Saturday 30 March 2013

Help for hospital

QEH CEO’s Dr. Dexter James, Senior Registrar of the Accident & Emergency
 Department, Joanna Bradford and Pastors Carl Dyall, Dayle Haynes
 and Trotman pose for a photo after the presentation.
"The Queen Elizabeth Hospital has received a generous monetary donation from the Eastern Conference of Seventh Day Adventists.

On Tuesday, pastors from the Seventh Day Adventist Church made the contribution during a media conference to the primary care facility which will help further patient care.

Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Dexter James, said that their equipment prospectus, which outlines their needs, was launched a couple months ago and the SDA looked at it and determined which they area they would assist the Martindale’s Road facility in.

“Words cannot explain the tremendous support that Pastor Haynes has given to us and it is more than welcome and we look forward to deepening and strengthening our relationship with the SDA,” he said.

The church made a donation of blood and assisted with the surveys at the National Blood Collecting Centre on March 16.

Pastor Dayle Haynes said that blood drive was “successful” as young people really turned out to give blood and assist with the surveys in the Blood bank. He also noted that during that day a number of other projects were done as they assisted the elderly and the youth, the homeless.

Broadening scope

“The volunteer programme we’ve started, I’ve had meetings with HR and so far we’ve had 40 of our young people who are willing to be trained in different areas to assist the QEH. We see it as a way of broadening our scope but also to help the QEH as well.

“It was been very fruitful in terms of being exposed to this volunteer drive and wanting to give blood and the next one, to give service. Coupled with all of that we received the prospectus from Dr. James, the QEH and we decided we would put together a donation,” Haynes said.

Executive Secretary Pastor Carl Dyall of the Eastern Caribbean Conference said they were “very mindful of the needs of the hospital” and discussed, as an executive committee, how they could contribute to the “development of the patient care” at the primary care facility.

“We have voted to contribute $20,000 towards the hospital specifically with reference to providing some air conditioning units in the High Dependency Unit and also towards the purchase of a special trolley that would help in the work that you do,” Dyall said."

Wednesday 20 March 2013

The AIDS Epidemic: Progress in Research



"... USC welcomed the involvement of Dr. Wayne Greaves*, ... the Senior Director at Merck Research Laboratories, in our 2013 Charter Week celebrations. Every year since USC achieved University status, USC has hosted a week of celebratory events during the month of March.  One of the events is a day of scholarly presentations open to students, faculty, staff and community members.  Dr. Greaves presented on the topic: “The AIDS Epidemic: Progress in Research”**.  The presentation began with symptoms of the disease, complete with photos; he definitely had the crowd's attention. He spoke about initial research on the disease, theories of origin, effective drug therapies, and his work in the field.

AIDS treatments have been simplified, from patients taking a cocktail of pills, to one super-potent pill containing four types of medication. Prevention studies have resulted in a decrease in maternal to fetal transmission. Research has also shown merit in the ‘treatment as prevention’ hypothesis; controlling the epidemic with the use of antiretroviral drugs as a prevention tool. Studies have shown that a single pill containing two drugs, taken daily, can prevent an uninfected person from HIV transmission. Additionally, when infected people get on treatment early and stay on it, they are much less likely to infect another person during sex.
When discussing the modes of transmission of the disease, Dr, Greaves urged students to be careful in their amorous dealings. Although open-mouth or deep kissing is often not counted as a mode of transmission, there is still danger in this encounter as the disease may be transmitted through sores or cuts in the mouth of an infected person.

Recent developments in the field were also discussed. Earlier this month, news headlines told us of an infant who had been functionally cured of AIDS. As explained by Dr. Greaves, this did not mean that the disease was completely eradicated from the child’s system, but rather that the viral load present in the bloodstream was undetectable by traditional methods of testing. Currently, Dr. Greaves is working on an entry inhibitor drug that will prevent the virus from attaching to the cell.

Building on his earlier warning, Dr. Greaves also discussed methods of prevention, highlighting the ABC Method of HIV Prevention: Abstain from sex, Be faithful if you do not abstain, Use a Condom if you are not faithful.

A man knowledgeable about his field, Dr. Greaves’ style was easy to follow as he took us on this informative journey."

Rachel J. Sealy
Office of Advancement & Alumni Relations
Director for Alumni Relations
University of the Southern Caribbean

* Barbadian-born Dr. Wayne Greaves is a cousin of the late USC alumnus,  Dr. Timothy Greaves, who was recently posthumously honoured by his alma-mater, Loma Linda University .

** This lecture was delivered at the main campus of the University of the Southern Caribbean - Maracas Valley, Trinidad.

Thursday 14 March 2013

The ADVENTISTS 2 *Official Trailer *


"The sequel to the award-winning film -- The ADVENTISTS - takes the viewer across the globe to explore the Adventist health story yesterday and today. Filmed in Haiti, Peru, Malawi, China, the Dominican Republic and on the Amazon River. Dramatic stories -- Inspiring characters."

View a clip from the original documentary which was aired on PBS several times here - http://youtu.be/FU1W0X1x_1Q

Sunday 10 March 2013

Dr. Timothy Greaves Honored Posthumously


The Alumni Association of the Loma Linda University School of Medicine (LLUSM) honored the late Dr. Timothy Greaves at its 81st Annual Postgraduate Homecoming Convention Gala held on Monday night, March 4, 2013 at the Doubletree Hotel in Ontario, California, USA.  Dr. Greaves, the lone honoree in the coveted 'Distinguished Honored Alumnus Award' category,  and a member of the honored 50th Anniversary/1963 Class of Medicine, was paid special tribute for his courage,  determination, experiences and  achievements he was able to gain in spite of numerous physical challenges and hurdles faced during his life.  Honorees are selected for their contributions to medical research and education, medical mission and community service, participation in medical activities, and support and commitment to the goals and objectives of LLUSM.
Dr. Timothy Greaves, fondly known as the 'Wheel-Chair Doctor',  was nominated by his alumni and LLU faculty who felt that his professional and spiritual contributions were worthy of recognition.  His accomplishments in the fields of Cytopathology,  Professor in Pathology, his appointment as Physician specialist in the Pathology Department, and eventually becoming the Director of Exfoliative Cytology at the Los Angeles County Hospital and University of Southern California Medical Center  were some of the areas of his successful medical career.   He was a skilled diagnostician, and was largely responsible for the  excellent clinical reputation of the L.A. County Hospital's Cytopathology Division.  He passed away on May 8, 2010.
 
Representation to the Award Presentation by Tim's immediate family was requested, and his siblings, Norma and Dr. Donn Greaves, attended the gala event in California on March 4.  Thelda VanLange-Greaves, wife of Dr. Timothy Greaves, gave a response and accepted the posthumous Award in his honor.   A  new book on Tim's life "..Of Courage, Compassion, and Endurance: The Story of Timothy S. Greaves, MD" is a 2013 publication written by Dr. Dorothy Minchin-Comm at the request and expense of the Alumni of LLUSM.  It is available for online purchase at  www.trafford.com or email  'orders@trafford.com'.


Photo shows Dr. Timothy Greaves receiving his Medical Degree, Loma Linda University School of  Medicine Class of 1963.    He received a standing ovation in 1963 and again at the Golden Anniversary gala event on March 4, 2013.

Sabbath Reflections — Southern Adventist University