HHA Potluck and Orientation

Last week, all of the HHA participants got together to formally meet, distribute supplies, and receive our assignments for our community locations.  The mix of rising MS2's, rising MS4's, public health students, and attendings/residents made for an excellent group of people and a fantastic meal!

Food and conversation!

 The medical supplies that we have been gathering over the past few months were divided into five different suitcases for HHA volunteers to check through as baggage to Honduras.  We also received the details on the communities we will be serving in-country as well.

The first two days will be spent preparing our "charlas" -- our health education talks that we will present to the women.  The following three days, we split into pairs and hike, bus, or ride horses to rural communities where we will stay for several nights in hammocks and work with the local women during the day.  The charlas are given in an effort to both educate the women of the community on cervical cancer, reproductive health, birth control methods, etcetera.  We then encourage the women to come down to Madrigales, where we will hold a four-day clinic--offering pap smears, general pelvic exams, IUD placements, and additional women's health counseling services.

The community assignments include the following areas: Guasaule, Guanacaste, Papalon, Espaveles, Portreritos, and Los Torreros.  Los Torreros is the furthest away from the town of Madrigales, and in past years the women have had a challenging time making their way down to the clinic.  This year we will be holding an additional two-day clinic in Los Torreros so that all the women who live further away will have similar access to the medical services.

Everyone is getting so excited! We are exactly one month out! Woohoo! Stay tuned!