Our History - Building Local Capacity
Our commitment to improving health for the people of Thiotte, in southeast Haiti, began in 1997 with a small group of Wisconsin care providers led by Dr. Maureen Murphy. Since then, over 300 medical mission volunteers, from throughout the US and other countries, have traveled with HMMW to this remote and mountainous region. We have made about 75 trips to Thiotte to provide health care for people throughout the area.
Our sole mission to improve health, our adaptability, our evolving focus to prioritize Haitian heath care goals, and our steadfast commitment to Thiotte, sets HMMW apart from other organizations. HMMW’s presence in Thiotte and our ability to facilitate relationships between our Haitian partners, and other US and international organizations with aligning goals, has resulted in the people of Thiotte receiving considerably more assistance than our organization could have provided alone.
In 2001, HMMW established the first health care facility in the area, Centre de Santé Sacré-Cœur de Thiotte (CSST). Local Haitian leaders cite CSST as the impetus for Thiotte to function as the economic hub of this hard to access region. CSST provides jobs for about 18 Haitians, including direct patient care providers, technicians and support staff. HMMW funds wages for key health care providers to ensure stability and year round access to preventative, primary, maternal and child health care.
Today - Empowering Our Partners
Now, we target support, facilitate growth, and promote change that progresses the Sacré-Cœur health care center toward greater independence and greater sustainability.
Our efforts stabilize and enhance current Haitian delivered health care services, while also developing specialty services in response to locally identified health care priorities and priorities set by Haiti’s Ministry of Public Health and Population, Ministère de la Santé Publique et de la Population.
Haiti Medical Mission of Wisconsin is a secular organization. However, our health care partnership with Centre de Santé Sacré-Cœur de Thiotte operates under a memorandum of understanding with the Diocese of Jacmel. And, we embrace the guiding principles for conducting joint health care delivery and projects put forth by the Catholic Health Association: prudence, authenticity, honesty, patience, excellence and humility.
OUR HISTORY
CSST primary care staff
CSST operating suite
