Support the Blanca’s House Gala with a congratulatory message or an advertisement….
On April 20, 2012, Blanca’s House will be hosting its Second Biennial Gala honoring Dr. Kenneth and Mrs. Lori Kneessy, Dr. Richard and Mrs. Lynn Savino, Mrs. Linda Gottlieb, NP and Mr. Marc Gottlieb, Mr. Frank McCoy, PT and Mrs. Erin McCoy. By assisting Blanca’s House in their areas of medical expertise, the honorees have been very instrumental in the success of one or more of the nine medical missions over the past two years.
Blanca’s House will be publishing a Virtual Journal to advertise businesses and/or offer congratulatory messages to our honorees. The slide presentation is broadcast all night during the Gala. If you are interested or know of anyone wanting to advertise their business during the Gala, please contact vsimpson@blancashouse.com; subject line: Virtual Journal. Each advertisement/message is $50.00 and must be in jpeg format and is to be submitted prior to April 1, 2012. As always, 100% of all proceeds from our fundraisers go towards future mission needs.
Mather Hospital Staff Provided Free Surgical Services to the People of Playas, Ecuador
January 31, 2012
PRESS RELEASE
More than a dozen doctors, nurses and technicians from John T. Mather Memorial Hospital joined a recent humanitarian mission to Playas, Ecuador to provide free surgical services to children and adults.
A team of 61 volunteers from Mather and other Long Island hospitals traveled to Ecuador last month with Blanca’s House and completed 119 adult and pediatric surgeries including hernia repairs, GYN procedures, thyroid surgeries, cleft palates, cleft lips and burn revisions. There was no cost to the patients, who otherwise would not have had access to these services.
“We leave our jobs and families behind to travel for one week to provide care for the less fortunate. In that small time period we change lives!” said Kerry O’Sullivan, RN, a Mather nurse who has been on several other missions with Blanca’s House. “These trips are some of the best life experiences you can have. We bring a little piece of our patients home with us and we leave a bit of ourselves behind for them.”
Blanca’s House is a non-profit organization of volunteer healthcare professionals who donate their time to provide free, invaluable medical treatment to children and their families who would otherwise have no access to modern health care. Whether through surgery, medical supplies, or educational outreach, Blanca’s House provides 21st Century medicine to the underprivileged. The organization was founded by Galo Burbano, chief nurse anesthetist for Long Island Nurse Anesthetists, a practice that provides anesthetists for Mather and other Long Island hospitals.
John T. Mather Memorial Hospital is an accredited 248-bed, non-profit community hospital dedicated to providing a wide spectrum of high quality healthcare services to
Suffolk County residents, showing compassion and respect and treating each patient in the manner we would wish for our loved ones.
Photo Caption: Pictured are Dr. Mildred Garcia, hospital medicine; Dr. Michael Arato OB/GYN; Virgina Manislugan, PACU RN; Kerry O’Sullivan, ER RN; Keith Ramdeen, ER Medical Assistant; Dr. Stephen Coccaro , Plastics; Galo Burbano, CRNA (Blanca’s House founder); Stephanie Shapiro ICU RN; Dr. Mitchell Saunders, Cardiology; Kelly Dunn, ICU RN; Tashanna Adams, ICU RN; Dr. Salim Matar, ENT; and Julio Villamar, OR Tech.
Playas: 5th Day
When we all awoke this Monday morning, we couldn’t believe this mission in Playas, Ecuador is almost over. There was so much hard work and behind-the-scenes planning by many of our relentless and dedicated team members to make this all happen. Galo and Robyn know without all the assistance of others, we could not make this, or any, mission possible.
This morning we allowed some of our team members to stay back and catch up on some much
needed rest. While others still needed to make rounds and discharge patients. We had several members travel to the hospital to pack up our precious supplies in order to be ready for our next mission. As soon as everything is loaded on our bus, we will be off to our hotel in Guayaquil where we all look forward to relaxation time and maybe a little shopping. Tonight will be our last dinner together as a team….we all look forward debriefing, chatting, and a great big deep breath as we reflect on our success. We extend a big “THANK YOU!” to our most generous doctors who always treat us to this evening on every mission. We always appreciate their generosity.
We are now off to the airport and back to our “other” lives. Each of us takes back many wonderful memories of how many lives we touched and changed forever.
The fourth and final day in las Playas…
It is hard to believe this our last day of surgery. Several of our team members were discussing the fact they can’t believe it is Sunday had already arrived… time moves so fast when you are working 13 to 14 hour days on little sleep. As our doctors and staff make their rounds in the morning, they listen to the patients, as well as there families, praise us all for what we have done to help them.
The operating rooms have been buzzing, as well as all other areas of the hospital. When you have a moment to reflect on what is occurring in only four days, you want to/need to complete as many cases before we end this and every day. Passion drives you to help treat as many patients are you can. Winding up the day’s work late into the evening, the team heads back to the hotel to eat and get some much-needed rest.
Monday is the wind-up day. Some of the team members head back to hospital for their final
rounds and patient discharges, along with packing up the equipment for the trip home. Once done, the entire team will head back to Guayaquil. A day of relaxation and closing ceremonies highlight the time before we head home on Tuesday.
Las Playas: Day 3
During breakfast on Saurday morning, the team members were discussing how they can’t
believe after being in Ecuador for only 4 days, they are feeling as if they have worked together forever. You never hear anyone refusing to help one another even if they are hot or tired.
Once again, as the team arrived to work at the Hospital, the team was greeted by so many new faces hoping to be helped by one of our doctors. As the rhythm of day has been established, the surgeries are getting started earlier each day in order to increase the number of people they can medically treat. The medical staff has consistently praised the junior and adult volunteers for their amazingly efficient coordination of assisting the doctors and nurses.
Since our arrival in Ecuador, the IT department has been humming….. making all our paperwork processing and charting look effortless. THANK YOU, EVAN!
In the morning, donated toys, stuffed animals, and clothing were taken out to the hospital’s courtyard. Happy and surprised children lined up with smiles on their faces while some of our team members handed out these precious items.
Our second day at the hospital…
Thursday evening, the team returned to the hotel extremely late from the Hospital Cantonal General Villamil. The medical team attempted to do as many cases as were possible on our 1st day of surgery. At the same time, the team finished setting up everything brought with them on the plane. After a very long day, some team members stayed up to eat and unwind while others went straight to their rooms to get some much needed rest.
Before we all knew it, the alarm went off in our hotel rooms at 5:00am to get ready for the 6:00 am breakfast; “easy” to do when everyone loves the food here in Ecuador. Our bus was waiting for us after breakfast….returning the team to the hospital where so many hopeful patients are waiting. Every day we arrive at the hospital, the families start to cheer with smiles on their faces, as we exit the bus. Seeing these faces makes starting our day so much more pleasant and with renewed purpose. First order of business is rounds by the surgeons in the Psst Op area. Reviewing patients’ progress form the day before’s surgeries, patients are discharged as needed. Simultaneously, new patients are medically screened for scheduling surgeries today or tomorrow.
The rhythm of a working-together team is starting to buzz…
Playas, Ecuador: the entire team is in Playas!
As soon as the rest of the team arrived, off to the hospital and right to work setting up for all the many patients to come. We were greeted by so many patients and families; waiting and hoping we will be able to help each of them in some way. Within a few hours, the entire team had this tiny hospital ready to start surgeries on several patients. It has been a long 2 days, but no one seems to mind. We are all so very happy to help any way we can.
The entire medical team is now in Salinas!
The balance of the team arrived safely this morning…with everything set up by our preliminary team the day before, they are ready to get started!
