A mother arrives with her two children and is greeted by Gia, our patient manager. Gia asks their name in Creole, assigns them an appointment number, and leads them to the waiting area. There, advocates take the children’s blood pressure, pulse, respiratory vitals, and medical history, all of which is recorded on an intake form which will travel with the patients throughout their entire appointment. Next, the family enters an exam room, where nurse Chris asks the patients about their reason for coming to the clinic and any relevant symptoms to give a diagnosis. He determines that the boy, Richeleo, who is 6 years old, has a rash on his arms and legs, as well anemia and an intestinal parasite. The girl, three-year-old Wawen Dina, has the same rash on her legs, as well as anemia and an intestinal parasite. She is also diagnosed with a UTI. Chris explains they should use water from a pump or bagged purified water to wash all of the affected areas. Dr. Tony then comes in to review all of the work that has been done for accuracy and agrees with Chris’ evaluation. Dr. Tony prescribes ointment for the rashes, an antibiotic for the UTI, iron syrup to help with the anemia, and a deworming supplement to get rid of the parasites. Additionally, the advocates in the room remind the mother of some preventative measures that can be taken to help reduce the risk of repeat ailments. Dr. Tony moves on to the next exam room, and the family follows me to the medication room where a Haitian nurse fills all of the prescriptions and gives the mother an in-depth explanation about how to properly administer the medicines. She then politely asks the mother to repeat all of the information that she has learned about her children’s illnesses to ensure the treatment will be as effective as possible. She then thanks us and leaves with her two children, who should be feeling much better in the next few days. We will visit them at their home for a follow up tomorrow and hope to see big smiles on those sweet faces.
