Words from a Summer Intern

Here's a few words from PCS Summer Intern Taylor Leet-Otley:

Having concluded the May 2013 surgical mission, most of the work at the center will now focus on tabulating the extensive data collected from patients during this mission and previous ones. PCS uses an electronic database called redcap to manage its data, so much of my time at the center consists of putting patient records into that software, from where they can be easily searched and formatted. In the future, this sort of database will hopefully be useful in spotting demographic trends amongst Palestinian families with birth defects, helping to isolate which environmental and behavioral factors lead to the development of conditions like cleft lip and palate. The goal for this data collection is eventually to have an electronic record of every birth defect in the Palestinian territories, but for now a lot of work goes into managing the abundance of patients in the West Bank. While that goal is currently a long way from being achieved, the database is growing every day, and I have high hopes that this will be a positive asset for Palestine’s medical infrastructure.

As of last week, I’ve finished working at the Center in Al-Bireh, and concluded most of my work for this summer’s PCS Internship. Overall it was a wonderful experience and I feel as though I learned a lot in my time there. The staff at both PCS and the Palestine Medical Complex Hospital were both inviting and helpful, and it was a pleasure to get to work with them all. Overall I’d say the experience gave me a better appreciation of Palestinian culture and showed me a lot about the difficulties of managing a healthcare system. I’ll be returning to the center to work with the other intern, Marina, over the next few weeks, but for now I’m happy to say that I’m very satisfied with my experience working with PCS.

Gaza Suicides Rise

Al-Monitor's Rasha Abou Jalal reports that since the beginning of 2013, the Gaza Strip has seen a increase in the number of reported suicide attempts. Presumable causes for these attempts, which are mostly by young Palestinians, are related to family problems, unemployment, educational problems, the lack of a religious deterrent, or psychological illness.

Dr. Ayman al-Sahbani, head of the reception department at Shifa Hospital — the largest medical complex in the Gaza Strip — reported that the hospital receives up to 30 patients who have attempted suicide per month.

Read more: http://www.al-monitor.com/pulse/originals/2013/07/gaza-suicide-hamas-blockade.html#ixzz2YEkBW3sJ

The Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal Wins EXCEL Gold Award for Journal Featured Article

On June 4, 2013, Allen Press, Inc., announced that the American Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Association has been awarded the Gold EXCEL Award for a Journal Featured Article. The EXCEL Awards are bestowed upon the "finest media products and publications" in the association industry.

The title of the winning article under the category of "Journals: Feature Article" was "Cleft Lip and Palate in the Arts: A Critical Reflection.” The article was authored by Drs. Masoud Saman, Justin Gross, Alexander Ovchinsky, and Donald Wood-Smith, and published in The Cleft Palate–Craniofacial Journal, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary in 2013.

Characteristics of the article making it unique most importantly include the unique approach to the study of orofacial clefts, as the authors address how social attitudes towards those with cleft lip and/or palate have changed throughout time and also vary according to location. The piece concludes with the reassuring message on how it is possible to change perceptions and increase acceptance towards those with craniofacial anomalies.

For more on the awards see http://associationmediaandpublishing.org/PressRoom/PressRoomDisplay.asp?p1=3040&p2=Y
 


To read the article see http://www.cpcjournal.org/doi/full/10.1597/10-079

PCS Making News! "Palestinian children with ear deformities have life changing operations" via Al-Arabiya

During our most recent mission (Spring 2013), Dr. John Van Aalst led a project in the West Bank to operate on 10 year old Oday Daraghmeh from Toubas, West Bank. The three surgeries were performed in order to give Oday a normal ear and to restore normal hearing, as he had microtia, a congenital deformity in which the pinna is underdeveloped.

The team of volunteer doctors was mostly from the United States, as Palestinian doctors in the area are not well-trained in plastic surgeries due to a lack of experience, resources and appropriate facilities to address such medical concerns. The team, led by Van Aalst, is training dozens of Palestinian surgeons in order to increase their competence and decrease their reliance on foreign doctors and/or Israeli hospitals.


For more details on Oday's operation: http://english.alarabiya.net/en/perspective/features/2013/06/02/Palestinian-children-with-ear-deformities-have-life-changing-operations.html



 

First Middle East Forum on Quality Improvement in Healthcare takes place in Qatar May 17-19 2013

This past week, the Institute for Healthcare Improvement (IHI) and the Hamad Medical Corporation (HMC) collaborated in presenting their first Middle East Forum on Quality Improvement, held in Doha, Qatar. The IHI is an independent non-profit organization based in Cambridge, MA, and is a leading innovator in health and health care improvement worldwide.

The conference provided an opportunity for health care professionals and leaders from across the Middle East to congregate with the intention of learning about and discussing ways through which they can improve healthcare systems in which they work. Conference lecture topics included and were not limited to: Measuring for Improvement, Leadership for Transformation, The Model for Improvement and Sustainability and Spread. 


For more information on the IHI: http://www.ihi.org/Pages/default.aspx
For more information about the conference: http://ihi.hamad.qa/en/index.aspx

A note from a research intern in the West Bank

Mohammad Saleh began working with PCS during our 2012 Fall Surgical Volunteer trip this past December. He has continued to work with us in conducting research surveys since that time. Here's some thoughts from Mohammad regarding his time with PCS:

I'm Mohammad Saleh, a 4th year medical student at Al-Quds University.  My eagerness to work in research lead me to work with the Palestinian Cleft Society, as it they are conducting research on craniofacial anomalies for patients in Palestine.  

I'm currently working as a research intern with PCS. One of the goals of the research is to look for risk factors that may contribute to the incidence of congenital craniofacial anomalies in Palestine. In addition to my eagerness for research, our entire team is very encouraging and works hard together, and I hope that our work will finish with great results.  

When I first started with PCS, the only thing that mattered to me was to work on the research - I didn't pay much attention to the other things that the Society provides. But, when I engaged more in the work of the Society, I realized that the help they provide here isn't usual. It's a unique effort from a collection of volunteers and interns, doctors, students and others who are willing to provide help for the Palestinian children with congenital craniofacial anomalies. The idea that all of our work, including surgeries, is being done for free is simply amazing. I feel truly proud to work with PCS. 

Mohammad Saleh 

Palestine's Depression Epidemic

Forbes staff writer Bruce Upbin recently wrote about Palestinian neuroscientist Mohammad Herzallah, a graduate of Al-Quds medical school and current Ph.D. candidate at Rutgers University in Newark, New Jersey.

An impressive 40% of Palestinians are said to be clinically depressed, providing a unique opportunity for depression research. Dr. Herzallah directs the Palestinian Neuroscience Initiative, which has conducted extensive research in its few years of operation.

"It's a tragic fact but Palestine is an ideal place for depression research," says Dr. Herzallah. "Let's turn the problem into an advantage and train the next generation to deal with it."

Read the full article here: "A Young Doctor Fights the Depression Epidemic in Palestine"