HCM director, Deborah M. Highfill, administers medication to a Haitian child during the medical outreach.
HCM director, Deborah M. Highfill, administers medication to a Haitian child during the medical outreach.
Team member Paul Dean fits a woman with a pair of eyeglasses during the medical outreach in Haiti.
Team member Paul Dean fits a woman with a pair of eyeglasses during the medical outreach in Haiti.
Crowds gather at the front of HCM’s medical outreach clinic in Haiti.
Crowds gather at the front of HCM’s medical outreach clinic in Haiti.
Missionary Cindy Aldrich counsels a Haitian woman during the HCM clinic.
Missionary Cindy Aldrich counsels a Haitian woman during the HCM clinic.
April 12

As the international medical outreach of Assemblies of God World Missions, HealthCare Ministries stands ready to respond to any disaster, be it natural or manmade.  So when the 7.0 earthquake rocked the small nation of Haiti on January 12, 2010, there was no doubt that HCM would respond with medical relief.  But as it became evident the enormity of the disaster, getting teams safely in became a difficulty.  But HCM's disaster response coordinator, Rick Salvato, PA, was able to get into the country within a few days of the quake with Convoy of Hope to assess the situation and make a plan.  After strategizing with AG's Haiti missionaries on the field and the Haitian national church, Rick returned home with a response plan for HCM that has rarely happened before-multiple response teams back to back at several locations. 

HCM's staff began sifting through the numerous responses from the medical professional community wanting to lend their expertise in Haiti.  What resulted were four teams ranging from 10 -13 people a piece, each with their own healthcare background.  The team members expertise ranged from medical doctors, nurses, EMTs, physical therapists, counselors, psychologists and optometrists.   The month of March was set aside to focus efforts on Haiti with a new team each week.

March started with Team A going into Port au Prince and ministering in a different location each day that first week.  Team B arrived as A left and set up clinic each day in other locations.  Team C's plan was to follow up the locations that Team A worked in, and Team D would do the same for the locations where Team B ministered.  The mobile clinics were set up in churches and areas around the capital city at the missionary's discretion as to the neediest areas.

HCM's teams saw several symptoms that were stress related, such as gastrointestinal problems, sleeplessness or headaches, as well as following up with injuries sustained from the earthquake. 

HCM's director, Deborah M. Highfill, PhD, RN, led Team C, and said that caring for the emotional needs was just as important.  "Not only did we bind their physical wounds but their emotional and spiritual wounds as well," Highfill said.

Salvato said that the people were very open to the Gospel after going through such a traumatic experience.  They realized they needed to get their lives right with God.  Team members and church leaders made sure to follow up with each patient who prayed the sinner's prayer and ensure they got plugged into the local church.  They wanted the community to know the church was there to care for their needs, whether physical, emotional, or spiritual.

HCM's team witnessed a few miraculous experiences while ministering to the Haitian people.  In one instance with Team B, an elderly man came in who was blinded by severe cataracts in his eyes.  By all accounts, a pair of glasses would not have helped him see better since the cataracts clouded his vision.  HCM's missionary, Mike O'Brien, was dispensing glasses and knew that nothing could be done to help this man except prayer.  After spending time praying for the gentleman, Mike felt impressed to at least try a pair of glasses with a high prescription.  To the amazement of Mike and the other team members, this man was able to see clearly!

Another miracle took place when a lady came in a wheelchair, bent over and unable to walk due to severe back and leg pain from an injury sustained during the earthquake.  Tara Tacker, a physical therapist from Arkansas, examined her and realized her injuries were beyond her help.  Tara prayed with the woman, who afterwards she said that she wanted to try walking.  Miraculously she stood and began to walk without pain!  She left that day without aid of the wheel chair.

Throughout the four weeks of ministering in and around Port au Prince, HCM's teams treated approximately 5,477 people, and over 230 prayed to receive Jesus as their personal savior.  Highfill recognizes the clinics would not have been possible were it not for the many health care professionals who sacrificed their time to join the teams at a moment's notice.

Salvato said that the missionaries and Haitian AG leaders hope to see a great revival rise up in Haiti through this disaster and to no longer be known as the voodoo island but a Christian nation.  He said the national church wants to take this as an opportunity to minister to the people who have realized they need to be right with God.

While no plans have been officially made, HCM is likely to return to Haiti in the coming months.  For now, the missionaries are focusing on rebuilding churches and cultivating the growing church family.  Salvato said it's going to be a long recovery, but their outlook is optimistic.