Volunteerism
Concentra salutes volunteers in Haiti
Immediately after the earthquake news from Haiti, it was clear that additional medical assistance was a critical need. Medical professionals from across the world were inspired to leave their practices temporarily and go to the Caribbean island to volunteer their services.
As of February 1, four such professionals, who practice at Concentra medical center locations in different states, requested personal leave to travel to Haiti for periods ranging from 1 to 4 weeks. “I felt called to offer my services to the victims and survivors of this terrible ordeal,” said Stanley Simon, M.D., the medical director of the Concentra center in Franklin Park, Illinois. He is originally from Haiti and still has relatives in the country. “The conditions are indescribably bad, but time is of the essence for these people.” Concentra applauds this spirit of service and supports these individuals as they take their leave periods.
Concentra also commends the colleagues who have agreed to cover for these clinicians while they’re away. “We treat an average of 75 patients per day in each of our medical center locations,” said Chief Medical Officer W. Tom Fogarty, M.D., “so it’s no small effort to care for the patients of a medical provider who is on leave.”
The mindset of care demonstrated by these clinicians is perhaps best expressed by this statement from one of the clinicians: “In every disaster there’s an opportunity to do something good. I want to be part of that something good.”
Inspired to donate?
Concentra encourages individuals to donate to organizations with the infrastructure and resources to provide care when and where it’s needed most. Examples include:
