Because of a special global health grant by UT Health, Dr. Irene Stafford and her team, including an Ob/Gyn resident, two medical students, and a college student, conducted an early intervention study in women to prevent congenital syphilis and the transmission of HIV for the first time in Guatemala. They have screened approximately 200 women with point of care testing. This could be a model for future interventions throughout the world.
Our team pioneered three changes in care this year. The first is the point of care HIV and syphilis testing mentioned above. The second is hemoglobin A1c testing for diabetics. The hemoglobin A1c test measures an average glucose over 90 days. Orthopedic surgery can’t be done in diabetics with uncontrolled high blood glucose levels due to an increased risk of complications, so this knowledge becomes a critical factor in referrals to surgery. This vital machine and the cartridges were made possible by a generous donation from a frequent FIP volunteer who saw the need and creatively gave from his retirement fund. Long after Craig ceases to come on trips, this gift will continue to impact the success of orthopedic surgical patients.
The final innovation we tested was a portable x-ray camera that is being used for orthopedic patients that did not bring or have access to x-rays. But by having access now to on-the-spot x-rays, it enables the physicians to make immediate decisions on patient care and improves the flow of their referrals, prioritizing those with complex problems. This was made possible through the coordination and generosity of Dr. Berend, a surgeon who has volunteered with Faith in Practice on many orthopedic teams and currently serves on the Board of Directors. FIP volunteers arrive with the highest caliber of training and mastery in their field, they leave with their heart expanded and a new outlook on their calling.
The town of Puerto Barrios is a port city in Guatemala, located in the gulf of Honduras. We’ve been leaving the clinic each day well after dark, but last night we got a fun treat of seeing the water before the sun went down. It was such a fun 30 minutes as we scampered along the seawall. A giant metal sculpture of a fish caught my attention and I recalled a favorite bible story I had re-read just that morning. In Luke chapter 5, Jesus climbed into a boat that had been tied up at the shore and used it as his pulpit to preach. When we had finished speaking to the crowd, he told Peter to, “Push out into deep water and let your nets out for a catch.” Simon Peter said, “Master, we’ve been fishing hard all night and haven’t caught even a minnow. But if you say so, I’ll let out the nets.” Do you remember what happened? There were so many fish he had to call others to help and their nets almost broke! When Simon Peter saw it before him, he fell to his knees before Jesus.
The uniqueness of the gospel is not that it gets us to do something entirely new but that it sends us back to what we’ve been doing all along, but this time with Jesus. How often do we hear Jesus say, “ Go out into the deep and let down your nets.” We say in plain truth, “But we’ve already done that, and nothing happened.” And Jesus says, “But you didn’t do it with me in the boat” Same boat, same commands, same nets. But now Jesus is in on it- and that makes all the difference!
– Eugene Peterson
Julie Eberly, Volunteer and Blogger
