ICEHA in the News

NEW YORK AREA HUSBAND AND WIFE SPEND SIX WEEKS HELPING COMBAT GLOBAL HIV/AIDS

New York, NY -- July 27, 2005 -- Linda Holverstott, RN and Vincent Jarvis, MD, a married couple from Manhattan, spent six weeks volunteering at one of Ho Chi Minh City's first HIV/AIDS outpatient clinics in Vietnam, to improve the quality of healthcare provided to Vietnamese HIV-infected patients by transferring their knowledge, skills and experience to Vietnamese health professionals.

As volunteers with The International Center for Equal Healthcare Access (ICEHA), Ms. Holverstott and Dr. Jarvis served as on-site professional mentors to Vietnamese doctors and nurses and equipped them with the care, treatment and prevention tools needed to fight the HIV/AIDS epidemic on their own.

"Dr. Jarvis and Ms. Holverstott's contribution will have a lasting impact on AIDS care in Vietnam," said Dr. Marie Charles, Founder and President of ICEHA. "Medication is currently being introduced in clinics throughout the country, and while local physicians may have received some didactic HIV training, their clinical skills are severely lacking and their practical experience with antiretroviral medications is non-existent."

Dr. Jarvis and Ms. Holverstott's efforts strengthened the capacity for HIV care in one of Ho Chi Minh City's first outpatient AIDS clinics in conjunction with the introduction of antiretroviral medications. The team also provided training to 40 physicians at the district level. "Given that every trained local physician can treat 250 to 300 AIDS patients," explains Dr. Charles, "this team increased the local capacity for AIDS care tremendously. Overall, it is the greatest example of how even one person can make a significant contribution to curbing the global AIDS pandemic - and at the same time have one of the most rewarding experiences of his or her entire professional life."

"The clinic staff is very dedicated and eager to learn" said Dr. Jarvis. "Given that the clinic's patient population continues to grow, our contribution is greatly needed. Our knowledge and experience as HIV providers is invaluable and much appreciated."

ICEHA is presently recruiting volunteers from the medical and health communities for clinical mentoring programs on HIV/AIDS prevention, care and treatment in Asia and in Africa.

About The International Center for Equal Healthcare Access
The International Center for Equal Healthcare Access (ICEHA) is a 501(c)(3) non-profit organization incorporated in 2001 in New Jersey and with operations in New York. ICEHA's goal is to create access to healthcare in resource-poor settings by building local healthcare systems in a fast, sustainable, and cost-effective way with maximum impact. ICEHA works with national governments to help ensure that healthcare workers in developing countries will be empowered to care for their own patients and to stem epidemics from within. Strong emphasis is being placed on the need for healthcare systems in light of the HIV/AIDS epidemic.