El Salvador Mission

April 6, 2001 -- by David Small, Clinical Nurse Manager/MHU & Inpatient Recovery Center, St. Joseph Hospital, Bellingham, WA

On January 13 and exactly one month later, on February 13 two very powerful earthquakes shook the tiny country of El Salvador. Hundreds of people lost their lives and thousands of homes were leveled. As a result, the people of El Salvador entered yet another chapter of their long suffering as a people.

David Small is pictured above, receiving an award from the Comandos de Salvamento in appreciation of his volunteer work in El Salvador.

PeaceHealth had made a commitment to be in mission to the people of El Salvador long before the devastation occurred. The earthquakes simply hastened the effort. I had the privilege of being one of the first PeaceHealth employees to volunteer for the mission effort. Another nurse, Angelee Allen from Ketchikan, Alaska had also volunteered. One of the main reasons we were selected at this time is that we both speak Spanish fluently. We arrived on February 23.

Due to Sister Eleanor Gilmore's efforts, we were able to hook up with a local organization, Comandos de Salvamento, already engaged in medical work. This proved to be a very good thing for us. Angelee and I were also able to work with some physicians from Iowa. Along with other physicians from El Salvador, we traveled into the most affected areas to provide medical relief on a daily basis. Free clinics were held. Since there were at least four and sometimes six or seven "medicos" seeing patients, we averaged over 275 patients at each clinic. In some cases, we saw old infected wounds from earthquake trauma. Mostly, we saw patients with respiratory conditions, and numerous chronic conditions unable to be attended during this time of upheaval. Many clinics in these areas had been destroyed or damaged beyond use.

Although the government of El Salvador has a Ministro de Salud (Department of Health), it is overwhelmed and unable to meet the demand of all those victimized by the earthquakes. The Comandos de Salvamento are an important adjunct to the healthcare delivery system. They were organized in 1963 and have gained a reputation as being effective, especially in disaster relief; something the country seems to need frequently.

This was both a very challenging and rewarding experience. It was also a very emotional experience for me. I not only was able to help with the medical and psychological needs but I received a very good education in El Salvadoran history. I witnessed some very unbelievable destruction from the earthquakes. I also witnessed a people who have struggled for many years due to war and past natural disasters. The human situation from the ongoing struggle with past earthquakes, hurricanes, wars and lack of organized medical treatment for chronic and acute conditions is among the worst that you will find anywhere in the world. (My humble opinion, of course.)

I believe and hope this experience will not only help me to appreciate our human condition here in Bellingham, Washington, but also to help me understand that I can have an important part to play in the mission outreach of PeaceHealth. I have never worked anywhere else that truly had a global sense of mission and actively sought the participation of its employees such as our Corporation does. I feel as though I am more than an employee; I am part of a mission outreach where every person counts.

Several people have asked if I plan to return. It would be my desire to return at some point. However, PeaceHealth is committed to making this opportunity available to as many employees as possible. If you do speak Spanish and believe you have a service to render, contact Kathy Garcia via the PeaceHealth email system and let her know. Another way to help is to consider making a donation to the mission effort. This can be done by either contacting Kathy or the Human Resources Department for details.