Day 5: Delivery: Act II

Today was our last official day of our clinic. Dr. Cheff, Thomas, and Jan treated about 20 patients today. Some of the patients were families receiving standers, of which there were 8 today. The clinic ran efficiently, with each team member having a specific task. Dr. Cheff and Thomas sat with patients to diagnose and treat them. Thomas used his Spanish-speaking skills to translate for Dr. Cheff, who used her 28-years’ medical experience running a family clinic in Oldtown, Maine to treat each of our patients. Jan interacted with and managed the patients in the waiting room. As they arrived, she would take down their name and place them in line to see Dr. Cheff. Jan’s Spanish-speaking ability has improved dramatically by speaking with incoming patients; she went from only being able to say a few words to carrying a basic conversation in just three days! Dr. Cheff and Thomas worked together to effectively communicate with, diagnose, and treat every patient. Their ailments ranged from simple, musculoskeletal pain caused by hard work to respiratory issues in children who would receive standing frames. The clinic was a great success, as we were able to help over 50 people by providing pertinent information and treatment!

The rest of the team continued to work in the workshop in the morning before heading to Guatemala City to look for new sources for parts. In the city, they located a CNC factory that will create an updated template that will save on materials and time. Our current templates are slightly outdated in relation to the design we use and require the technician to move and reset its position in order to create the layout we need, but the new version will be fully up to date. Another leap in cost efficiency will be the new hinges the team found in Guatemala City. The new hinges go for 30 quetzales less than the previous hinges! Overall, we reduced the cost of each stander by nearly $5!

Tomorrow, we’ll be hosting a conference for nearly 40 physical therapists who receive and give out our standing frames. Emory, Thomas, and Trey were in the workshop late, brainstorming case-by-case modifications that families or therapists could make to the standers. Scott and Riley joined them for some late-night preparation to ensure that the morning goes as smoothly as possible.

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Jan gifting a toy to Luis, who received a standing frame today!