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Duluth Nurse Joins Israelis to Offer Aid to Filipinos Recovering from Typhoon

(Duluth News Tribune) Julie Pearce - I originally had intended to establish a field clinic elsewhere. Then I learned that the Israel Defense Forces had established a sophisticated field hospital in Bogo, and I figured it would be better to combine resources than to reinvent the wheel. After some discussion, the colonel at the IDF compound welcomed me as a collaborating force. I am the only non-Israeli medical team member here. It's an honor, not only to serve alongside them but to learn from them as well. They've treated me entirely as one of their own. I work, eat and sleep alongside them. We are two separate nations working side by side with a common goal at heart: to reach out and help the victims of the typhoon. The IDF has essentially turned a developing world, rural hospital into a fairly modern-day medical facility in just 48 hours, all in the context of a major disaster. They have integrated electronic records, ultrasound, digital x-ray, a fairly sophisticated laboratory, an active surgery suite and incredible medical staff with varying specialty backgrounds. These specialists are also offering treatment for chronic conditions that the rural health system here would never have been able to support, such as removal of tumors.
2013-11-22 00:00:00
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