NewsWhore
05-04-2012, 04:40 PM
Textile manufacturer Hanesbrands Inc. and Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center are collaborating on providing access to ear, nose and throat outpatient procedures for children near a public hospital in Bonao, a city of 125,000 where Hanesbrands has a textile plant and 1,800 employees.
The medical center sent its first 14-member medical team to Hospital Pedro de Marchena in February, where it performed more than 50 procedures, including tonsillectomies, ear surgeries, cleft procedures and the repair of congenital neck lesions. At least 15 patients are the children of Hanesbrands employees.
The groups aim to establish a medical presence "that hopefully outlasts all of us," said Christopher Fox, Hanesbrands' vice president of corporate social responsibility. A second trip is planned for June.
"Other departments at the medical center have expressed interest in going to Bonao to address other needs there," said Dr. Dale Browne, chairman of otolaryngology at Wake Forest Baptist. "Ultimately, we'd like to have three to four trips each year."
Like many Dominican Republic cities, Bonao has sizable communities in abject poverty, with little or no running water and electricity. The hospital, built in 1952, lacks the money to invest in its facilities and equipment, Browne said.
"There are real needs there, and there is a shortage of surgeons capable of performing some necessary procedures," Browne said.
"Some of the children's mouths and throats were so full of tonsil material that they couldn't run or play, and it affected their ability to eat," Browne said. "We were able to provide truly life-changing surgeries for those children."
The procedures were critical not just for quality of life, "but for life itself," said Dr. Adele Evans, a pediatric otolaryngologist.
"Some of these children would have had to wait until they had a life-threatening infection or heart failure before a tonsillectomy would be performed because of the cost involved with the procedure," Evans said.
Hanesbrands is contributing by transporting equipment and supplies on its regular supplier routes, and through the sweat equity of employees in Bonao, who have provided more than 2,000 volunteer hours to help with renovation efforts.
The company's involvement with the hospital began in 2007 with the renovation of the hospital's pediatric and maternity wards. Since then, the company has helped renovate inpatient units, operating and examination and waiting rooms.
It also has transformed a trailer into a mobile clinic, with the goal of bringing other children to the hospital for treatment. Fox said Hanesbrands has contributed more than US$75,000 toward the renovation work.
"We've been able to employ some of our strengths to provide help to Hospital Marchena," Fox said. "But we're certainly not medical experts, which is why Wake Forest Baptist's involvement is so welcome and so important."
www2.journalnow.com/business/2012/may/03/wsbiz01-hanesbrands-baptist-start-initiative-in-do-ar-2235901/ (http://www2.journalnow.com/business/2012/may/03/wsbiz01-hanesbrands-baptist-start-initiative-in-do-ar-2235901/)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#12)
The medical center sent its first 14-member medical team to Hospital Pedro de Marchena in February, where it performed more than 50 procedures, including tonsillectomies, ear surgeries, cleft procedures and the repair of congenital neck lesions. At least 15 patients are the children of Hanesbrands employees.
The groups aim to establish a medical presence "that hopefully outlasts all of us," said Christopher Fox, Hanesbrands' vice president of corporate social responsibility. A second trip is planned for June.
"Other departments at the medical center have expressed interest in going to Bonao to address other needs there," said Dr. Dale Browne, chairman of otolaryngology at Wake Forest Baptist. "Ultimately, we'd like to have three to four trips each year."
Like many Dominican Republic cities, Bonao has sizable communities in abject poverty, with little or no running water and electricity. The hospital, built in 1952, lacks the money to invest in its facilities and equipment, Browne said.
"There are real needs there, and there is a shortage of surgeons capable of performing some necessary procedures," Browne said.
"Some of the children's mouths and throats were so full of tonsil material that they couldn't run or play, and it affected their ability to eat," Browne said. "We were able to provide truly life-changing surgeries for those children."
The procedures were critical not just for quality of life, "but for life itself," said Dr. Adele Evans, a pediatric otolaryngologist.
"Some of these children would have had to wait until they had a life-threatening infection or heart failure before a tonsillectomy would be performed because of the cost involved with the procedure," Evans said.
Hanesbrands is contributing by transporting equipment and supplies on its regular supplier routes, and through the sweat equity of employees in Bonao, who have provided more than 2,000 volunteer hours to help with renovation efforts.
The company's involvement with the hospital began in 2007 with the renovation of the hospital's pediatric and maternity wards. Since then, the company has helped renovate inpatient units, operating and examination and waiting rooms.
It also has transformed a trailer into a mobile clinic, with the goal of bringing other children to the hospital for treatment. Fox said Hanesbrands has contributed more than US$75,000 toward the renovation work.
"We've been able to employ some of our strengths to provide help to Hospital Marchena," Fox said. "But we're certainly not medical experts, which is why Wake Forest Baptist's involvement is so welcome and so important."
www2.journalnow.com/business/2012/may/03/wsbiz01-hanesbrands-baptist-start-initiative-in-do-ar-2235901/ (http://www2.journalnow.com/business/2012/may/03/wsbiz01-hanesbrands-baptist-start-initiative-in-do-ar-2235901/)
More... (http://www.dr1.com/index.html#12)