Note from the Executive Director by Kathryn Tschiegg
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CAMO A different kind of aid organization Spring 2016 • Volume 25 • Issue 1 CAMO is a non-profit, faith-based organization. Bringing Hope to the Forgotten Note from the Executive Director by Kathryn Tschiegg Soon after their departure, Mike Augoustidis arrived in Honduras from Domokur Architects (Akron, OH). I am in Honduras at this time, and We introduced him to his new counterpart, Iris Hernandez, just wanted to share with the readers an architect here in Santa Rosa. There are no architects what one week of life is like here in in Honduras who have expertise in design of a hospital or clinic. Iris wanted to learn, so this new relationship was Honduras as a director. formed. Mike’s design improved order and flow to Hospital de Occidente, redirecting traffic, parking and the hospital campus to improve function, flow and progressive design Saturday evening, before he left to return to the USA, of services for the hospital. At present, people die in the Dr. Kevin Waltz sat with me and his counterparts, Dr. ambulance because the only entrance to the hospital is Hector Robles and Dr. Marco Robles. He told us that he through the front of the emergency room. Mike and the wanted to see more resources come to Honduras. With that, Domokur Architects firm will continue to work with us for a new eye surgical center would need to be built to house the next few months to put more details to the site plan. those resources. All of us knew such a facility potentially Before his departure, Mike said, “You shared with us the could help change eye care not only in the Western need and what you are doing, but no words could describe half of the country, but in the entire country. Dr. Hector what I saw this week. It has been a life-changing experience Robles agreed to build the center to house the advanced for me.” We hugged and he left early Thursday morning eye equipment. Dr. Waltz and our Honduran counterparts to return to the States. His new counterpart will be on the have big dreams, and we will continue to assist in making ground here in Santa Rosa, helping to raise the first-ever these dreams a reality. hospital campus plan for present and future development. After Sunday morning breakfast (which always includes On Tuesday, we had a meeting with the Vice Minister meaningful sharing), Dr. Waltz and the rest of the and her staff regarding “decentralization.” This means the volunteers were on a bus to journey the long road back budget of the government will be given to a private group to to the USA. manage all components of the hospital. In our case, it would Dr. Kevin Waltz working with Dr. Marco Robles. Michael Augoustidis and Kathy Tschiegg working on long term flow and design of the hospital. Newsletter design donated by WRL Advertising • Color printing donated by Printing Concepts. “They just want it to be used for education. It is yours if you want it, Kathy. I have been waiting on you to do the title work.” - Padre Edwin Padre Edwin and Kathy Tschiegg after the promise of the building and land. be Hospital Regional de Occidente (HRO). We started the meeting at 1:00pm and we ended at 8:30pm. The question I proposed after 3 hours was, “Dr. Justa, you have shared with us about the other hospitals and the groups, foundations and boards which have been given hospitals and clinics to decentralize. In comparison, how does CAMO look to you in its capacity to take over the management of HRO?” She smiled and said, “CAMO is the dream organization of the Ministry of Health. There is no other organization in Honduras which has the capacity that you have. If we had other organizations like CAMO, my job would be much easier. So far, we have had to train and form the organizations from the ground, up.” We then spoke of the process and timeline. CAMO has not accepted this yet. First, we will do an in-depth diagnostic assessment of every component of the management of the hospital. We started forming our multi-disciplinary team on Wednesday. The diagnostics will be finished by She smiled and said, “CAMO is the dream organization of the Ministry of Health. There is no other organization in Honduras which has the capacity that you have. If we had other organizations like CAMO, my job would be much easier. So far, we have had to train and form the organizations from the ground, up.” July 30, 2016. Then we will start contract negotiation. If, at that time, we see more opportunity than risk and negotiation goes well, we will start the transitional process in September of 2016. Visit CAMO’s If all goes well, CAMO will be the managing agency of HRO by January 2017. Facebook page for updates As a result of these advances, I made the decision Wednesday morning to put on hold the higher education facility and the continued search for land in which I have spoken in other newsletters. It seemed to me that too many obstacles had been put in front of us. The land we wanted increased in price from $250,000 to $380,000, while other land either was not appropriate or was very expensive. The mission is necessary, but was too cost-inhibitive. Things just were not falling into place. I called the donor who had shown interest and explained that we just were not ready, especially with the prospect of decentralization. But Thursday morning, Jose Bautista (CAMO-Honduras Executive Director and my right- hand person) came to my office. In his capacity as a trade school board member, he had met Catholic priest Padre Edwin who had been given 10 acres of land by the city on the outer edge of Santa Rosa. There, he was building a trade school. Jose took the priest and showed him CAMO’s trade school. The priest was impressed. Then Jose showed him CAMO’s 2 Bringing Hope to the Forgotten We are asking all of you to adopt these two projects in the next year, so we can provide trade and advanced education, giving people a chance at a better life. Miracle donation of land and building. facilities and the work we have done in the community. The new building will take $100,000 to complete the He explained how CAMO used an integrated system from finishing touches, and we need to improve the present early child development to trade education and healthy trade school and expand it. We can do this for $150,000. activities with the goal of keeping children out of harm’s We are asking all of you to adopt these two projects in the way. Padre Edwin then asked for me to meet him at his site next year, so we can provide trade and advanced education, of construction. giving people a chance at a better life. We can fill gaps So Thursday morning at 9am, I was standing in the where no one else in Honduras is providing education in construction site of a facility which had plans to be these specialty services. Join us in working to meet this completed in June 2016. Padre Edwin continued to walk goal in the upcoming months. Every dollar will help. No us through the facility, showing us electric, constant matter how small or large your donation, you can change water and a sewage system for 125 people a day. It was the world. well-thought out, and had a great design. My heart was A special thank you goes out to all of you for your loving overwhelmed and I fought to contain myself and the spirits, supportive prayers, and many hours of giving so welling up of tears. I knew I was standing in a perfect site freely of your talents, money and hearts to the people for the higher educational facility in which I had dreamed. we serve. Thanks to our staff, counterparts, volunteers, It was already designed perfectly to meet our needs. Padre supporters and Divine intervention, this has been a great Edwin looked at me, but I said, “I cannot talk right now. beginning of 2016. I have to collect myself. I can see the higher educational facility being here.” And he said, “My funders are a Swiss nonprofit. They just want it to be used for education. It is “This was one week here in yours if you want it, Kathy. I have been waiting on you to CAMO-Honduras, and it was do the title work.” a miraculous week. There is a This building is a $400,000 facility and is sitting on 10 acres of beautiful forest land overlooking Santa Rosa. So greater force at work here. I am there will be the higher education center which will house in awe! There is much to do!!” our Advanced Life Support training classes, Critical Care Courses, our Women’s Leadership course and development, - Kathy Tschiegg plus the future curriculum of respiratory therapy and more. CAMO Spring 2016 3 Our Mission: Medical Services by Kathryn Tschiegg No one worked alone. We worked as one in harmony. One story tells it all. The dental teams were dispatched with their counterparts: 3 Honduran dentists and their assistants and 2 USA dentists and their assistants, including Dr. Mark Gustafson, Dr. Steve Farby, Cindy Mullet, Loretta Erb, Linda Louttit and Mary Loder. They had a long first day with 3 hours to get to their destination, an area in which CAMO had just signed a contract with the regional authorities.