MEDIA RELEASE

Kona Community Hospital (KCH) registered nurses, Jessica Higgins and Ian Doleman, of the Medical Surgical department have departed for Haiti and returning April 5.

They will be on the ground in Haiti for a total of seven days. The sponsoring program for their trip is Hospitals for Humanity. Both employees have been with KCH since September 2008.

General surgeon and wound care specialist, Alistair “Ali” Bairos, MD, returned March 2 from a week-long relief mission to Haiti.

He was part of a wound care team of 15 specialists from across the nation.

When asked why he went, he said, “My primary motivator was Alice Basque.” Basque, a KCH operating room nurse, died suddenly just three weeks after her recent retirement.

“Anyone who goes into healthcare wants to help humanity. There (Haiti) you don’t have a choice,” Bairos said. “Anyone who goes to help will have a life-changing experience.”

Other employees have approached Bairos about how they can participate in a similar-type of relief mission. He extends an invitation to share his experience to organizations or people who are interested in learning more and how they can help.