The Issa Trust Foundation works to serve the children of Jamaica and train local medical providers while providing opportunities for US-based medical professionals to experience a clinical care setting abroad and give freely of their time and expertise. In July of 2010, we launched a new program, the first-ever pediatric medical rotation program in Jamaica, in partnership with Jamaica’s Northeast Regional Health Authority. This effort required a significant investment in materials and training. The rotation will involve two pediatric doctors per month, 12 months out of the year. Volunteers will provide direct care to and supervise the care approximately 20,000 children per year. This will require a five-year systematic, progressive effort in patient treatment, training of medical, administrative, and technical personnel. At the end of the five years, we intend, in cooperation with Ministry of Health for the North East Region to review continued efforts.
During the project period, we will review technology needs with Ministry of Health for the North East Region health care officials and acquire through donation, purchase, and/or refurbishment, the technology needed to equip designated health care facilities. Volunteer US biomedical engineers will provide training in operation and maintenance of equipment. Issa Trust Foundation volunteers will work along with the clinic medical personnel and will be using their laboratory, imaging services and pharmacy. As resources and funding permits, and as requested by the Ministry of Health, we will expand this program island wide.
Pediatric Education
Issa Trust Foundation, in association with medical providers from Philadelphia and Jamaica created a pediatric education program. The objectives are to engage and serve pediatric medical providers through education, training, and research, establishing evidenced based practice, excellence in professional skills and unity in a global community, which cooperatively and passionately participates in advancing pediatric training. Objectives also include improving the health and wellbeing of the children of Jamaica through community based education about child health and safety.
The goal of Issa Trust Foundation is to empower a population to take care of its own. Issa Trust foundation achieves this by working directly with local government officials, healthcare providers, businesses, public institutions and private citizens to put processes in place to ensure the self-sufficiency of medical clinics and hospitals.
Pediatric training may consist of, but not limited to, pediatric nursing, general pediatrics, subspecialty pediatrics, hematology-oncology, general surgery, orthopedics, ENT, urology, genetics, biomedical engineering, laboratory and pharmacy training.
Our pediatric training programs are conduits for the equipment, training and official support necessary to ensure that these medical centers thrive.
The program and Advisory Committee is lead by Jamie Sklar BSN, MS, CCRN. The goal of the Advisory Committee is:
Coordinate with the Jamaican Ministry of Health to provide education to the community and health care providers that is in alignment with the Ministry’s vision and goals
Support the education program through recruitment of medical professionals to provide education and mentorship
Work with the Issa Trust Foundation’s Medical Rotation Program and Medical Mission to support local, regional and national educational needs
Sustainability of Efforts
First and foremost, the aim of our projects is to treat children and build a more sustainable, self-sufficient local care system in Jamaica. Sustainability is at the core of our work. By training local technicians as biomedical engineers, or “para-engineers,” we will ensure that vital medical equipment never sits broken and unattended but instead serves its purpose to help provide superior medical care.
Medical Missions
The Issa Trust Foundation has conducted annual medical missions since 2005, and has served thousands of children in the St. Mary and Westmoreland parishes. The organization plans to continue collaborating with clinics and local organizations in Jamaica to identify health needs, set health priorities for their community and facilitate collaborative strategies to make parishes in Jamaica a healthy place to live.
Education
Education of our children is the key to a successful future. We know firsthand that the workforce of tomorrow must be equipped with the right tools for success today. That is why marketable skills gained through effective education are a key objective for The Issa Trust Foundation.
Every child and youth needs and deserves the intellectual development, motivation, personal, social-emotional, and cultural skills needed for successful work and lifelong learning in a diverse nation, as a result of having quality learning environments, challenging expectations, and consistent formal and informal guidance and mentoring.
Three Hills Primary School
Three Hills Primary School, located in the parish of St. Mary, is a small rural school that faces many challenges. Chief among these is the inadequacy of resources that can enhance the delivery of a quality education to the 233 students enrolled at the school. This situation was worsened when Hurricane Ivan in September 2005 struck the island of Jamaica.
Issa Trust Foundation is working towards building a brand new building to help house all the students currently enrolled, add a library and computer room and clean and furnish a safe area for physical education and after school sports.
Mt. Airy Basic School
The school, located in the parish of Westmoreland, has an enrollment of 50 students’ ages 3 to 5 with only three teachers. Issa Trust Foundation is working towards refurbishing the school, building a new infrastructure, supplying needed school supplies and helping to secure two to three more teachers. We hope to furnish the school with a new children’s library, reading area and safe outdoor play area.
Clifton Boys Home
This is a home for underprivileged or orphaned kids located in the hills of Darliston Westmoreland. The Clifton Boys Home is home to 30 boys ranging in age from 6 – 17 years of age. It is run by the Diocese of Jamaica and headed by Mr. Macdonald. They are in need of school supplies, bedding & bathroom materials, recreational items and a safe outdoor sports area.
