A group of 14 physicians and other healthcare providers are mobilizing for a caregiving mission to Haiti in the aftermath of the recent earthquake sustained by the island country.

The team is comprised of Emergency Department doctors, doctors specializing in orthopedics, and general surgeons from Saint Joseph Regional Medical Center, South Bend Orthopedics, Memorial Hospital, Elkhart General Hospital and General & Vascular Surgery PC.

Pulling it all together has been an unbelievable challenge, but one embraced by the projects point person, Sister Laureen Painter, SJRMC’s vice president of Mission Integration.

“As you can imagine, my phone has been ringing nonstop and I have about 300 e-mails to get through,” said a busy Sister Laureen from her office. “But to be able to help the people of Haiti however we can, even if it’s just by helping arrange flights and secure supplies for these doctors, is a chance of a lifetime and no better way to truly live out our mission.

This group from Michiana, which will be leaving for Haiti on Tuesday, will be the third medical team to take over Sacred Heart Hospital in Northeastern Haiti. Previous teams have told them of desperate needs and they have arranged to take life-saving equipment from the old SJRMC, including the Autoclave self-sustaining sterilization unit that can sterilize medical instruments much more so than the current method being used in Haiti – boiling water.

Donations are being accepted to help cover costs involved with the team from Michiana heading to Haiti to help with the earthquake aftermath relief. Those wishing to donate can make checks to The Foundation of SJRMC and on the memo line write “Haiti.”

Checks should be mailed to: Foundation of SJRMC, 837 East Cedar St., Ste. 350, South Bend, IN 46617.

Also, donations can be made online by visiting www.sjmed.com.