's hospitals are flooded and are asking for help in moving and securing their patients. The city does not have the capacity to handle this emergency and the mayor has sought assistance.

St Cyr (Lambi Fund regional coordinator for Southern Haiti) came to Port-au-Prince for a staff meeting, just called home and was informed that his neighborhood in the South is completely flooded and the rushing waters have carried away many of their household items. His family has had to seek shelter on their rooftop.

Hurricane Hanna came too closely on the heels of Gustav and stalled over Haiti.The flooding from both hurricanes caused hundreds of deaths, loss of crops, homes, micro-enterprises and animals due to heavy rainfalls. Although food aid is a temporary solution, ultimately, Haiti desperately requires investments in sustainable development in an effort to restore environmental integrity and reduce poverty.

A close neighbor to the U.S., Haiti desperately needs support in rebuilding the communities ravaged by the recent storms, but also needs support in becoming self-sufficient. Natural disasters cannot be avoided, but the severe devastation caused by it can surely be mitigated. To support the sustainable development rebuilding efforts of Lambi Fund of Haiti, please go here and make an online donation.

We will keep you posted on further details. Meanwhile forward this email to those who share your values.

Karen Ashmore
Executive Director


Address postal inquiries to:
Lambi Fund of Haiti
PO Box 18955
Washington, DC 20036-8955

See this CBS video of Hannah's destruction in Gonaives.





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More on Heureuse

Last week Heureuse survived Gustav and acute congestive heart failure at the same time. She lives in a slum near the ocean in Port-au-Prince.

Frandy, our 19 year old contact in Haiti, is doing all he can to help with Heureuse.
Frandy is very poor and doing what our very rich Catholic medical center in Peoria should be doing.

See below a chat I had with Frandy yesterday regarding Heureuse.


From: Dejean Frandy
Date: Sun, Aug 31, 2008 at 5:02 PM
Subject: Chat with Dejean Frandy
To: haitianhearts@gmail.com



4:50 PM me: frandy, did you see heureuse today?
4:51 PM Dejean: yes i did
she's doing better
me: what do you mean by better?
4:52 PM Dejean: when arrived at her house, so she was cooking
she's not too bad
now she's able to get 2 or 3 meals by day
me: is she breathing better?
4:53 PM Dejean: yes
me: is she happier?
is she sleeping better?
Dejean: yes
yes sir
me: is she walking outside or does she stay inside?
4:54 PM Dejean: and tomorrow, i'll take to Pilie's clinic
yes
me: good
Dejean: she even has opportunity to kook food
me: please have him send me the results of the echo via e mail...
Dejean: she cooks everyday now
ok i will
4:55 PM she said hello to you
me: i need the results right away...STAT...please tell heureuse hello for me...
4:56 PM henri adrique needs to see pilie also...please pay for his echo too if he has no money....
Dejean: ok
about Henrique's case, i am sorry i don't any money to do that
i don't have
4:57 PM me: frandy, heureuse cannot run out of medication....please go to Grace Children's and get more meds for her if she needs them...before she runs out...
Dejean: ok
she has some for now
4:58 PM me: check her medicines for her before you leave for pilie tomorrow and take all of her pills with her to dr pilie...see which ones she is short on...find out which ones she needs...
Dejean: ok
i will
4:59 PM me: i just got an echo result from dr pilie for suze....wait a minute please....
Dejean: ok
that's fine
me: ok...
5:00 PM frandy, thank you and I will wait to hear from dr pilie tomorrow about heureuse....i will e mail dr pilie now....
Dejean: ok
5:01 PM i hope you get all the information
me: please tell dr pilie that heureuse needs to be on potassium supplement.
thank you and bon nuit...
kembe fem
5:02 PM Dejean: thank you very much
may God bless you
5:03 PM byeeeeeeee
me: by
Dejean: tell your family hello for me
me: ok
thanks
Dejean: aaaaa you are very welcome

Comment on Child Slaves in Haiti

This post was a comment sent to Dying in Haiti regarding Haiti's restavek problem.

More food for thought that you won't find in your local newspaper.

Thank you, Chantal.

Here is the comment:

Dr. Carroll do you find it interesting that news reporters such as this man are so willing to report on "slavery" in Haiti, yet have nothing to say about the US' imperialist actions in Haiti* with the 2001 an 2004 US backed coups of Haiti's first Democratically elected government? US intervention in Haiti is a continuing problem that started even before the racist and brutal occupation of 1915.

Would you say that this is serving a political interest, for the mainstream media to address the "slavery" issue, yet ignore the US government and its allies' illegal actions in Haiti?

Would the status of Haitians change in the minds of the international community do you think, if they were not always portrayed in this manner? As incompetent, unable to rule themselves, violent, stupid, diseased, lazy... and by the way, do you know that they have SLAVES (good for a laugh!!)?

What are you're thoughts? Maybe Haitians could be on their way to a better life if the US government intervention were not a way of life -- snd media portrayals were not biased and propagandistic?

Maybe just leave Haiti alone, respect Haitian sovereignty?

After all, what did the US expect would happen to Haitian children of those forced to seek work in the cities after "globalization" devastated their way of life on their lands in the country?

And even before this there was the onerous "debt" demanded by France (for lost revenues from slavery) and serviced by American Banks that Haitian governments paid. Under the threat of invasion, Haiti paid. This debt was repaid at the expense of any development needs -- social, economic, governmental. The Haitian government was never late and This debt was paid in full only in 1938.

I guess, just like the Mexicans who migrate to the US due to the same globalization phenomena, Haitians should just stay at home and starve quietly!

Is it your understanding, that there is "slavery" in Haiti? Or do you see the connection to a propaganda war on Haiti and the Haitian people and the pushing of the "slavery" narrative.

Note: US imperialism
Conspiring with Group 184, Canada and France to oust President Aristide. Setting up the brutal puppet government of Gerard LaTortue. The manipulating of Rene Preval's election by seeing that his rivals, such as Father Gerard Jean-Juste were locked up. The proxy occupation of Haiti by the US served by the presence of MINUSTAH.


Posted by Chantal to Dying in Haiti at 5:09 PM

Heureuse and Hurricane Gustav

Haitian Hearts is managing Heureuse’s congestive heart failure from 1,500 miles away.

Frandy, our contact in Port-au-Prince, took her to the General Hospital in the capital last week and the doctor suggested that Heureuse be admitted. However, Heureuse had no one to take care of her in the hospital, so she could not be admitted.

In Haiti, at large public hospitals such as the General Hospital, a patient needs a family member with them to assist them in the hospital. The family member would be responsible for obtaining food and water, bathing the patient, providing bed sheets and washing them, emptying the commode, and buying medications for the patient.

Heureuse’s family lives on Haiti’s southern coast in Benet and are not present in the capital. Heureuse's husband is dead and she has sent out her two small children to live in different parts of the country while she awaits death.

Incredibly, during the last few days, Heureuse has improved. She is breathing better and is able to do more. We have increased her furosemide and added a medication to control her blood pressure.

However, Hurricane Gustav hit Haiti pretty hard the other day and caused massive flooding and a quite a few deaths (according to Frandy) on the southern coast (near her family). And it has been much harder for Frandy to assist Heureuse because of the weather. Frandy has been providing Heureuse with food, water, and medications.

If she can survive this week, there is a possibility that Heureuse can get an echocardiogram next week. For her to have a chance of being accepted in the States, a cardiologist or surgeon needs to view her echocardiogram.

All of this seems so incredible. Heureuse is trying to survive congestive heart failure living in a shack alone with no money and not enough food and water. And Gustav hits Haiti with such force it stops 19 year old Frandy, another very poor Haitian who has a heart defect also, from helping her.

And OSF in Peoria precedes with its one half billion dollar medical campus expansion in a city that is 1/20th the size of Port-au-Prince.

“The world is a dangerous place to live; not because of the people who are evil, but because of the people who don’t do anything about it.” (Albert Einstein)

No Answers

I sent the letter below to quite a few people including Sister Judith Ann, Bishop Jenky, and OSF-Corporate ethicist Joe Piccione. Joe also sits on the International Committee for OSF-SFMC. The International Committee reviews which international patients are operated at OSF.

Also, I sent a letter to Jim Stowell who is President of the Children's Hospital of Illinois Community Advisory Board.

No answer from any of these people regarding Heureuse.

Letter Asking for Help

A few days ago I sent this letter out on behalf of Haitian Hearts patient Heureuse.

Heureuse is a 29 year old female who lives in Haiti. She was operated at OSF in 2002 for a serious heart valve problem. She needs more surgery now as the letter explains.

OSF has abandoned her but other Haitian Hearts patients in Haiti are helping her tremendously. However, unless she has surgery soon she will leave two little children in the slum without parents. And Haiti is suffering greatly now with the "food shortage".

Today I forwarded an e mail from Haiti describing Heureuse's condition to Keith Steffen, CEO of OSF-SFMC. The e mail bounced back consistent with OSF's policy blocking my e mail as it has done in the past. This certainly is not doing Heureuse a favor.


International Committee and Children’s Hospital Community Advisory Board

August 14, 2008

Dear

Haitian Hearts is currently working on bringing 14 more patients to the States this year for heart surgery. Two other children were successfully operated earlier this year.

However, in addition to the above, we have three previous patients that need to come back to OSF to be reoperated in Peoria.

Many of you will remember Jenny Guillaume, Heuruese Joseph, and Henri Andrique. All three were operated at OSF 5-10 years ago.

Haitian Hearts has followed up with these patients in Haiti after they left Peoria and we supply them with examinations, medications, repeat echocardiograms, etc. during our frequent stays in Haiti.

Jenny is 29 years old now and teaches hearing impaired students in the Haitian capital, Port-au-Prince. She has never been married and still lives with her mother. She communicates with us by e mail and is fluent in French and Creole. She also speaks English fairly well. She and her family have helped us considerably in Haiti over the years.

Heureuse is 29 years also. She lives in a seaside slum in Port-au-Prince. She is raising her two small children alone. Her father is dead and her family lives on the Haiti’s southern coast and is not able to be of much help to her. She has no job and Haiti’s food prices have climbed dramatically over the course of the last year. Heureuse and her kids go to bed hungry.

(I have learned in the last few days that Heureuse is very sick. She is in congestive heart failure and lying in her bed unable to walk. Below is an online conversation I had with Dejean Frandy today, a Haitian Hearts patient who is 19 years old. Two other Haitian Hearts patients, Jenny Guiallaume and Suze will attempt to help Heureuse also. We are doing whatever we can to keep her alive until I can bring her to the States.)

Henri is 34 years old now and just got out of the hospital in Port-au-Prince due to cardiac problems. He is unable to work and his weight is down to 130 lbs.

Jenny, Heureuse, and Henri all need valve surgery. All are in various degrees of heart failure due to their bad valves. I have not had any luck finding other medical centers to accept them. They will be difficult cases due to their previous surgery and their underlying pathology.

All three would like to live. What would you do if they were your relatives, children, or friends?

Please make sure that OSF and their legal counsel, Douglass Marshall, remove their embargo of Haitian kids at OSF. Their physicians would like to see them return to Peoria as would their host families.

I do not want these three to die painful deaths like Jackson Jean-Baptiste and Maxime Petion did after they were denied on going care at OSF.

I humbly ask you to be their advocates and will wait to hear from you regarding these three young adults.

John A. Carroll, M.D.
309-648-1087

haitianhearts@gmail.com

www.peoriasmedicalmafia.com
www.pmmdaily.blogspot.com
www.dyinginhaiti.blogspot.com


Online conversation today regarding Heureuse:

Dejean Frandy3:18 PM Dejean: HI i need to talk to you now me: frandy, can heureuse talk to...
3:37 PM (6 hours ago)
3:18 PM Dejean: HI
i need to talk to you now
me: frandy,
can heureuse talk to you?
Dejean: yes i am there
i saw her this morning
3:19 PM she has prescription for Echocardiogram
she may need to see Dr Pilie for it
3:20 PM me: frandy,
Dejean: she has medicines
me: I want you to e mail a haitian friend of mine...her name is jenny guiallaume..
her e mail is...
3:21 PM gjenny12@yahoo.fr
3:22 PM she lives near delmas 33
she can help you and heureuse...
she is a heart patient....
heureuse needs to take a medicine called lasix (furosemeide)..
3:23 PM explain to me heureuse's condition
can she walk a little...
can she eat and drink?
Dejean: no she can not
me: are her legs swollen?
Dejean: she can but she does have money to feed herself
3:24 PM she does not have money
me: she does or she does not have money to feed her self?
is she short of breath?
Dejean: she does not have money
3:25 PM yes she is and her legs are not swollen
me: where are her kids??
3:26 PM Dejean: the boy is with her but the girl is somewhere else
maybe delmas
she has the medicine you said above
me: ok...
will you contact jenny?
3:27 PM Dejean: let me tell exactly what she needs for now
me: can you and jenny take her to the General Hospital or the hospital in leoganne??
Dejean: yes i will
3:28 PM me: ok, tell me...type fast...i will wait...
Dejean: she already went to GCH
me: ok
Dejean: she needs to do Echocardiogram
3:29 PM and Thyroidien, glycemie
me: frandy, she needs treatment with medication before echocardiogram...
Dejean: ok
3:30 PM do you have Jenny's number phone?
me: tell the doctor she has a problem with her valve aortic and valve mitral...she was operated in 2002...
no i do not have jennys number but she checks her email every day...please send her an email... and tell her to call you...
3:31 PM Dejean: ok i will do everything
me: maybe suze can help you with a ride for her to the general hospital....
Dejean: i am going to see Heures later
me: ok.
3:32 PM Dejean: i can do this
3:33 PM do you Andrique's Echocardiogram?
do you need Andrique's Echo...?
he said that he has it
3:34 PM i can scan it for you
me: tell heureuse not to take the thyroid medicine...she needs to take the furosemide...yes i need andriques echo results....maybe he can send me the results via e mail or you can scan it...
3:35 PM please get hold of jenny now...and suze...
Dejean: i will do that perhaps during the week end
ok
byeee
me: yes, the echo on the weekend is good...
heureuse is problem number one right now....
3:36 PM tell heureuse that she should take furosemide 40 mg in the morning and 40 mg in the afternoon...
3:37 PM Dejean: ok byeee
talk to you later
--------------------------

Heureuse at the top. Keith Steffen at the bottom.

See Maria's article regarding Heureuse.

Protection

The Catholic Diocese and the Peoria media are protecting OSF. It won't last forever. As I told Mr. Steffen in the past, the truth will eventually come out.

The Story That Won't Go Away...

The fact that poor Haitians are eating mud patties to help stifle their hunger pangs has caught the attention of the international media.

See Kate Kennedy's recent article in Macleans.

It is imperative that all of this press turn into something good for Haitians. Haitian farmers need to be supported so the food that Haiti needs is grown and sold in Haiti.

Hospitals Sending Immigrants Home

If you didn't see the New York Times article regarding U.S. hospitals flying immigrants back to their homes, here it is. It is a must read.

Sister Margaret McBride, vice president for mission services for Saint Joseph's in Phoenix, was truthful when she said that the patient/immigrant's families were not happy about repatriation but they (Saint Joseph's) don't require consent from the family to repatriate. She should know since her hospital returns quite a few unlucky souls each year.

This reminds me of OSF in Peoria.

When Haitian Hearts was negotiating with OSF and the Catholic Diocese of Peoria regarding the fates of numerous Haitian children suffering from heart disease, neither OSF nor the Diocese would tell me the details that I had to accept to receive any support from OSF. However, they did allude to the fact that the Director of Children's Hospital of Illinois (CHOI) would be holding the passports and visas of my Haitian Hearts children. I knew the Director's behavior in the past, and so I was afraid that he and Children's may attempt to send Haitian kids back to Haiti before they were safely cleared for me to fly them back to Haiti.

Unfortunately, with the recent New York Times article addressing the unethical business of sending immigrant/patients home, it reminded me how these hospitals have nothing on OSF in Peoria.

OSF's Hypocrisy Continues....

The Peoria magazine, InterBusiness Issues, has an article in the August, 2008 edition.

The article was written by Keith Steffen, Administrator of OSF-SFMC in Peoria.

Mr. Steffen starts out his brief article with this sentence:

“Being able to serve all the patients who come to us is our primary priority.”

I wonder if Mr. Steffen really believes this. He cut all funding for Haitian Hearts patients in July, 2002 and OSF-SFMC is denying care to past OSF Haitian patients who need repeat heart surgery.

Two young patients, Jackson Jean-Baptiste and Maxime Petion have died in the last couple of years after they were refused surgery at OSF-SFMC. Four other Haitian Hearts patients need repeat surgery soon or they will all die.

Mr. Steffen also writes about OSF’s Milestone Project which is costing about 400 million dollars.

“The Milestone Project will use 47,000 square feet of glass, 22,000 cubic yards of concrete, 143,000 pounds of rebar (used for reinforcing concrete) and nearly 10 million pounds of steel.”

He then ends his article with the following paragraph:

“This new facility will help us to better “serve persons with the greatest care and love in a community that celebrates the gift of life”. And that is the OSF HealthCare mission.”

Notice that he put the mission statement in quotes…possibly distancing himself from this philosophy.

Many Haitian patients and their families wouldn’t believe this if they read his article. And I am sure the hypocrisy of Mr. Steffen’s words are not lost on many people in central Illinois.