mission - St. Vincent's Health System

SLH Clinical Engineering Tech
Provides Training to Haitians
By Kathie Ford
Marketing and Communications
Melissa Hendricks may be busy as a
Senior Technician at St. Luke’s Clinical
Engineering Department but she has
found time to make two trips to Haiti
with the TriMedx Foundation’s
Mission Lifecycle Program. The
program is designed to establish
clinical engineering departments in each
Haitian hospital to minimize downtime
of crucial equipment. While in Haiti,
she also provided hands on training to
the Haitian interns and helped create
the core curriculum.
“TriMedx* is committed to sending
one seasoned tech to Haiti each month
for the next two years,” Melissa says.
“We will provide instruction on as
many facets of clinical engineering as
possible.”
Hendricks comments that medical
equipment is in short supply and
getting functional equipment there is
a daunting task. “It is exceptionally
important hospitals have access to their
own technicians,” she says, “who can
perform basic troubleshooting and
repair and can communicate with the
doctors and nurses to minimize downtime
of crucial medical devices.”
Melissa Hendricks, Senior Technician in St. Luke’s Clinical Engineering Department,
works with participants of the Biomed Internship Program in Haiti.
Melissa is passionate about serving the
“very proud and thankful people” of
Haiti. She says, “They endure poverty,
crime and lack of basic services and still
they remain full of grace and hope.”
She has been to St. Boniface Hospital
in Fond des Blancs, Haiti and looks
forward to returning in August to
evaluate the biomed interns’ progress.
“Melissa always goes above and beyond
in customer service at St. Luke’s
hospital, as well as in her commitment
to supporting charity missions,” says
St. Luke’s Clinical Engineering Manager
Charles Berberette. “Her selfless
dedication to helping the TriMedx
Foundation in Haiti will have a lasting
impact on the lives of countless patients
by providing skills necessary for the
hospital to be more self sufficient.”
Melissa was featured in the TriMedx
Foundation’s online newsletter and
was commended in a letter to TriMedx
management by Mission Project Manager
Merrill N. Brown. Brown says,
“Much of the success of the mission’s
trip to Haiti is attributed to Melissa.
She worked long hard hours going over
and above what was simply required,
never losing her sweet spirit.” He adds,
“Her expertise and direction is a
perfect fit for this program.”
Thank you, Melissa, for exemplifying
St. Vincent’s Mission as you serve
others at home and abroad!
*TriMedx is a healthcare equipment
service branch of Ascension Health.
MAY 2011 3