Instruments of Mercy, Inc. is a non-profit organization committed to giving back by ensuring that the instruments required for your medical mission trip are refurbished and in working condition.
Many Thanks for this Life Changing Experience
by Sharrie Robinson, posted Jul 2, 2009 at 9:00AM
It is hard to sum up my experience in Benin. How do you express a life changing feeling in words that others can comprehend?
I can begin by telling you that I was given the opportunity to witness the vibrant culture that radiates throughout the faces and in the voices of the people of Benin. I can speak for our entire vision trip group by saying we send many thanks to the amazing crew of the Africa Mercy for their hospitality, graciousness and most importantly for their mission in Africa! In only 6 days, I have had the privilege to meet many wonderful individuals that I will hold in my heart forever. From the men and woman who have volunteered their time to travel across the world to practice their God given talents, to the Beninois who give praise and blessings to God for sending them saviors to be healed.
Women on African Mercy Ship participating in a healing celebration.
Photography by Jennifer Willis
I witnessed children who had never walked before Mercy Ships graces, women who were considered outcast for their medical issues and men who were given sight after being 'cursed' with blindness for years. As Steve mentioned earlier, in many languages of Benin, the words hope and future do not even exist in their vocabulary. For centuries, African tribes have celebrated life by giving tribute to their ancestry rather than decedents.
Volunteering for Mercy Ships will not only "bring hope and healing the worlds forgotten poor," but also bring spirit, value and celebration to your own life. Their needs extend from the operating room, to hospitality, IT, housekeeping, agriculture and prayer. If you have a desire to serve, then there is a need for your presence on the ship. Please visit MercyShips.org to learn how you can support this selfless charity.
We at Instruments of Mercy praise the efforts of Mercy Ships and hope to provide instrument care and handling for existing and future efforts. I could not leave you without giving special gratitude to Patrick Voight, President of AORN. His presence is a representation of AORN (Association of periOperative Registered Nurses) and their humanitarian efforts that are acknowledged and appreciated throughout the world. Thank you Patrick for letting us take this journey with you!
Patrick Voight at Sunday church in Benin.
Photography by Jennifer Willis
Doing a lot with a Little
by Steve Cullen, posted Jun 30, 2009 at 3:45PM
We're wrapping up here, so thought a recap on why we came to the Africa Mercy hospital ship.
Local hospital in Benin Africa.
Saturday was our first full day on the Africa Mercy. After a short night, Saturday would be a long but productive day as we toured the ship from stem to stern and the NGO medical facilities on land. I could write pages on my impressions of the people, the infrastructure, the dedicated staff of volunteers from around the world, and the support required to maintain this floating hospital; truly impressive given the logistics required to support a floating hospital in this part of the world. I also could write about the challenges of operating within a country of 52 languages, where the medical staff has to translate from their native tongue (e.g., English), into French into Fong into tribal languages into village dialects... and with local languages and dialects spoken only in past and present tense. Only a few native languages here have a word for "future." I also could tell you about the native people who come to the Africa Mercy, many outcasts and nearly without hope, many having never known "normal" because of their medical condition. It tugs on my heart because I know each person is someone's loved one crying out for help. What we saw and heard overwhelms the senses. But for this blog, the focus is on why we came to Africa Mercy: the instruments.
Reading about something and actually experiencing it are never even close, so we needed to fly to Cotonou, Benin, to board the ship and get into the operating theaters (operating rooms or ORs). We wanted to talk with the surgeons, the nurses, and the other members of the over 400 volunteers onboard and see their ORs and patients first hand to better understand the impact they're having on the people of Benin. I find it amazing to see what they do and the impact they have on each patient and each family... and a on the entire nation. In the course of a year they will perform some 3,000 cataracts, 3,000 other eye procedures, and 14,000 other surgical procedures. In one discipline alone, the surgeon estimated that he will do more procedures in one month than the local surgeons may do in a year. His technique, his procedures, supported by a dedicated staff that knows every instrument he uses and when he'll want it.
IOM team evaluating instruments with surgeons and the staff.
Talking with the surgeon and the staff on Saturday and Sunday, it was easy to see the respect they have for each other and the sense of purpose they bring to their work in Benin. What they do here and the rewards they reap- there can be no reward greater than a child being able to see its' mother for the first time– is priceless. But they also leave a bit of themselves behind; the onboard surgeons and nurses also train local surgeons and nurses in their specialty. This will help to create sustainability and growth when the Africa Mercy sails out of the bay later this year.
So what about the instruments? Having spoken to Dr. Gary Parker, Chief Medical Officer, and Alison Brieseman, the OR supervisor, before our arrival in Cotonou, we were expecting to find the instruments in better condition than many instruments on the continent but not up to the standards of world class hospitals. When we arrived, we found the care and handling of the instruments by the staff to be excellent. They treat their instruments like the precious gifts they are, as they only have what they need and no more. Repairs are performed by onboard clinical personnel and the ship's chief engineer. They, too, have done an excellent job, "doing a lot with a little."
Rodney Robinson inspects instruments.
But time and frequent use, as in any instrument, mean the instruments are not at the same performance standards as they were when new. Rodney said he was, "Surprised at how good the instruments looked. They just had the normal 'repair neglect.'" Given the location of the ship, the limited sets of instruments (without enough quantity to rotate out for repair and maintenance), the limited budget of a nonprofit, and the logistical challenges of maintaining six ORs from a home base in Texas and the Netherlands, periodic and preventive maintenance has not been possible.
The ship will sail in late November, so every additional procedure counts to the Mercy Ships team onboard the Africa Mercy and the people whose lives they will change. Efficiency becomes even more important to the surgeon when it is only possible to see so many cases in Benin, and help only so many people. In these circumstances, every additional procedure is a gift and another life changed. The instrument in the hand of the surgeon becomes even more important. Their mission does not afford them the time for an instrument to not be ready or fail during the operation.
A good technician with finesse and onboard repair capability would be welcomed, especially for routine repairs. The instruments of functioning sets need only basic repair, new handles, and care. They have enough room to set up a mini-repair room on Africa Mercy with essential equipment that IMS, through IOM, may be able to provide. Today, we also visited a dental facility, where we were welcomed by the dentists. They also need help with their instruments. There is no shortage of work.
Dentist chair at Bethesda Hospital in Cotonou, Benin.
So what would the above mean to the staff and the people of Benin? With instruments ready, one surgeon told us they could (1) train faster, focusing on leaving a legacy of sustainable care, (2) further increase the efficiency they have within the OR, and (3) decrease the gray area, further contributing to positive patient outcome. One surgeon from Africa Mercy training nine other local surgeons from Africa multiplies the number of procedures that can be accomplished over the course of a year.
We have seen what we need to see; the hard work begins when we return to the U.S. We have a dream, and it begins with Instruments of Mercy and the people at IMS.
Today was Definitely an Adventure!
by Sharrie Robinson, posted Jun 30, 2009 at 1:20PM
We are packing now and getting ready to head to the airport, but before we leave, I wanted to squeeze in a quick entry to tell you a little about our day.
Today was definitely an adventure! I was especially excited to travel north and tour the agricultural site that the Africa Mercy Ship has helped implement since arriving in January. Jean Claude, a Ghana native, is the director of the project. They have joined forces with Bethesda, a local Christian organization, to acquire land and teach agricultural techniques through demonstration. Members of the crew lead daily classes educating Beninois on how to care for the crops. This practice will not only feed their families, but instill a competitive skill set to support the themselves long term.
Africa Mercy Ship has also spear headed a project in which local day workers are employed to build a school where others can come live and learn to maintain crops and so forth. After visiting the school site, which is still in construction, we then headed west to the city of Ouidah. Ouidah is known for The Point of No Return Monument which marks the physical spot where imprisoned slaves, 300 hundred years ago, would board Western ships... see picture below.
The Point of No Return Monument (Ouidah, Benin)
Last Day on the Ship
by Sharrie Robinson, posted Jun 30, 2009 at 9:00AM
Good Morning. It's 7:00 AM in Benin and our last day on the ship. We have a full schedule today beginning with breakfast, crew meeting at 7:45 AM, then everyone is off to "work." Tommy Robinson and I have plans to join the agriculture team. Steve Cullen, Rodney Robinson, Gene Robinson & Patrick Voight are traveling to the local dentist clinic.
Afterwards, we plan to meet back up and enjoy a quick lunch at a local restaurant, then off to view Quidah, also known as The Point of No Return. It's about a 3 hour roundtrip, but should be a memorable and emotional sight to see.
This evening we will have our last dinner with the crew of the Africa Mercy then head to airport for our long flight home.
I will have a lot to write about once I return... The photographer aboard, Jennifer Willis, is amazing and I cannot wait to share some of her breathtaking shots!
An Evening in the Town Square aboard The Africa Mercy
by Sharrie Robinson, posted Jun 28, 2009 at 8:50PM
Last night everyone gathered in the town square of the ship, some of the crew were playing ping pong and other games, while others were in groups reading or communicating with their loved ones via internet. The entire IOM, IMS and AORN Vision Trip team sat at a small table in the square visiting and sharing stories and pictures of the day's events. I went to the café to order a Starbucks coffee and looked up to see Dr. Straus. I was amazed that Dr. Straus, a renowned eye surgeon who holds a record for performing cataract surgery in less than 4 minutes and who has been with Mercy Ships® since the Anastasis, was taking my beverage order. I was told that he and his wife volunteer two nights a month to serve in the ships café.
Mercy Ships hospitality crew and IOM/AORN team at the Mercy Ship Hospitality Center on land.
Every crew member on the Africa Mercy is a volunteer. From the chef to the captain to the nurses and surgeons, every person has left something and someone back home to come aboard the ship and volunteer their time. Some stay two weeks, some live on the ship for several months and a few have been with Mercy Ships for over 20 years. Dr. Parker is one of the individuals who came to stay for two weeks and twenty-three years later he is the Chief Medical Director.
The ship can house around 450 crew members; currently approximately 400 men, women and children call the Africa Mercy their home. They have a standardized school system in place starting with day care and finishing with high school.
All of this was made a reality by Don Stephens, the founder, and the many dedicated individuals who believed in the dream. He followed the idea of a floating hospital that could travel around the world bringing modern healthcare to the forgotten poor... AND THIS IS AN IMPORTANT PART... would be operated and staffed by volunteers who would pay to serve on the ship! Who would have thought that a dream such as this would become a reality and have such a powerful impact on healthcare throughout the world.
If you are interested in reading more about Don Stephen’s then pick up the book "Ships of Mercy: the Remarkable Fleet Bringing Hope to the World’s Forgotten Poor." It describes incredible real life stories of individuals whom they have helped throughout the years and takes you on a journey of the Mercy Ships from just an idea to the present day reality.
Welcome to Benin!
by Sharrie Robinson & Steve Cullen, posted Jun 27, 2009 at 6:45PM
Over 30 hours into the trip and it’s already been an adventure. Late to Atlanta! Delayed in Paris! Flat tire in Benin!
It all began with a late flight out of Birmingham that had us running in Atlanta to catch the plane to Paris. Luckily we made it just before the door closed and eight hours later we were touching down in Paris. Joie de vivre!
Eifel Tower? The Louvre? Champs-Elysees? No... 11 hours in a hot, airless Charles De Gaulle Airport! Two hours into a scheduled 5-hour layover, the airport lost power, delaying our boarding of the plane and re-routing a few flights. Fortunate for us, Gene Robinson, being the visionary he is, had just purchased local cheeses, baguettes and other items from the airport deli. He brought a smile to our faces with a not-so-traditional French picnic... on the floor of the airport terminal.
When the power was restored, we met up with Patrick Voight, President of AORN, and soon found ourselves on the airplane... an hour late for takeoff. Remember the rerouted flights? Over 120 passengers were missing. To our surprise, the airline held the plane on the ground for hours! Luckily, we came prepared with a bag full of snacks that was quickly devoured by the IOM travel squad. Three hours later and an empty bag, we finally were off the ground and heading to our destination.
Welcome to Benin! After nearly seven more hours in the air, we landed safely in Cotonou, Benin, and were greeted by Gary Stephens and several others from Mercy Ships. It was great to be met in a foreign land by friendly faces. Gary was accompanied by Jennifer Willis, Mercy Ships’ photographer, and Anouchka Bourgeois, originally from Switzerland, but a Swiss and French citizen- and our “Vision Trip” guide for the week.
But like in the TV show, The Amazing Race, we were handed a "Roadblock" task! Heading out in the Mercy Ships Land Rovers, we hadn’t gone 20 meters when we had a flat tire! Imagine you’re in a foreign country, close to midnight, and two airport security officers are yelling at you in French! Anouchka quickly dispatched of the guards while Jennifer, Rodney and Steve jumped out and started to change the tire.
Steve Cullen and Gary Stephens changing the tire.
The other guys jumped in and took over when the camera came out for a photo op- too funny! With the tire fixed, we were on our way through the unmarked streets of Cotonou en route to the Africa Mercy hospital ship.
Finally... it’s 1:30 in the morning in Cotonou and 7:30 PM in Birmingham. We have just checked into our cabins on the Africa Mercy. Time to crash!
Check back tomorrow for photos and more stories from the ship. Night!
Somewhere Over the Atlantic
by Gene Robinson, posted Jun 26, 2009 at 8:58AM
It is 4:20 a.m. Paris time, 9:20 p.m. Birmingham time, and we are somewhere over the Atlantic, scheduled to land around 6 a.m. In Benin it is 3:20 a.m., the same time as it is in London. Time is critical, maybe it shouldn't be, but synchronization of staff, patients, instruments, and services are critical. So what do I do, I have my Blackberry on Birmingham time, my itouch on Eastern, Central, Mountain, and Pacific as well as London and Paris. My watch is on Birmingham and Benin since it will handle two time zones...
Obsessed with time... probably so, but I keep thinking of the patient in the Mercy Ship video with the 13 lb. tumor on his neck that they said would have suffocated in another two weeks. It is time to help, to do what Instruments of Mercy was founded for, to give those surgeons on mission trips proper instrumentation, properly serviced instruments. "There is more in a surgeon's hands than an instrument" but to do his finest work we need to do our part and see that he has the finest tools.
Rodney, my brother, is with me to assess the instrumentation. Tommy, my son, is with me to assess the scopes, drills, etc. Sharrie, my daughter, is representing IOM (Instruments of Mercy), and Steve and I will assist in the administrative assessment. 4 Robinsons and a Cullen, what could be more rewarding.
Patrick E. Voight, RN, National President of AORN, is leading this Vision Trip. Instruments of Mercy is grateful for him making us aware of such a wonderful chance to possibly help patients thru Mercy Ships. If you are not familiar with their mission, google "Mercy Ships" and watch the videos.
We will be landing in Paris soon. I will post some more when we arrive in Cotonou, Benin.
Sent from Gene Robinson's Blackberry
6/25/2009 9:58 pm Birmingham
6/26/2009 4:58 am Paris
We Leave Tomorrow Morning!
by Sharrie Robinson, posted Jun 24, 2009 at 4:30PM
Instruments of Mercy (IOM), Integrated Medical Systems (IMS), and AORN
have teamed up to travel across the world to Benin, Africa, in an effort to develop relations with a brilliant, unique and charitable organization known as Mercy Ships. For 6 nights and 7 days, I invite you to check in here at our blog and see what we have been up to. I hope to be the eyes and ears for everyone back home who is interested in taking a further look into the inner workings of the Africa Mercy Ship.
To read more about the members of our group, check out their bios which are located at the end of this post. I would like to give a special thanks to Patrick Voight, RN, BSN, MSA, CNOR & President of AORN, Gene Robinson, CEO & President of IMS, Steve Cullen, Vice President of Strategic Initiatives, Rodney Robinson, IMS Senior Instrument Repair Analyst, and Tommy Robinson, IMS Instrument Repair Needs Analyst, for lending their time to attend this mission and for supporting this cause.
Left to right: Sharrie, Gene, Tommy and Rodney Robinson at the Birmingham Aiport.
The Africa Mercy is eight decks high and two football fields long. Equipped with 6 operating rooms, 78 beds, the ship is also temporary home for surgeons, nurses and support volunteers come from all over the world. Through their healing efforts on the ship and in remote clinics in Benin, these wonderful volunteers will care for more than 53,000 people during its 10 month stay off the coast of Contonou.
Related Links:
IMS - Integrated Medical Systems International, Inc.
AORN - Association of periOperative Registered Nurses
Mercy Ships
Biographies of Group Members
Welcome to Our Blog!
by Sharrie Robinson, posted Jun 24, 2009 at 4:00PM
Hey Everybody! My name is Sharrie and I work for Instruments of Mercy®. Welcome to our new blog!
Our objective for this blog is to share with you the real life stories of the heroes who volunteer their time and expertise to bring modern healthcare to underdeveloped countries; in addition, I would like to bring to life the opportunities awaiting you if you wish to get involved but are not exactly sure where to begin. Thank you in advance for your support! And your feedback is greatly encouraged.
