MedPLUS  Connect  Annual  Report  2015  

 

 

Letter  from  Executive  Director      MedPLUS  Connect  is  currently  undergoing  a  time  of  transition  and  we  wanted  to  make  sure  we  are  fulfilling  our  commitment  to  be  transparent  and  up  front  in  all  that  we  do.  Our  model  is  based  on  a  sustainable,  long-­‐lasting  partnership  with  the  Ghanaian  Ministry  of  Health,  rather  than  relying  solely  on  fundraising.    However,  the  entire  Ghanaian  government  suffered  a  significant  funding  shortage  in  2013  and  continues  to  slowly  recover.  In  addition  to  a  nationwide  funding  shortage,  the  Ministry  of  Health  has  undergone  three  changes  in  leadership  since  2013,  recently  installing  a  new  Chief  Director  of  Health  at  the  end  of  2015.  While  the  financial  situation  in  Ghana  continues  to  improve,  we  are  working  diligently  to  establish  a  strong  relationship  with  the  new  Chief  Director  and  also  exploring  new  partnerships  within  Ghana  that  could  potentially  expand  our  impact  in  conjunction  with  the  Ministry  of  Health.  While  we  pursue  these  partnerships  and  other  sources  of  funding,  we  have  had  to  place  a  temporary  hold  on  our  shipments  of  recovered  medical  supplies.  However,  MedPLUS  Connect  remains  resolutely  committed  to  our  mission  of  connecting  underserved  health  systems  in  Ghana  with  recovered  medical  supplies  from  the  US  in  a  sustainable  manner  and  will  continue  to  pursue  multiple  avenues  to  allow  us  to  resume  this  primary  focus.      In  addition  to  our  central  mission  of  sending  valuable  medical  supplies,  MedPLUS  Connect  is  committed  to  implementing  valuable  supplemental  health  projects  in  partnership  with  the  community  to  improve  the  provision  of  health  care  in  the  most  impoverished  areas  of  Ghana.  The  Lawra  Malnutrition  Rehabilitation  Center  continues  to  help  children  recover  from  malnutrition  and  improve  the  nutritional  status  of  adults  suffering  from  diabetes  and  hypertension.  Additionally,  the  women  of  the  Upper  West  Region  of  Ghana  will  be  able  to  finally  receive  preventive  care  and  local  cervical  cancer  treatment  due  to  the  partnership  between  MedPLUS  Connect  and  a  dedicated  Ghanaian  OBGYN  and  the  sustained  investment  of  our  supporters  and  students  at  UNC-­‐Chapel  Hill.  It  is  the  devoted  and  continuous  support  of  the  friends  and  family  of  and  donors  to  MedPLUS  Connect  that  enables  our  organization  to  maintain  these  essential  projects  and  make  a  significant  impact  on  the  lives  of  many  in  the  Upper  West  Region  of  Ghana.      We  promise  to  keep  you  updated  on  our  next  steps  and  thank  you  for  your  steadfast  support,  especially  now  as  we  look  towards  MedPLUS  Connect’s  future  and  do  all  we  can  to  ensure  that  essential  equipment  and  supplies  won’t  go  to  waste  in  the  US  and  will  instead  be  used  to  save  lives  in  hospitals  and  health  centers  throughout  Ghana.  We  will  also  continue  to  support  the  underserved  health  populations  of  Ghana  through  much  needed  value  added  projects  such  as  the  nutrition  center  and  cervical  cancer  program.        Anna  LeViere  Executive  Director,  MedPLUS  Connect  

 

 

2015  Staff    

Anna  LeViere,  Executive  Director  Ackom  Amuquandoh,  In  Country  Director  

   2015  Board  of  Directors  

 Lauren  Gennett,  Board  President  Habib  Yakubu,  Vice  President  

Emily  Nix,  Treasurer  Harriet  Slive,  Secretary  

Emma  Lawrence    Jack  Lawrence  Sonya  Narla  

 Mission  The  mission  of  MedPLUS  Connect  is  to  connect  underserved  health  systems  in  developing  countries  with  recovered  and  donated  medical  supplies  from  U.S.  hospitals  and  manufacturers.  MedPLUS  Connect  empowers  health  personnel  in  developing  countries  to  select  medical  supplies  that  are  compatible  with  local  resources  and  needs,  and  to  fund  shipments  of  these  supplies  in  a  sustainable,  predictable  and  reliable  manner.    

 

 

Improving  Nutrition  in  the  Lawra  District      In  2015,  the  Lawra  Malnutrition  Rehabilitation  Center  continued  to  serve  as  the  primary  source  of  treatment  for  malnourished  children  in  the  Lawra  District,  treating  a  total  of  39  children  and  discharging  or  rehabilitating  29  children  to  outpatient  treatment.  MedPLUS  Connect  also  continued  our  strong  partnership  with  the  nutrition  center,  purchasing  the  year’s  supply  of  CMV,  a  mineral  and  vitamin  mix  that  is  the  key  ingredient  in  the  therapeutic  food  prepared  at  the  center  to  treat  children  for  malnourishment.  We  also  worked  with  Dr.  Sandaare,  the  medical  director  at  the  Lawra  District  Hospital  where  the  nutrition  center  is  located,  and  Ms.  Patience  Gaa,  the  nutrition  officer  in  charge  of  the  operations  of  the  nutrition  center  to  develop  plans  for  the  Lawra  District  Hospital  to  purchase  future  supplies  of  the  CMV,  increasing  the  sustainability  of  the  nutrition  center  independent  of  MedPLUS  Connect’s  support.      In  June  of  2015,  two  members  of  Project  Heal,  an  undergraduate  student  service  group  at  UNC  Chapel  Hill,  were  able  to  visit  the  Lawra  Malnutrition  Rehabilitation  Center  while  they  were  in  Ghana  on  a  summer  service  project.  Project  Heal  was  founded  by  two  of  our  three  founders  of  MedPLUS  Connect,  while  they  were  undergraduate  students  at  UNC  in  2009.  We  are  grateful  to  have  maintained  our  relationship  with  Project  Heal  and  were  thrilled  to  extend  this  partnership  to  the  nutrition  center.  While  in  Lawra  this  summer,  Project  Heal  delivered  nutritional  textbooks  and  diagnostic  kits.  They  also  met  with  Patience  and  Dr.  Sandaare  and  painted  a  large,  beautiful  flower  mural  outside  the  nutrition  center,  to  help  brighten  the  building  and  the  experience  of  the  children  being  treated  there.    

 To  help  combat  the  high  rates  of  chronic  disease  in  Ghana,  the  Lawra  Malnutrition  Rehabilitation  Center  has  also  continued  the  weekly  diabetes  and  hypertension  clinic  that  it  established  in  2014.  These  clinics  provide  nutritional  counseling  and  health  lectures  for  adults  with  hypertension  and/or  diabetes  in  the  Lawra  District,  an  issue  affects  hundreds  of  thousands  of  people  each  year  in  Ghana  alone.  In  the  past  year  approximately  500  men  and  women  have  attended  the  weekly  clinics,  with  60  to  80  attending  each  month.      These  clinics  have  enhanced  the  lives  of  those  attending  them  in  countless  ways,  providing  advice  and  shared  experiences,  establishing  healthy  dietary  habits  and  improving  health  outcomes.  These  and  other  effects  of  the  weekly  clinics  are  captured  below  through  the  experiences  of  five  men  and  women  who  have  participated  regularly,  as  reported  to  MedPLUS  by  Ms.  Gaa.    

 A  56  year  old  woman  with  diabetes  has  been  attending  the  clinic  monthly  since  it  began.  She  reported  that  she  has  been  following  all  of  the  advice  she  has  received  at  the  clinic,  especially  

the  diet,  lifestyle  and  taking  her  medications  and  now  feels  “very  healthy.”    

A  62  year  old  man  used  to  be  admitted  regularly  at  the  hospital  with  hypoglycemia,  but  since  he  started  attending  the  clinic  and  was  advised  on  how  to  improve  his  diet,  he  has  not  been  

admitted  for  hypoglycemia  again  and  feels  stronger  now.    

 

 

 

A  52  year  old  woman  is  very  happy  that  the  clinic  has  been  organized  in  Lawra  at  the  Nutrition  Center  because  it  saves  her  both  time  and  money  that  she  used  to  spend  travelling  

to  Wa  to  attend  the  diabetic  clinic  there.    

A  48  year  old  man  reported  that  it  is  faster  for  him  to  see  a  doctor  now.  Initially  he  had  to  wait  in  line  with  people  with  other  conditions  at  the  out  patient  department  “but  now  they  

just  come  straight  to  the  nutrition  center  and  the  doctor,  nurses,  nutrition  officer  are  already  there  to  attend  to  them.”  He  also  said  that  attending  the  clinic  as  a  group  helps  them  share  

ideas  about  their  disease  condition.    

A  44  year  old  woman  said  she  used  to  eat  food  that  was  not  good  for  her  disease  condition  (diabetes),  but  since  receiving  counseling  from  the  Nutrition  Center  on  a  healthy  diet,  she  has  

not  had  another  diabetic  crisis.    While  combatting  childhood  malnourishment  will  continue  to  be  the  principal  function  of  the  center,  nutrition  is  a  primary  factory  in  many  diseases.    We  are  so  excited  and  fully  support  using  the  resources  of  the  nutrition  center  to  help  improve  the  management  of  chronic  diseases  such  as  diabetes  and  hypertension  in  adults  throughout  Lawra.    MedPLUS  Connect  looks  forward  to  supporting  the  Lawra  Malnutrition  Rehabilitation  Center’s  increasing  sustainability  and  growing  mission  to  provide  nutrition  care  to  the  entire  Lawra  District.        

 Ms.  Gaa  helping  lead  one  of  the  weekly  diabetes  and  hypertension  clinics  at  the  Lawra  

Malnutrition  Rehabilitation  Center.  

 

 

             

 Children  in  front  of  the  mural  painted  by  Project  Heal  at  the  Lawra  Malnutrition  Rehabilitation  

Center.                    

 

 

             

 A  local  house  in  the  Upper  West  Region  of  Ghana.  

                   

 

 

Establishing  the  First  Cervical  Cancer  Screening  and  Treatment  Program  in  the  Upper  West  Region    During  the  summer  of  last  year  we  received  the  exciting  news  that  Dr.  Fofie,  the  dedicated  physician  who  initiated  the  idea  for  the  cervical  cancer  screening  and  treatment  program,  had  recovered  fully  from  a  significant  accident  and  would  be  able  to  return  to  work  at  the  Wa  Regional  Hospital,  the  capital  of  the  Upper  West  Region  of  Ghana.  Dr.  Fofie  was  involved  in  a  car  accident  in  2014  that  damaged  his  eyesight  and  caused  him  to  temporarily  cease  his  employment  as  the  primary  OBGYN  at  the  hospital.  While  Dr.  Fofie  was  recovering,  we  worked  with  another  talented  physician,  Dr.  Duodu,  to  continue  the  process  of  establishing  the  cervical  cancer  program.  However,  Dr.  Duodu  is  also  in  charge  of  the  fistula  program  for  the  Upper  West  Region  and  as  such  has  a  very  demanding  schedule.  We  are  so  grateful  to  him  for  his  help  while  Dr.  Fofie  recovered  but  are  also  very  excited  to  see  Dr.  Fofie  return  to  his  passion  of  establishing  the  first  cervical  cancer  screening  and  treatment  program  in  the  Upper  West  Region.  After  a  long  wait,  Dr.  Fofie  was  finally  able  to  resume  work  in  Wa  at  the  end  of  last  year  and  received  our  news  about  the  advancements  of  the  program  with  “great  delight.”      In  2015,  $1,569.77  was  raised  for  the  Cervical  Cancer  Screening  and  Treatment  Program  through  Global  Giving,  putting  the  total  raised  to  $8,486.72  and  enabling  the  first  set  of  supplies  and  equipment  to  be  purchased.  Additionally,  one  of  MedPLUS  Connect’s  Board  Members  was  able  to  locate  25  standard  Graves  speculums  and  5  Petterson  speculums  (for  women  who  haven't  had  children)  from  a  medical  supply  warehouse.  These  supplies  are  worth  over  $400,  and  allowed  us  to  reallocate  funds  to  purchase  an  additional  8  tenaculums  for  the  program.    In  total,  the  cervical  cancer  program  will  soon  be  receiving  a  diathermy  machine  and  smoke  evacuator,  cryotherapy  set  with  cylinder,  2  biopsy  forceps,  12  tenaculums  and  the  30  donated  speculums.  With  the  arrival  of  this  essential  equipment,  Dr.  Fofie  will  be  able  to  begin  screening  and  treating  women  in  the  Upper  West  Region  for  cervical  cancer.  Until  now,  women  in  this  region  have  not  had  access  to  routine  early  screening  and  have  had  to  travel  up  to  500km  across  Ghana  to  receive  treatment  for  cervical  cancer.  This  program  will  have  a  great  effect  on  the  health  and  well  being  of  numerous  women  throughout  the  Upper  West  Region  of  Ghana.  MedPLUS  Connect  is  excited  for  this  great  step  forward  and  remain  committed  to  partnering  with  Dr.  Fofie  to  fundraise  and  purchase  the  additional  supplies  needed  to  fully  equip  this  program  and  provide  standard  of  care  cervical  cancer  treatment  to  the  women  of  the  Upper  West  Region.      

                   

 

 

             

 Nurses  and  a  patient  at  the  Wa  Regional  Hospital,  where  the  cervical  cancer  screening  and  

treatment  program  will  be  based.  

 

 

 

 

 

 

Financial  Summary   MedPLUS  Connect  partners  with  the  Ghanaian  Ministry  of  Health  to  fully  cover  the  cost  of  the  shipments  of  medical  supplies,  including  storing  the  supplies  in  warehouses  in  the  United  States,  shipping  and  trucking  from  the  United  States  to  the  destination  in  Ghana,  and  a  surcharge  that  allows  us  to  purchase  electrical  compatibility  equipment  for  medical  machines,  conduct  site  visits  in  Ghana,  and  remain  a  sustainable  organization.  

Our  value  added  projects  are  funded  solely  through  grants  and  the  generous  support  of  our  donors.  For  example,  donations  funded  the  purchase  of  a  year’s  supply  of  vitamin  mineral  mix  to  treat  malnourished  children  at  the  Lawra  Malnutrition  Rehabilitation  Center.  The  generous  support  of  our  donors  has  also  enabled  the  establishment  of  the  first  cervical  cancer  screening  and  treatment  program  in  the  Upper  West  Region,  which  will  provide  vital  preventative  care  and  treatment  for  numerous  women.  These  programs  and  our  shipments  of  medical  supplies  are  all  facilitated  by  just  two  paid  part-­‐time  positions,  those  of  the  In  Country  Director  and  Executive  Director.    

2015  Monetary  Income  Individual  donations                                          $3,410.87  Event  income                  $81.35    Other  Income                    $5.16  Total  Revenue  and  support                  $3,497.38  2015  Monetary  Expenses  Program  expenses*                $820.00  Administration**                $8,843.32    In-­‐kind  expenses                $1,549.94  Total  expenses                $11,213.26  *  Program  expenses  include  costs  directly  related  to  shipments  and  supplemental  health  projects.  **Administration  costs  include  the  Executive  Director’s  stipend,  In  Country  Director  reimbursement  and  payment,  and  website  maintenance.  These  exceed  our  program  expenses  for  2015,  due  to  funding  shortages  with  the  Ministry  of  Health  that  have  reduced  our  program  expenditures  on  shipments.    

 

 

 

 

 

 

Donations   The  donations  MedPLUS  Connect  received  in  2015  enabled  us  to  continue  supporting  the  indispensable  value  added  projects  such  as  the  Lawra  Malnutrition  Rehabilitation  Center  and  establishing  the  first  cervical  cancer  screening  and  treatment  program  in  the  Upper  West  Region.  Both  of  these  programs  provide  a  valuable  health  service  that  would  otherwise  go  unfulfilled  in  the  most  rural  and  impoverished  region  of  Ghana.  Your  donations  have  a  profound  impact  in  improving  healthcare  throughout  Ghana  and  we  are  sincerely  grateful  for  the  continued  support  of  loyal  donors  and  the  new  support  of  those  new  to  MedPLUS  Connect.    

 

Top  Individual  Donors

George  Azaletey  Buck  Family  Foundation    Dr.  Doug  Finestone    Kristinn  Gudjonsson  Cristina  Hubbard    Jacqueline  Hummel    Debra  Lawrence    Naomi  Patel  

Dr.  Reverend  Glenn  and  Lois  Rohrer  An  Anonymous  Donation  on  Global  Giving  

Individual  Donors

Malone  Lohmann  Emily  Nix  

Gary  Stringfellow    Paul  Sunderman  

An  Anonymous  Donation  on  Global  Giving    

                       

 

 

               

         

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