http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=O545jR24KxQ&feature=youtu.be
During May this year, 10 volunteers from Eli Lily & Co. came to Project HOPE South Africa to share their skills and expertise with the project. The volunteers brought with them a camera crew who spent time in Zandspruit, observing and filming the day-to-day work of The HOPE Centre, the result of which can be viewed on the youtube link above.
Monday, 17 June 2013
Thursday, 6 June 2013
Training VSL health activists
Last week Lindsay and I conducted a two-day
training course for the VSL health activists.
Thirteen women participated, representing several different VSL
groups. The first day included lessons
on diabetes, hypertension, breast cancer, nutrition, tuberculosis, and
sanitation and infection control. The
second day covered HIV/AIDS, tobacco related illnesses, maternal health, diarrhoea, worms, and children’s health. Each
lesson gave an overview on the topic and highlighted information relevant to the
community, such as prevention measures, symptoms, and healthy lifestyle
habits. Many people in Zandspuit are
aware of the health issues covered in the training, but we found that there
were a lot of rumours and inaccurate information. We hope that by attending this training, the
health activists will be able to both dispel these myths and educate their
neighbours and community.
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| VSL health activists reviewing material before their final evaluation |
At the beginning of the first day we gave
the participants an evaluation to judge their knowledge on the topics that were
going to be covered. At the end of the
second day we repeated the same evaluation to see how much the women had
learned. Average scores jumped from 43% before
training to 84% after the training. We
definitely consider this a success. Each
trainee received a certificate of completion and a packet of information to use
while instructing her VSL group.
Since the training, some health activists
have already begun training their groups.
Last Thursday we observed one of the health activists present a lesson
on diabetes. The lesson was well
received and even resulted in several members going to the HOPE Centre to be
screened.
Our time here in Zandspruit
and Johannesburg is quickly coming to a close.
Both Lindsay and I have thoroughly enjoyed our time and hope to return
someday!
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| Training complete! |
Britta Harman
Thursday, 30 May 2013
Volunteers Britta Harman & Lindsay Johnson boost the VSL program in Zandspruit
Lindsay and I arrived in Johannesburg on May 12th and will be working for Project HOPE until June 7th. We are classmates at the University of Kentucky’s Patterson School of Diplomacy and International Commerce and have been looking forward to coming here since December.
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| Britta, Tsholo, and Lindsay |
During our first week here we got our feet wet by observing and participated in the many components of this Project HOPE site. We went door-to-door with community screeners, observed mass screenings in various locations in the township, visited the clinic and pharmacy, and attended information sessions on diabetes and hypertension.
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| Britta and Tsholo at a VSL meeting |
Despite the overall focus of the HOPE
Centre on diabetes and hypertension, our focus for our time here is on economic
strengthening and its connection to health.
In order to encourage improved economic stability among community
members in Zandspruit, the HOPE Centre has established a Village Savings and
Loans (VSL) program. This program has
been implemented in other Project HOPE locations, but only began in Zandspruit
in March. The VSL program brings
together small groups of friends and community members to participate in
“co-banking”. Groups usually consist of
6-10 individuals and meetings last anywhere from 30 minutes to 3 hours. Members save individual amounts of money each
week and deposit it into the group bank account after each weekly meeting. Members may take out loans from the account
and are responsible for paying them back with interest in an allotted period of
time. Rules and regulations, such as
interest rates and fines, are determined by each individual group and recorded
in the group constitution. At the
beginning of the saving cycle, groups elect a chairperson, secretary,
treasurer, money counters, and health activist.
Ideally, after nine weeks of meetings with Tsholo, the HOPE Centre field
officer in charge of the VSL program, groups will be able to run
themselves. After that point, Tsholo
will drop in from time to time, but the group officers will ultimately be
responsible for running the meetings. A
saving cycle lasts for one year. At the
end of the cycle, all members receive the sum they have saved plus the shared
interest that has accumulated over the year.
 |
| Lindsay conducting a VSL baseline interview. |
Thus far we have had a fantastic experience
and found everyone at the HOPE Centre and Zandspruit to be incredibly
welcoming.
Britta Harman
Thursday, 23 May 2013
Improving patients knowledge about how medications work
Most of our patients are on chronic, long
term medication for their diabetes and hypertension and many of them have to take multiple
tablets per day.
Adherence rates to these medications is very poor, often because patients are not empowered to understand what hypertension or diabetes is and what the medicine does to help them manage it. We often find that once a patient feels better, they stop taking the medication which can cause long term complications. Patient education is key to combating this.
Ellen Cannady and Nick Wang from Eli Lilly came as part of a 10 person strong
team for two weeks to help Project HOPE tackle some of these issues.
Adherence rates to these medications is very poor, often because patients are not empowered to understand what hypertension or diabetes is and what the medicine does to help them manage it. We often find that once a patient feels better, they stop taking the medication which can cause long term complications. Patient education is key to combating this.
 |
| Ellen leading a training session with PH staff |
As part of
their scope of work, they developed some patient education materials on all the
drugs that we prescribe so that the patients could understand better what the
drug does.
 |
| Nick Wang with PH staff |
They also spent an afternoon with our staff training them on the
role of pharmacology in the management of diabetes and hypertension. As a
result, our team is now better prepared to answer patient questions about the
drugs and support our patients in taking them regularly.
Thanks Ellen and Nick!
Friday, 17 May 2013
Be Open
Like a lot of volunteers, I did my research ahead of time. On the history, the climate, the healthcare system, the greatest challenges facing the poor.
“I came open,” said one of my fellow volunteers. “Open to help, to do what I need to do, open to the experience.”
Now that I’ve been at the HOPE Centre healthcare clinic located in Zandspruit, an informal settlement in Johannesburg, South Africa, I see that as the better approach. The HOPE Centre provides treatment and education to local residents about health issues, especially diabetes and hypertension.
Unfortunately, openness still won’t protect you from the shock of seeing thousands of shacks leaning against each other for support, sewage running through the streets, and limited access to basic healthcare, water and electricity. But openness will keep you from being overwhelmed by the magnitude of need. It can actually focus you on the small – but critically important role -- part you play in improving the conditions that day…and hopefully beyond.
At the HOPE Centre, our team of 10 volunteers from Eli Lilly and Company includes medical doctors, pharmacists, diabetes educators, and communication specialists. We are helping conduct diabetes health screenings, improve patient understanding of chronic diseases and medication compliance, and support nutrition education and peer educator training.
It’s a lot to accomplish in two weeks. And it’s still not nearly time enough to meet the needs of patients living in these conditions. But we’re open to what we need to accomplish today. We’re open to the experience. We’re open to making a small difference, however we can, today. And we’re open to the possibility that through the great work of Project HOPE and Lilly, we can collectively make a big difference in the years to come.
“I came open,” said one of my fellow volunteers. “Open to help, to do what I need to do, open to the experience.”
Now that I’ve been at the HOPE Centre healthcare clinic located in Zandspruit, an informal settlement in Johannesburg, South Africa, I see that as the better approach. The HOPE Centre provides treatment and education to local residents about health issues, especially diabetes and hypertension.
Unfortunately, openness still won’t protect you from the shock of seeing thousands of shacks leaning against each other for support, sewage running through the streets, and limited access to basic healthcare, water and electricity. But openness will keep you from being overwhelmed by the magnitude of need. It can actually focus you on the small – but critically important role -- part you play in improving the conditions that day…and hopefully beyond.
At the HOPE Centre, our team of 10 volunteers from Eli Lilly and Company includes medical doctors, pharmacists, diabetes educators, and communication specialists. We are helping conduct diabetes health screenings, improve patient understanding of chronic diseases and medication compliance, and support nutrition education and peer educator training.
It’s a lot to accomplish in two weeks. And it’s still not nearly time enough to meet the needs of patients living in these conditions. But we’re open to what we need to accomplish today. We’re open to the experience. We’re open to making a small difference, however we can, today. And we’re open to the possibility that through the great work of Project HOPE and Lilly, we can collectively make a big difference in the years to come.
Amy Sousa
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| Amy with Tamer Coskun, a fellow Lilly ambassador volunteering at Project HOPE |
Wednesday, 15 May 2013
So different – or so the same?
I came to the Project HOPE Centre in South Africa thinking that I would not have much in common with the people I would meet here. How could I? We live half a world and an equator apart. In less than a week on the ground, everything’s changed.
For example, I noticed the young 20-something guys who have been working with our team are congenial and chatty, willing to tease and be teased. They get along well with each other and charm the adults around them.
Where I have I noticed this before? In my three 20-something sons when all we get together. It makes me see them in a whole new light.
On our first day, I met one of the clinic staff on our walking tour of the community. We shared family stories and really hit it off. I hadn’t seen her for several days, and today when we met up, she put her arm around me and said, “What have you been doing? I’ve missed you.”
Where have I heard that before? From my best friend at home when we’re both too busy to connect. It makes me see her in a whole new light.
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| Lilly volunteer Julie Williams and a new friend in Zandspruit, who loves to sew as much as her grandmother did. |
I spent time today talking with a 72-year-old resident of Zandspruit about the dress she was making. Next to her she had a bag filled with projects at various stages of completion.
Where have I seen this before? In my grandmother, who always had a sewing project on her lap whenever she was sitting down. It makes me see her in a whole new light.
So when the elderly lady told me she has “sugar in the blood” (diabetes),high blood pressure, “takes the pills” (brown, white), and can’t see too well out of her right eye these days, I better understand why our volunteer work here at the Project HOPE Centre is so important. She is someone’s grandma.
I better understand why it’s important that the young men volunteer at the clinic. They are someone’s sons.
I better understand why the staff members at the clinic work so well together. They are friends.
Getting to know the people and patients at the HOPE Centre clinic has helped me see them in a whole new light. In spite of our many differences, the most important things are the same.
Julie Williams
Tuesday, 7 May 2013
Press Release - Project HOPE Welcomes Volunteers from Eli Lilly and Company for Two-Week Assignment at the HOPE Centre in South Africa
Project HOPE, a global health education and humanitarian assistance organization, yesterday welcomed ten employees from the global pharmaceutical company Eli Lilly and Company for a two-week volunteer assignment at the HOPE Centre in South Africa. The volunteers will provide assistance to the staff at the HOPE Centre in a variety of capacities, all in an effort to improve the quality of care at the clinic.
 Community health workers employed by the clinic go out into local areas to offer screenings for diabetes and hypertension, and they offer access to treatment for those individuals found to suffer from these and other illnesses. Because many residents of this community do not have ready access to family medicine providers, the clinic also offers treatment for many other common illnesses and ailments. The ten volunteers starting their two-week assignments today at the HOPE Centre work in a variety of capacities for Lilly including clinical research, pharmaceutical sales, communications and manufacturing. They have each been assigned to one of five different functional areas of the clinic: clinical support, community screening, pharmacy and lab support, communications and peer support.  “I am thrilled to welcome so many talented individuals from Lilly to the HOPE Centre,” said Stefan Lawson, Project HOPE’s Country Director for South Africa and Director of the HOPE Centre. “I look forward to the lasting contributions these volunteers will make to our community.” The volunteers are part of Connecting Hearts Abroad, Lilly’s global employee volunteer program, which was launched in 2011. Throughout 2013, Lilly will send 200 employees from 45 countries to impoverished communities throughout the world on two-week service assignments. About Project HOPE Founded in 1958, Project HOPE (Health Opportunities for People Everywhere) is dedicated to providing lasting solutions to health crises, with the mission of helping people to help themselves. Identifiable to many by the SS HOPE, the world’s first peacetime hospital ship, Project HOPE now conducts land-based medical training and health education programs in 35 countries across five continents. http://www.projecthope.org About Eli Lilly and Company Lilly, a leading innovation-driven corporation is developing a growing portfolio of pharmaceutical products by applying the latest research from its own worldwide laboratories and from collaborations with eminent scientific organizations. Headquartered in Indianapolis, Lilly provides answers – through medicines and information – for some of the world’s most urgent medical needs. Additional information about Lilly is available at www.lilly.com . |
Tuesday, 23 April 2013
Familiar healthcare challenges in a rewarding new environment
The project I began when I started working
at the HOPE Centre clinic in Zandspruit was an inventory tracking system for
the clinic pharmacy. In this busy
clinic, open 3 days per week, patients are primarily seen for the treatment of
diabetes and hypertension. However,
nurses also address common illnesses/ailments as many patients do not have
ready access to family medicine providers.
Thus, the clinic pharmacy is as busy as the clinic and stocks a wide
array of medications to treat patients.
As I started the process of building an
inventory system that could be implemented in the clinic pharmacy, I was struck
by a number of similarities between the challenges I saw in this clinic in
South Africa and other healthcare practice environments I’ve worked in.
The first was the challenge of ensuring that
the clinic was able to stock the right number of the correct supplies to meet
the variable demand created by patients coming in with an unpredictable set of
symptoms and conditions. This is a
challenge almost all providers face but especially so here where the clinic
attempts to keep all medications on-hand and not create another barrier to care
by sending patients out to a pharmacy with a script.
The second is that in order to match supply
with demand as effectively as possible, record-keeping must be accurate and
detailed enough to inform regular purchases/ordering for the clinic. As I evaluated the barriers to getting this
data at the HOPE Centre clinic pharmacy, I was met with the familiar “paper
problem.” Records were kept on paper and
not electronically in a form that could be used to easily evaluate how many and
what kind of medications were being used each day at the clinic.
Finally, across most healthcare practice
environments, the detailed and sometimes monotonous tasks of collecting data,
evaluating that data, and making decisions based on it are not what most
healthcare providers want to, nor should spend their time doing. Their valuable time is better spent with
patients: educating, treating, and
providing care. While the
behind-the-scenes tasks are important, it is important and often a significant
challenge to ensure that providers receive the support that they need to do
their jobs seamlessly and maximize the time they are able to spend with
patients.
With an inventory system now in place that
will help address some of those challenges, I hope that the HOPE Centre clinic
in Zandspruit will now be even more efficient and able to treat more patients
who I know greatly appreciate the much-needed and high-quality care Project
HOPE is providing in this community.
Julie Brink
Monday, 8 April 2013
South Africa experience by Jo Burt
It’s hard to believe that our two months in
South Africa have already ended. The
time went so fast and I am sure that is because we were so busy all the time.
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| Jo busy in the Hope Clinic |
The Emthonjeni Hope Centre
Clinic is a great asset to the community and provides easy access to treatment
and care that in the past has not been accessible to the residents of
Zandspruit. Whilst in Zandspruit we met a 50 year old gentleman who had suffered
a stroke while at home alone. Health Care Workers from Project Hope happened to
be making a pre-clinic visit to this particular man’s compound and found him
with symptoms of a stroke, including hemiplegia, and unintelligible
speech. They were able to get emergency
care to him and when he was released from the hospital, he was referred to the Hope
clinic. In a short period of time he was
walking on his own, and has now fully recovered the use of his arm and has a
near normal blood pressure with minimal medication. He attributes his life and recovery to the
clinic. He truly believes that if
Project Hope had not been in the community, he would not be alive today.
Much of our time spent working with the Project was organizing the
clinic, helping to streamline processes and improve the timeliness of
visits. Upon arrival at the project, the
clinic often had wait times for patients of several hours. The implementation
of new processes has been successful in decreasing the appointment wait times
to less than 60 minutes which was a goal for the clinic. Streamlining procedures for drawing blood for
lab tests has helped to decrease wait times so that most patients are waiting
less than 20 minutes and the process for the Family Nurse Practitioners (FNP’s)
is much smoother. Improving the ability
for the FNP’s to see more patients is an important step to providing more
patients with services.
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| Jo's sister and fellow exchange nurse: Dot, organising medication. |
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| Jo and Dot training volunteers how to test glucose levels |
In addition to the improvement in the clinic, it has been important to
evaluate the services and provide assurance intended outcomes are being
achieved. Data collection, collation
and analysis of the data are an integral part of this project. This work will be ongoing, but has already
demonstrated that treatment for
hypertension has been successful. Also,
there is a decrease in the glycosated hemoglobin’s for the diabetic
patients.
It has been a tremendous privilege to participate in this project and I
will never forget the wonderful experiences.
Seeing a 22 year old mother with four children under the age of 5 with a
blood pressure of 200/120 and being able to get her on medications that may
save her life was very rewarding. Having
a 35 year old gentleman come to the clinic with a blood sugar of 25.1 mmol/l
and being able to get him medications and education to help manage his diabetes
was a testimony to the importance of the clinic. There are multiple stories of this type that
have provided meaning and importance to the project.
One of the other great benefits of this project is the fact that local
people are trained and become employed by Project Hope to sustain this
project. Not only does the project
provide much needed employment for several people, it is strengthening their
self esteem, providing value to their lives, and helping them to become
advocates for their patients and the clinic.
It has been a genuine privilege to be able to provide leadership and
development for these young people and to know that their lives will be
improved for this opportunity.
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| Zandspruit resident screened by Jo & Dot's team |
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| Zandspruit scene |
I cannot personally say enough about how much meaning this project has
brought to my life. There are so many
skills that I have been able to develop and improve and the cultural exchange
has been immeasurable. I will never
forget the people I have grown to love.
I hope that I have been able to make a small contribution to the Project
and I know that the Project has had a life changing effect on me.
 |
| Jo & Dot with volunteer screening team about to head out in to Zandspruit |
Thursday, 14 March 2013
Screening week at Project Hope
From 11th - 15th March it is screening week at
Project Hope. Every month here a week long screening exercise is conducted by
volunteers in Zandspruit or nearby Cosmo City to detect high blood pressure and
diabetes among the local residents, so those suffering from these chronic
conditions can be referred to the Hope Centre clinic for on-going care. In 2013 a door-to-door
screening programme has been established to maximise uptake of screening
and make the process as easy as possible for the local population to access.
Whilst Patrick’s results were fine, his wife showed signs of
high blood pressure. She tells us she is ‘stressed because (she) has two young
children and a baby and not much money’. She received a referral to the Hope
Clinic like a number of other residents we met that day.
We checked around 14 people at Patrick’s house. When we ran
out of people to test at his house, Patrick in his enthusiasm joined us as we
made our way through Zandspruit and before we knew it was approaching people on
the street to take part in the screening.
Our target was to screen 30 residents in one day, which we successfully
managed to do. Sometimes however
residents were reluctant to get involved, when I asked Patrick why people were
not interested he said ‘they say they are well, and do not need to be tested.
They don’t really understand about high blood pressure or diabetes. They say
they will go to the doctors if they are ill’.
Patrick was brilliant! He helped Bonita to measure patients,
and helped to put people at ease, while Polinah was busy recording the results.
Many of the residents we spoke to who had high blood pressure complained of
stress because of unemployment and lack of money for basic living. All those
who agreed to take part in the screening were very welcoming and grateful for
the service offered.
 |
| Essential screening kit |
During the most recent screening programme, I went with
trainee nursing assistant Bonita and team leader Polinah in to Zandspruit to
meet, measure and test the residents we met for signs of diabetes and high
blood pressure, making referrals to the Hope Clinic when necessary.
As we were walking through Zandspruit a local resident called Patrick called out to us, inviting us in to his home to screen himself, his wife and his neighbours. Patrick had seen the teams out the day before and was keen to get involved. After pulling chairs up for us, Patrick quickly rounded up a number of his neighbours and beckoned people off the street to join in the screening.
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| Patrick and his oldest two children |
As we were walking through Zandspruit a local resident called Patrick called out to us, inviting us in to his home to screen himself, his wife and his neighbours. Patrick had seen the teams out the day before and was keen to get involved. After pulling chairs up for us, Patrick quickly rounded up a number of his neighbours and beckoned people off the street to join in the screening.
Bonita methodically measured blood pressure from each arm in
every resident, followed by a prick test
to discover glucose levels, then
measured people’s height, weight and waist circumference. Polinah in turn
carefully recorded each of the results and completed referral letters for
residents when they showed signs of hypertension or diabetes.
Patrick who had welcomed us in, is a spray painter but currently out of work. He lives here in
his house with his wife, two young children and an 8 week old baby. He tells me
‘the screening is such a good thing. If people don’t know they have a problem,
then it will only get worse until it is difficult to deal with’.
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| Blood pressure check |
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| Residents gather at Patrick's house |
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| Glucose testing |
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| Bonita taking waist measurements |
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| Measuring weight |
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| Measuring height |
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