Go Team Response to the Haiti Earthquake

When the earthquake struck Haiti on January 12, 2010 an estimated 230,000 were killed, and 1 million were left homeless. CEPAR was tasked by JHI leadership with preparing for potential disaster assistance for the earthquake via the Go Team. Ultimately, 14 Go Team members were deployed to Haiti.

A team of 5 physicians, 3 nurses and 1 nurse practitioner deployed with the NGO International Medical Corps (IMC) to the Hopital de l’Universite d’Etat d’Haiti (University Hospital) in Port-au-Prince.

They arrived 14 days after the earthquake to staff and manage the emergency care areas and treated traumatic injuries, wound infections, endemic infectious diseases such as tetanus and tuberculosis, and decompensation of chronic medical issues. The team, with other U.S. and Haitian physicians, worked 12-14 hour shifts to treat 400-500 patients per day over a two week period.

The Go Team also deployed two teams to the USNS Comfort under our MOU with the US Navy, each for 2 weeks. The first team (an anesthesiologist and a nurse anesthetist) arrived 3 weeks after the earthquake and helped manage the large influx of patients with complex orthopedic and neurosurgical trauma.
The second team, comprised of an emergency physician, two nurses, and a pediatric nurse practitioner, arrived 5 weeks after the disaster and provided support during the Comfort’s initial demobilization efforts, including discharge planning of earthquake victims from the ship to Haitian facilities.

Our Video Captures the Haiti Mission
CEPAR leadership and Go Team members reflect on the challenges and lessons of the mssion.
Watch the video>