‘Project Fix-it’ team assists Davis Memorial Hospital in Guyana
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| Todd Hooker (wearing hat), son of William Hooker, PhD, MFT, associate dean for student affairs, and Robert Nevis capture video footage of Richard Hart, MD, DrPH, in Guyana. |
From November 2 to 15 a group of individuals from the United States, Australia, and Scotland traveled to Davis Memorial Hospital in Georgetown, the capital of Guyana. They were there as part of Project Fix-it to upgrade the hospital’s electrical system and to install two dental operatories.
The group was comprised of Richard Hart, MD, DrPH, chancellor,
LLU; Robert Schoberth, AHS construction; Greg Batie, electrical engineer
from Seattle; Kelvin Sawyer from Australia; Jim Redfield, special projects,
School of Dentistry; Jairo Ayala, LLUMC construction & architectural
services, and Kaaren Simpson, RN, Scotland.
Team members Todd Hooker, son of William Hooker, PhD, MFT, associate dean
for student affairs, and Robert Nevis captured video footage which will
be edited into an informational video about the project.
The Project Fix-it team was sent by Adventist Health International (AHI),
an organization housed on the Loma Linda University campus.
Davis Memorial Hospital
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| The Project Fix-it team and Davis Memorial Hospital employees pose for a photo before beginning to unload the wiring and dental equipment. Dr. Hart is on the far right, and Mr. Redfield is second from the left. |
Davis Memorial Hospital was established in 1954, nearly 12 years before
Guyana gained independence from Britain. The country is one of the world’s
poorest nations, with per capita income less than one-fifth the South
American average. It is one of approximately 50 mission hospitals operated
by the Adventist Church that are experiencing severe financial and organizational
challenges.
“When AHI began working with Davis Memorial,” emphasizes Dr. Hart, “the hospital was not financially viable and had almost closed. It was suffering immense financial and management challenges. The hospital has 48 beds, but just five years ago only four to five beds were occupied.”
James M. Crawford, DDS, MPH, associate dean, School of Dentistry, and
dental director, health ministry department, General Conference, had visited
the site to explore whether a dental clinic should be established at the
hospital. He found that very few dental services were available in the
area, and representatives from local dental laboratories emphasized the
great need for dental care.
The Adventist Church operates 76 dental clinics around the globe and Dr.
Crawford not only served in Thailand directing a mission dental clinic,
but also has been instrumental in establishing many of the other clinics.
“Wiring is very important to dentistry,” informs Dr. Crawford.
“And when I heard about Project Fix-it’s rewiring project, I
knew this would be the optimal time to design and build the dental operatories.”
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| The new dental clinic is ready for patients after Jim Redfield completed his work. |
Dr. Crawford began to gather dental equipment and asked Mr. Redfield,
retired from many years of service as director of dental maintenance and
who now works for the School assisting with special projects, to design
the dental clinic.
Mr. Redfield was thrilled to participate and drew up plans for two well-equipped operatories. Mr. Ayala would assist in the construction at the site.
“By the time the team arrived,” says Dr. Crawford, “the hospital had followed the instructions we sent ahead—they had prepared the rooms and built and painted cabinets. The work was done to perfection.”
The last pieces of equipment needed to finish installing the dental units arrived late the evening before the group was scheduled to leave and so in order to complete the project, Mr. Redfield awakened before sunrise and began working at 4:30 a.m. The dental chairs were provided by Hank Estrada of Estrada Dental, based in Rancho Cucamonga. The company refurbishes dental equipment.
Dr. Crawford has been asked by the General Conference to find a dentist
to staff the clinic, and a dentist now practicing in Zambia is scheduled
to begin work in January, 2002.
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