Hi All:
As most of you know, I will be returning to Haiti this week, this time to meet and work with my colleague, Dr. Luke Channer, who has reported that he is making good progress on healing his broken foot and will split duties with me, as he shouldn’t stand on his foot too long yet. This will free me up for some administrative duties, NOT my favorite job, nor something I am particularly good at, so will need prayer for wisdom as we seem to have a lot to attend to. Probably the biggest is to work on finances, as the economy in Haiti has steadily gone in the negative direction and much of the positive input from work teams, etc that came in large numbers after the 2010 quake has dwindled down, understandably. However, this has left Haiti more destitute than ever and we find ever increasing patients who come to be seen but don’t have even part of the funds needed for their care.

Additionally, our number of diabetics have increased, partly because no one else has ever wanted to care for them, as they have spent all their cash (what little they may have had) before they come to seek help from our hospital and many of the government hospitals seem to actively discourage their seeking care there. As you may know, medical care is technically free in the socialized medicine system here. However, when you see the surgeon, you are told what you have to purchase in order to have your “free surgery,” such as so many IV bottles of fluids, these medications, so many pairs of a certain size surgical gloves, etc, all of which you can purchase right at their pharmacy for a goodly fee. So, the end result is that most cannot afford the care they need and we end up caring for them. Also, Dr. Sid Fortney and Beth Newton have spearheaded a diabetic program for insulin dependent diabetics, to help prevent the long term complications, a great effort underway, but that also ends up with more diabetics coming our way, etc.

So, we have found that we spent all of our poor fund monies ($42,069 USD) in this fiscal year (October to October) and we are searching for funds for next year, a matter of prayer. Additionally, thanks to Dan Boerman’s help and expertise, we are trying to sort out our financial situation in a more transparent fashion (a MAJOR prayer request, not a Haitian characteristic, we tend to keep things close to the vest, I think the statement is?, so we are gently trying to change this way of doing things). For many reasons, including my absence, as I will only make it 8 times in 2014 due to my surgeries, the hospital revenue gathered in Haiti is down. One of the problems is that we only did 230 surgeries in the last year and surgery is one of the few departments where the hospital can gain some income, as at least the elective cases can be scheduled when patients get the funds, if possible, from family in the US, etc. We don’t charge much by US standards, a child’s hernia total cost is $140 at present, but still need to recover some of the costs to make the hospital work sustainable as much as possible/reasonable. We did 53,939 clinic consultations, 2,641 hospital admissions, 131 deliveries and 4,234 lab examinations. Many of these patients pay part of their costs and we try to supplement as needed to assure they have access to adequate care.

At present, one of the difficult tasks I will have to do as the Medical Director this month is to give our “State of the Hospital” address and field questions from the employees (we have about 103 or so including Community Health, Guards, Groundskeepers, Cleaning Personnel, etc) as to why they will not be able to have salary increases, etc. I dread this time about as much as anything I have ever been asked to do, partially as much of the disgruntled muttering and questions are in Creole and my understanding is incredibly limited. So, pray for wisdom from God to do this in the most acceptable manner to all concerned, especially our Heavenly Father, who is the focus of our care anyway.

The container arrived already today and was unloaded without difficulty, from what I have heard via email. We are thankful for that answer to prayer and all the many folks who helped gather materials, sort, categorize and then load it on the 22nd of October. I have a second container of about $78,000 of medications and supplies for both our hospital and Hopital Bonne Fin being loaded and shipped from Amsterdam (IDA Foundation) and we should get the USA container sorted and put away before the second arrives, so are thankful for the timing of these two jobs.

Also, as we look at the finances and the upcoming holiday seasons, we are very thankful for the Thanksgiving season and our Lord for providing the health and strength needed for all of us to put in another year of service for Him in Haiti. My family and I are especially thankful and grateful to be able to be together and healthy, from all physical and CT standpoints, and give God the glory for that extra blessing each morning when I wake up and can face another day of work and health. If any of you would be interested, since the finances in the hospital are not so great, I would like to again provide a sack of rice for each employee and, if I can raise enough funds (some people have already contributed funds and for that we are grateful), I would like again to give a goat to all employees who make less than $100 a month (last year there were 23 of them, likely about the same or maybe a couple more of them this year). If you are so led, would you send it to:
Centre de Sante Lumiere
c/o Dan Boerman
2886 Clydon Ave, S.W.
Wyoming, MI 49519
and designate it “Rice and Goats for Christmas”

Thanks for all you all do to pray for and support this ministry for Him in Haiti at CSL

Bill, Dan, Duane, Jeff and the Haiti Teams both in the US and at CSL