Hospitalito Atitlán Blog

Decision makers met in the future OR to decide the position of the operating room table and the surgical lamps. In the photo are Dr. Suzana, Dr. Jacob David from Ventura County Medical Center, Dr. Brent Burket, Dr. Nemo and Hospitalito administrator José Reanda.

Dra. Diane and her anesthesiologist friend Celeste volunteered at Hospitalito this month. It was a pleasure to welcome them and we hope they return.

Marty Yudice is a friend from St. Rita’s Church in Fairfax CA and works for Solar Depot. He arrived at HA this week to work with the electrician and the Hospitalito Board on grants for Solar Energy for the new hospital. Solar Depot donated many components to install parts of the system and we look forward to further collaboration in the future.

It is feria in Santiago Atitlán, July 25^th being the main day. One of the activities leading up to the big parade is the election and crowning of this years queen. Contestants are 18 to 20 years of age, and must have good public speaking skills. In this foto, queens from many other Maya tribes have come for the farewell dance for the outgoing queen. It is a lengthy dance, as she dances several minutes and speaks with each of the other Maya queens.

Dr. Daniel Newman is a second year pediatric resident from Children’s National Medical Center in Washington DC. He has been volunteering at HA the month of July seeing many children and assisting during the pediatric surgeries and post-op care. Thank you Dr. Daniel, we hope you return!

Maria Estevez, Yurena Diaz and Aihnoa Fernandez from Madrid are at Hospitalito Atitlán for one month. Maria and Yurena will finish their OB residency at the Clinic San Carlos and Aihonoa is a Gastroenterologist at the General Hospital of the University Gregorio Marañon.

Dr. Heather Pierce is visiting her mother this week and brought a donation of diabetic supplies and nebulizer treatments from Sharon Busken a nurse at her clinic, Callaway Physicians in Fulton Missouri.

Surgeon Luis Felipe Flores and his wife Deborah were at the Hospitalito today for several gall bladder removals and hernia repairs. Dr. Flores currently lives in Austin Texas, but will soon be returning to his homeland to open a clinic in San Pablo la Laguna. 

Ruben Bergstresser and Sameen Nasim Ahmed have been working hard organizing the inventory from the HUGE donation from Medshare International. The full container was funded by the Marin County Guatemalan Mission Program and included hospital beds, an ultrasound machine, surgical microscope, birthing table, exam lights, and 850 boxes of medical supplies. 

Lately the Hospitalito staff has been sharing lunch together, learning from the medical volunteers about “Pot Luck”. Friday, everyone agreed to bring their favorite hierba, or wild plant. We ate Tinej’, Ko’lix, something that grows like a banana, and several salads, plus apple crisp prepared by Sameena Nasim Ahmed, a hard working non-medical volunteer from Minnesota.

The obstetricians with the Saving Mothers group lead a training for the nursing staff in understanding the fetal monitor.

The final section of roof was poured on the new hospital today and the windows were ordered. Floor to be installed in the next weeks!

Felipa, head of nursing, and Bianca are looking for surgical instruments for Saturday. Dr. Cofino is arriving from Guatemala City for pediatric surgeries. Because of the storms and road conditions, this is the first time since Dr. Leiva’s passing that scheduled surgeries will happen. A lunch is planned because the day will be a memorial celebration of Dr. Leiva’s commitment to Hospitalito Atitlán.

Laura Wishik returned to the Hospitalito this week bringing knitted baby caps and her Rotarian friends from Vashon Island. The Rotarians are in Guatemala working on a 3H grant. 

Obstetricians Angela Bianco and Katherine Kohari arrived at Hosptialito Atitlán with Nichole Young-Lin director of Saving Mothers. They delivered birthing kits to the traditional midwives and conducted trainings. 

Last night the back-up power for the new hospital arrived, thanks to the generous support of many Rotary Clubs, especially Club Rotario Guatemala Oeste and East Salem Rotary in Oregon. Wish you could have all been here!

It was a pleasure to welcome representatives one of our largest donors to the construction sitethis week. Carol Davito has been secretary in the Bishops office for more than 30 years. She has traveled many times to Santiago Atitlan, and this time she brought her son, Dr. Mike Davito a physician in Tulsa.  In this photo  of Hospitalito Board members with our guests are Jose Reanda, Juan Tzina, Mike, Karina, Carol and Diego, and Karina’s boadyguard, Bajlam.

ER physician Phillip Mitchell from the Chicago area visited HA today and brought a bag of goodies. Before he and his daughter traveled to Guatemala to volunteer at a Sololá orphanage, he contacted the Hospitalito to see what he could bring. He was directed to the WISH LIST on the website and Rebeca helped with a letter for customs. Thank you Dr. MItchell, your generosity is greatly appreciated.