St. Louis, MO (February 8, 2010) – On February 6, a plane loaded with $55,000 worth of medical supplies departed from the Spirit of St. Louis Airport for Hôpital Sacré Coeur, a hospital in Milot, Haiti. The supplies were donated by hospitals operated by the Sisters of Mercy Health System (Mercy), including Mercy Medical Center in Northwest Arkansas and St Edward Mercy Medical Center in Fort Smith, Ark. The flight was arranged by David Pratt, a member of Mercy’s Board of Directors.
This weekend’s shipment is in addition to nearly $200,000 in medical supplies, equipment and pharmaceuticals – more than five tons worth – that have been collected from Mercy hospitals and shipped to Haiti through other relief organizations.
Hôpital Sacré Coeur, located about 100 miles north of Port-Au-Prince, was built and is operated by the Brothers of the Sacred Heart of the Montreal Province. It is the largest medical facility in northern Haiti. Before the recent earthquake, it was a 73-bed facility. In the wake of the disaster, this small hospital has swelled to include as many as 400 beds.
“Like many others around the world, Mercy and its co-workers have eagerly supported relief efforts in Haiti, and we are particularly gratified that we could respond with specific supplies requested by the Hôpital Sacré Coeur,” said Lynn Britton, Mercy president and CEO. “Mercy will continue to look for ways to help the people of Haiti with money, supplies and medical services.”
This recent shipment of medical supplies is only one example of the ways Mercy is responding to Haiti relief efforts. Mercy co-workers and physicians have contributed more than $42,000 in cash donations, and several Mercy physicians have traveled to Haiti to aid victims of January’s earthquake. Todd Craig, MD, a Mercy family medicine physician in Washington, Mo., spent 10 days in Haiti with a local church group.