PREPARATION AND PEOPLE

The 2010 Panama Medical/Education team from the North  Central Jurisdiction is almost ready to take off for the small town in western Panama once again to hold a medical - dental clinic on the edge of the Ngobe homeland near the town of Cienaguita. In just a few days the clinic, pharmacy, laboratory and the classroom supplies for another round of Health Promoter education will be packed into suitcases for the long trip from the snowy mid-west to sunny Panama. There we will team up with Methodists from Panama and Rev. Rhett Thompson, UM missionary assigned there.
Once settled in the upland of Panama's mountains the team be ready for receiving patients from the Ngobe villages spread across their homeland across the river from United Methodist Community Center at Cienaguita. But, before that can happen an enormous amount of work has already happened.

TEAM MEMBERS

Jane Dunn, team leader, has recruited the members of the clinical and educational team. She is joined by her husband, Richard, who will help with dental clinic support.
The Medical clinic team includes: Dr. Barry Kram, Dr. Cal Morris, Nurses Ann Helm, Debbie Morris, Janet Ross, and Linda Elsik; the Laboratory will be handled by Medical Lab Tech Kay Potenza..
The Pharmacy will be run by registered pharmacist Mary Snyder-Legg; Harvey Ross, Rev. Tom Potenza and local Methodists will be assisting her.
Our Dental Clinic is supervised by Dr.David Fairchild, oral surgeon. He will be working with help from Rich, Carla Hokinson and Charles Profit.
The Health Education Team includes Jane Dunn, Janet, Linda and Kay Potenza, as well as translator Javier and GBGM observer Patricia Magyar.

Our Children's Activities are under the supervision of Tara Kram assisted by Bronwen Kram, Ron Rank and local volunteers.

Charles Profit is in charge of special  logistics, repairs and general assistance with things mechanical.
Rev. Tom Potenza will be the group Chaplain, organize the spiritual times during the week and handle communications via photography, blog and journal.
Observers from the UM Mexican Border Ministries include Ahumada Chavez, Miguel Abgel,and  Ortiz Jara.

PACKING SUPPLIES

All of the supplies used by the clinics must be transported to Panama as baggage. Donated items are packed into suitcases that will then be checked on the flights as personal luggage. Some of the team members met at Our Saviors UMC in Schaumburg outside Chicago to pack. All the wrappers and boxes were discarded to save weight In fact, over 10 lbs. of wrapping "stayed home".

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