Five years after an earthquake destroyed St. Francis de Sales Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, a new, modern facility was dedicated last week, thanks to a rebuilding project supported in large part by Ascension and other U.S. Catholic healthcare providers.
On Jan. 12, 2010, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Haiti, devastating much of Port-au-Prince, killing more than 230,000 people and leaving about 2 million people homeless. The earthquake leveled 80 percent of the buildings at St. Francis de Sales, including the pediatric and general inpatient wards. An estimated 70 patients, visitors and staff members were killed when the hospital buildings collapsed.
After its initial emergency response, Catholic Relief Services (CRS) joined with the Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince to plan the rebuilding of St. Francis de Sales. The Catholic Health Association of the United States (CHA) organized a fundraising effort – the Campaign for Rebirth and Renewal – to support the reconstruction, and CHA member organizations responded with more than $10.1 million in contributions to CRS.
Ascension contributed $1.5 million to help rebuild the hospital. In addition, Alexian Brothers Health System – at the time not yet a ministry of Ascension – contributed $50,000.
The new St. Francis de Sales Hospital is one of the first public buildings to be rebuilt in the Haitian capital, where reconstruction has been slow. The 200-bed hospital is owned and governed by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Port-au-Prince. Throughout its 100-plus-year history, St. Francis de Sales has been the principal healthcare provider for the poorest and most vulnerable people of Port-au-Prince.
“Ascension’s commitment to serving those who are poor and vulnerable does not stop at the shores of the United States,” said Anthony R. Tersigni, EdD, FACHE, President and Chief Executive Officer. “We’re proud to have been a major contributor to the St. Francis de Sales rebuilding project in Haiti. In addition, our ministry has long supported Hospital de la Concepcion in Puerto Rico. And our new partnership with Narayana Health in the Cayman Islands is extending the availability of high-quality tertiary care services to those in need across the greater Caribbean region. Already, eight Haitian children have been flown to Health City Cayman Islands to receive needed heart surgery free of charge.”
“CHA is so grateful to our members for their generous contributions, which I am confident will pay dividends for the Haitian people for many years to come,” said Sr. Carol Keehan, DC, CHA President and Chief Executive Officer. “The need in Haiti is astounding, and this new hospital is a vitally important part of rebuilding the community of Port-au-Prince and ensuring that its people can receive the medical care and attention they need.”
CRS funded and supervised the construction of the new 125,000-square-foot hospital, which will serve as a teaching facility for medical professionals. “The rebuilt St. Francis de Sales Hospital is more than a first-rate medical facility,” said Carolyn Woo, CRS President and Chief Executive Officer. “It will also help train the doctors and nurses of Haiti’s future to provide the quality healthcare the country deserves.”
CHA has produced a video about the rebuilding project, with a special thank-you to Ascension.
