Lakeside Medical Center surgeon Daniel B. Kairys, M.D., was among the first wave of medical responders after the devastating earthquake in Haiti. Just days after the quake, he and his Haitian-born wife, Junia, a physician’s assistant, made their way to the capital city of Port-au-Prince as part of Project Medishare for Haiti, a non-profit medical relief organization, to provide medical care to those injured in the disaster. After three days of caring for victims of this hard-hit community, he came away moved by their gratitude in the midst of such pain and devastation.

"The quietness of their suffering is hard to describe," Dr. Kairys said. "They were thankful for the small amount we were doing, and they had the willingness to sit and wait until we could get to them. There was very little complaining."

Dr. Daniel B. Kairys with is wife, Junia. Photo credit: Project Medishare for Haiti.

Dr. Kairys estimates he and the Project Medishare team treated approximately 200 patients during his time in Haiti, providing care in an environment lacking key medical facilities, such as operating rooms. Many patients needed immediate surgery, but without proper surgical tools and equipment, there was no way for the surgeon to do his work. For Dr. Kairys, a father of three, there was an emotional impact caring for the children who found their way to the facility, some with severe injuries such as open fractures and large tissue loss. Many had lost both of their parents in the earthquake.

"We really didn’t ‘treat’ patients. That was the problem. We mostly provided comfort care to those that came to our facility. That’s all we could do," he said.

Dr. Kairys would like to return to Haiti soon, this time working in the rural communities where there was limited medical care even before the earthquake. This recent experience has reinforced his desire to continue to work with the Haitian community right here at home.

Board Certified Orthopedic Surgeon, Dr. Harvey Montijo recently gathered a team of 14 consisting of local doctors and nurses to travel to Haiti with medical relief.

Dr. Montijo is a local orthopedic surgeon from The Center for Bone and Joint Surgery in Royal Palm Beach. He and his team of local physicians and nurses stepped up to help with the earthquake victims.

Dr. Harvey Montijo (second from left) with three members of his team of physicians/nurses leaving with medical relief from the Opa-Locka Airport in North Miami to Port Au Prince, Haiti Sunday, January 17th, 2010.

St. Mary’s Medical Center in West Palm Beach is treating three victims of the devastating earthquake that hit Haiti.

The first patient is a 67-year old woman who has dual citizenship in Haiti and the United States. She is in good condition. The second patient is a 10-year old boy who came in as a trauma patient. He was treated for fractures to his face and extremities. He is in good condition at the Children’s Hospital at St. Mary’s Medical Center. The third patient is a 16-month-old Haitian-American girl who suffered a broken leg bone.

St. Mary’s CEO Davide Carbone said his hospital is prepared to do more.

"We know the demand for medical care is overwhelming," said Carbone. "That’s why we have been in touch with the appropriate agencies to offer our services to any of the victims or relief workers who need help. We are certainly willing and prepared to do whatever we can to aid in this critical effort."

In addition to accepting patients, St. Mary’s is also gathering together medical supplies that could potentially be sent to Haiti. The hospital is working with its parent company, Tenet Healthcare Corporation, and local agencies such as the Diocese of Palm Beach, the South Florida Hospital and Health Care Association and the Palm Beach Medical Society to coordinate the collection of supplies for distribution to a centralized station for pre-arranged transport.

St. Mary’s has teamed up with The Diocese of Palm Beach to collect non-perishable food and clothing for the people of Haiti. Employees are invited to bring the items to work and place them in a drop box for eventual delivery. In addition, the hospital is urging its employees to make monetary donations to a reputable disaster relief agency.