CHW Healthcare Blog

Responding to the Need in Haiti

News continues to come in about the devastation in Haiti following yesterday's magnitude-7 earthquake. As Though we are still awaiting official estimates, it is possible that as many as 100,000 have died in this quake and thousands more are homeless. Schools and hospitals have also collapsed. This devastation is made all the more difficult to bear because Haiti, the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, was still recovering from the deadly 2008 hurricanes when the quake struck. Our hearts go out to the people of Haiti as we learn more of the extent of their suffering and damage to their communities. 

At CHW, we all share a dedication to serve those in need that reaches beyond the borders of our communities and our nation. In that spirit, CHW is making a corporate donation of $50,000 to Catholic Relief Services to help with the immediate needs of the Haitian people and $50,000 to aid in the reconstruction of the St. Francis de Sales Hospital in Port Au Prince. We are also working with the California Nurses Association, which is organizing nurses for a medical mission to Haiti, to support the direct provision of care in the area.

If you would like to help with the relief effort, please contribute directly to one of the organizations working to bring relief to the victims. Below is list of a few relief agencies you may consider supporting.

Catholic Relief Services is the official international relief and development agency of the U.S. Catholic community. They are working to bring immediate relief to the victims of the earthquake, including food, water, and shelter.

The American Red Cross has made available all of the relief supplies from its warehouse in Panama which would provide for basic needs for approximately 5,000 families. In addition, it is deploying a disaster management specialist to Haiti, and has additional disaster specialists on standby if needed.

UNICEF will deploy essential aid – including safe water, sanitation supplies, therapeutic foods, medical supplies, and temporary shelter materials – as quickly as possible to assist with recovery efforts. The organization is also focusing on children who have become separated from their families to protect them from harm or exploitation.

In the coming days, we will all hold those touched by this terrible tragedy in our hearts and prayers.

Catholic Healthcare West Respecting Patient Wishes

A recent article in the San Francisco Chronicle may have caused some confusion and unwarranted concern about Catholic Healthcare West hospitals, as well as about a recent revision to the Ethical and Religious Directives for Catholic Health Care Services.

Let us be clear. Our mission calls us to provide quality, compassionate care to all in need. We protect the right of patients to refuse treatment and would never force a treatment on a patient. Sound medical decisions are always made on a case-by-case basis in light of a patient's wishes and condition.

The revision made to Directive 58 of the Ethical and Religious Directives essentially confirms and upholds the inherent dignity of every human person. It is based on that dignity that we presume in favor of providing a full spectrum of care, including nutrition and hydration, even to those in a very weak and debilitated state. This treatment is not a moral obligation, however, especially when the patient indicates s/he would not want it, or when the burdens of such treatment would outweigh the benefits. 

We encourage everyone to consider completing an advance medical directive that will help provide clarity of their personal intentions to the health care professionals who are dedicated to providing quality care.