Letter Spring 2009

[dt_sc_blockquote align=”center” cite=”The Board Of Directors”]

Dear Friends and Supporters,

The ministry of the Christian Medical Ministry to Cambodia/Jeremiah’s Hope (CMMCJH) has been very fruitful and growing rapidly in Cambodia. This letter is to update you on our progress and to elicit your continued prayer and financial support.

Drs. Dan Smith and Mark Sheehan led a team of 13 on February 13, 2009 and returned on February 28, 2009. There were five physicians, six nurses, one echosonographer and our CEO/President Mr. Brian White. We worked mainly at the Phnom Penh Heart Center (built by the French) and saw 87 consultations, performed 90 diagnostic echocardiograms, four transesophageal echocardiograms, 13 open heart operations, four pacemaker insertions, one diagnostic cardiac catheterization, one vascular aneurysm repair and two mitral valve balloon valvuoloplasties. We had only budgeted for ten open heart operations (it costs us $2000 USD/open heart procedure) but we saw three patients who would not have survived if we did not promptly perform definitive heart surgery). We were able to borrow a General Electric Vivid I diagnostic echo machine from the GE representative to allow us to obtain excellent echocardiograms to decide who needed the open heart surgery. We also set up our own anticoagulation clinic to enable us to safely anticoagulate our patients with Coumadin (warfarin).

We also signed a two year rental agreement for a three story home to open an office (required by the government) as well as our own Jeremiah’s Hope outpatient clinic. This home will serve as a facility for teaching and be able to house some long term staff. We hope to equip this facility over the next few years with a diagnostic outpatient non-invasive cardiac laboratory (echocardiography and EKG) and GI lab (upper and lower endoscopy and abdominal ultrasound). This clinic will also house our pharmacy and diagnostic blood laboratory.

We also purchased three tons of rice, and distributed them to a poor village (Village of Zol) that has been supported by our friend Mr. Meas Saran (clinical nurse manager at the Phnom Penh Heart Center).

Dr. Jim Deline, Nancy O’Malley R.N., Gabi Stevens R.N. and Brian White (all CMMCJH board members) went with our country representative Ms. Nary to Batambang and Siem Reap to visit a few additional medical facilities to aid in our understanding of the ongoing medical needs and possible solutions for Cambodia.

In July of 2009 CMMCJH brought a 30 year old female to Denver for major esophageal reconstructive surgery. Thorn Lyna had become depressed 10 years previously and tried to commit suicide by swallowing lye. She subsequently went through multiple procedures which were unsuccessful, leaving her unable to swallow even water and getting all of her nutrition via a feeding tube in her stomach. Lyna had become a Christian and wanted to live. With the assistance of Porter Memorial Hospital and many staff physicians, a 12 hour very complicated operation resulted in a successful outcome and Lyna went home in October. During our February 2009 trip we were able to visit her in her home and watch her eat a large meal of fish and rice. Our God is truly gracious!
Lyna was accompanied to Denver by a young Cambodian physician, Dr. Heng Rathmony. While in Denver, Mony made a commitment for the Lord and was baptized. We are continuing to nurture her in her new faith and pray that God will use her mightily in the future.

Since our return, we have hired two young Christian physicians (Drs. Sim Sokchan and Hok Tola) to run our clinic and supervise our surgical and medical programs. They are completing their neurosurgical and neurology training in France respectively, and will return to Cambodia in October. Dr. Heng Mony (our present physician running our clinic) will be going to France in October to complete her Pediatric training. She has expressed an interest in Pediatric Cardiology as her ultimate career goal. She has done an awesome job caring for our patients with skill and love.

Our Chief Operating Officer and board member Gabi Stevens R.N. has been hired to supervise our overall operations in Cambodia. She has been staying at our rented house clinic working with Nary in establishing the office and clinic. She has also been directing the process of hiring three nurses to assist in our clinic operations and identifying nurses for further training for our inpatient hospital needs. Gabi will plan on spending approximately six months each year in Cambodia directing our mission operations.

Dr. Dan Smith has volunteered to supervise our short term medical mission team development. We now have three additional teams scheduled to go to Cambodia. Drs. Jim Deline (General Surgery) and Daniel Horne (Urology) will lead a team for two weeks in October of 2009. We are presently recruiting nurses and support staff to go along with these two physicians.

Dr. John Bell (Gynecology) and Dr. Kevin Davis (Gynecologic Cancer Surgery) will lead an additional team for two weeks in January of 2010. Drs. Smith and Sheehan will be returning to Phnom Penh with their cardiac team February 19-27, 2010. We are also recruiting nurses and support staff to join these teams.

We are also in the beginning phases of setting up a neurosurgical/neurology mission team to help Drs. Sim Sokchan and Hok Tola set up an excellent neurosurgical/neurology program in Phnom Penh. We ultimately hope to be sending multiple short term medical teams every year to care for the sick and poor in Cambodia.

We are presently planning on having a fund raising event Thursday the 10th of September, 2009 to assist in our increasing financial needs of having our own clinic, hiring Cambodian physicians and nurses as well as our ongoing operating costs associated with providing medical care for those complex medical and surgical patients under our care. Please consider our ministry in your prayers and financial planning plans. The Good Lord has always provided everything we need according to His plans and timing. Our trust is in Him and His plan, using the people of His calling.

NEEDS: