ICC Applies for Grant from USAID

On June 29, ICC USA Board President Stacy Waggoner and board Vice President Dr. Ellen Palmer visited the U.S. Agency for International Development (USAID) offices in Washington, D.C. to hand-deliver a grant requesting funding for a new healthcare education and training facility in Haiti.

While Grace Children's Hospital provides excellent comprehensive care for our in-patients and those who visit the out-patient clinic, we are not able to fully accommodate visiting healthcare professionals with our current facilities. ICC applied for a grant from USAID under their program for American Schools and Hospitals Abroad (ASHA.) If ICC is granted the funds, we will be able to expand our education training facilities to offer the appropriate technology for training sessions for both Haitian and North American staff. Grace Children's Hospital should be more than just a place where children can go to get better, but a place where doctors, nurses and other healthcare professionals can gather to learn the latest news about their specialties. For years, ICC has been a part of such training, but lack of the proper technological and personal amenities made it impossible for us to reach as many as we would like with what could be life-saving information. The new opportunities that this facility would prevent are vast, and we are hopeful for success!

Preparing the extensive grant took collaborative efforts from ICC USA staff, ICC Haiti staff and U.S. board members, especially the dedication of Dr. Palmer, who wrote much of the grant. It could be a year before we learn if we will receive the funds.