New Acadamia promotes sustainability

SANTA ROSE DE COPN, Honduras — Lynette and Charlie Wood and Shawn Riggenbaugh from McClintock Electric in Wayne County are what will be known as the Acadamia of Professional Excellence.

The Acadamia was made possible by a threefold relationship. The city of Santa Rosa donated the land — the Swiss government donated $250,000 for most of the building and the Charles Woods family from Wayne County provided $100,000 for completion. The phone system was donated by McClintock Electric and is being installed this week.

The mission of the Acadamia is to promote sustainable development to enhance and strengthen the capacities of human capital, with focus on excellence of education, transparency and ethics. This innovative academy will fill the gap of learning and technology through coordination and alliances with other entities to create standardization of procedures and certification requirements of the state entities and the general population. This week is the ceremonial inauguration and the Acadamia will be fully functional.

Riggenbaugh is installing the phone system that has been donated by McClintock Electric. Mike McClintock, owner of McClintock Electric, is CAMO’s board president, and his wife, Robyn, is a board member and volunteer. Robyn is also in Honduras this week working with her counterpart at the day care center.

The purpose of the academy is to teach and implement medical standards. It will also be the location of the CPR, NALS and PALS classes.

It is hard to imagine medical care without standards. We in the United States take for granted that when we go to visit a doctor, they can take our vital signs and even perform CPR, according to standards set forth by proven research that saves lives. The people of Honduras do not have that luxury.

Most medical professionals want the right training so they can take care of their patients. With the addition of the Acadamia, now they will have the chance. What will make the Acadamia unique — as with all CAMO programs — is the counterpart program, which relies on the expertise of CAMO’s volunteer professionals to work with counterparts here in Honduras. The Acadamia will also be able to help support itself with some of the coursework. However, we are still in developmental stages and in great need of funding, especially in these first four critical years as we develop the curriculum and staff.

In October, the counterparts Brent Devore and Nancy Nikiforow spent a week with key executive staff developing a leadership curriculum to add to the medical curriculum. They worked with Honduras Board Chair Ethel de Jesus Tabora to set a timeline for completion — and this week the first course in professional excellence was held. Instructors Lynette Wood, Connie Eicker and Mary Anne Perrone worked with their counterparts, and more than 59 people completed the course.

Kathryn Tschiegg, CAMO’s international director, understands the culture in Honduras. She knows that raising the level of professionalism in Santa Rosa will ultimately have a direct impact on the quality of care and, ultimately, lives will be saved.

All of this would not happen without the vision of Tschiegg, the funds from our donors who want to have a direct impact and the passion of CAMO volunteers, many from Wayne County. The model of CAMO combined with the heart of its many donors and volunteers continues to make a difference in Honduras.

Follow our Facebook page for team stories from the week. Find us at Central American Medical Outreach. Donations can be made at our, website camo.org, or by calling the office at 330-683-5956.

Helene Moncman is the executive director of CAMO USA, based in Orrville.