On Friday morning June 10th, at 8:30 am, the main contingent of our 2016 Nicaragua Team departed Redlands, California, enroute to LAX and then on to Managua, Nicaragua.
This year’s group is comprised of 13 dentists, including 2 dental anesthesiologists, 2 pediatric dentists, 13 dental students from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, 2 Registered Nurses, and 10 support and logistics staff. Joining our group of dentists and dental students will be 8 dental students from Universidad Catolica (UNICA) School of Dentistry in Managua. In total, we have approximately 46 people assisting the Foundation in this year’s effort.
Dr. Brian Novy, a Foundation board member and Director of Practice Improvement at the DentaQuest Institute, is traveling from Boston, Massachusetts, to continue his work at our Esquipulas Clinic on the outskirts of Managua. Dr. Novy, in conjunction with the Foundation, has taken the study of early childhood caries internationally. The chosen patient population is the children of the public school in Esquipulas.
This year’s trip marks an important milestone in Phase I of our Diabetes Initiative. Marcella Hardy-Peterson, DNP, and Brandon Woodruff, RN, are joining our travel party and will be meeting with one of our main partners, the Asociacion de Padres de Nino y Jovenes Diabeticos de Nicaragua (APNJDN) and their families.
In addition, Marcella and Brandon will be presenting their “draft” Type I diabetic educational material to Dr Frederico Narvaez, an endocrinologist and our point of contact at the La Muscota Hospital (the government children’s hospital) in Managua and other government officials.
After the review and approval process is complete, Marcella and Brandon will return to Nicaragua in late July to begin the training to approximately 100 Nicaraguan medical staff. Using the “train-the-trainer” concept, they will also train and their provide educational material to a small, select group of Nicaraguan medical staff so they can conduct further training throughout the county.
Gary Underwood
This year’s group is comprised of 13 dentists, including 2 dental anesthesiologists, 2 pediatric dentists, 13 dental students from Loma Linda University School of Dentistry, 2 Registered Nurses, and 10 support and logistics staff. Joining our group of dentists and dental students will be 8 dental students from Universidad Catolica (UNICA) School of Dentistry in Managua. In total, we have approximately 46 people assisting the Foundation in this year’s effort.
Dr. Brian Novy, a Foundation board member and Director of Practice Improvement at the DentaQuest Institute, is traveling from Boston, Massachusetts, to continue his work at our Esquipulas Clinic on the outskirts of Managua. Dr. Novy, in conjunction with the Foundation, has taken the study of early childhood caries internationally. The chosen patient population is the children of the public school in Esquipulas.
This year’s trip marks an important milestone in Phase I of our Diabetes Initiative. Marcella Hardy-Peterson, DNP, and Brandon Woodruff, RN, are joining our travel party and will be meeting with one of our main partners, the Asociacion de Padres de Nino y Jovenes Diabeticos de Nicaragua (APNJDN) and their families.
In addition, Marcella and Brandon will be presenting their “draft” Type I diabetic educational material to Dr Frederico Narvaez, an endocrinologist and our point of contact at the La Muscota Hospital (the government children’s hospital) in Managua and other government officials.
After the review and approval process is complete, Marcella and Brandon will return to Nicaragua in late July to begin the training to approximately 100 Nicaraguan medical staff. Using the “train-the-trainer” concept, they will also train and their provide educational material to a small, select group of Nicaraguan medical staff so they can conduct further training throughout the county.
Gary Underwood