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It's 7:30 am and the temperature is quickly rising to make it another 105 degree day. It's time for the morning meeting when everyone is updated on what equipment is working and what’s not, how to staff shifts to minimize the potential for heat stroke, and what time to open the gate to see the hundreds of people standing outside waiting for care after the 7.0 magnitude earthquake that devastated the country. Bienvenue à Project Medishare in Haiti.

Once every week a team of 110 physicians, nurses, physical therapists and support staff rotate through Project Medishare—a 120 bed facility built to provide care for the hundreds of people needing treatment. International volunteer medical teams are providing key services once offered by local doctors and nurses who, in large part, are no longer there because they were victims of the quake which destroyed the three hospitals serving Port au Prince, or because they left the island after the quake to practice in the United States and Canada.

In May of 2010, WIS and OIA interventional radiologist William Crenshaw, MD, and his wife C.C., were part of one of the teams that participated in Project Medishare. In recalling the experience, Dr. Crenshaw said, “The people were amazing. I have never seen a group work so hard all day long in stifling heat with a singular focus of care.”

Their goal was to take care of as many critically ill Haitian patients as they could with whatever resources they had at their disposal. “I believe we succeeded as best we could and made a difference for the Haitian people.”

During their service on the island, the medical relief volunteers all slept in a big tent on cots next to the patient tents. Their work day began at about 7 a.m. and concluded each night at dusk, with armed escorts watching over them for their protection.

"When we arrived, Haitian authorities gave us instructions on what to do in the event we were kidnapped,” Crenshaw said. “Some of the experience was harrowing and you knew it was dangerous, but despite the obstacles, our team came away with positive images of Haiti and its people.

"What is amazing is how durable the people of Haiti are. How they haven't completely crumbled under the weight of this tragedy is beyond my comprehension. The Haitians directly participated in patient care. A family member would sleep on the plywood floor next to their loved one's cot at night to assist in any way. They helped with cleaning and bathing patients. The cleanliness of the patient tents was remarkable given the conditions, and the Haitians were responsible for this. Seeing parents sleeping with pediatric patients on a single cot at night brought tears to our eyes. Every morning and evening, a minister would lead singing in the tents. It was very evangelical and awe inspiring. We found it very comforting.

"The range and severity of disease was mind blowing. The volume was staggering. We saw an endless stream of patients. The hospital, although nowhere near the standards of an American facility, is the most sophisticated care site in all of Haiti. It’s like a big MASH unit. Everything is in tents with dirt or plywood floors. No area is sterile, not even the operating rooms, so we used a lot of antibiotics. Power and water were constantly going out. There was never a full day where both were up and running."

As Chief Medical Officer, Dr. Crenshaw directed the hospital's medical operations. He also fielded calls and took transfers throughout the day and night from sites all over the city, as the Medishare facility was the "go to" hospital for the critically ill.

"The extent of devastation in Port au Prince is incredible," Crenshaw said. "Buildings are down everywhere. Trash and sewage are spread throughout the streets. Yet the Haitian people are clean and seem to be doing the best they can to rebuild their lives. Structure seems to be returning in some ways as you glimpse children walking to school in their uniforms. But, you can only imagine—

given the extent of this tragedy put upon the poorest country in our hemisphere—that real progress will come at a snail's pace."

Dr. Crenshaw said the satisfaction of helping patients in need was tempered by the reality that patients in a depressed country like Haiti will never be served to the same level as those in the United States.