Students just returned from an 8 day trip to the DR.  Trip activities included health education and dewroming at bateyes and grade schools, hypertension screening and medication monitoring, construction at "Blanco's Place", clothing distribution, PPD testing of Blanco's Kids and the Costambar beach party for the children.  Thanks to Mae Henry for the following short video of the trip.  http://www.youtube.com/user/maehenry943m#p/a/u/2/PZOeQdl7gxl.

The next student planning meeting for the April 16th trip will be held Thursday, March 11th at 4pm in the HSAP dry lab, 3rd floor, SPH building.

The last group of students left the Dominican Republic on January 12, the day of the earthquake.  Over the next three weeks we worked with Crossroads and members of the Costambar community to collect clothing, food and water to be sent to Haiti.  Blanco accompanied Dr. Bob from Crossroads with a group of physicians to work in a private hospital in Port au Prince and in the refugee camps in the Dominican Republic.  Blanco lost 11 familiy members.  Four others are in various hospitals.  He daughter received severe leg crush injuries.

There will be a planning meeting for students taking the April 16th trip to the Dominican Republic on Tuesday, February 16th at 4:30.  The meeting will be held in the Health System and Policy Department at the SPH and IPd to the Newark and Stratford campuses. 

We would appreciate contributions of 4 x 4 non-sterile dressings and gauze rolls (regular and stretch).  These will be contributed to Crossroads for use in their medical clinics.  Please drop donations off at Dr. Grau's or Dr. West's office.  Thank you.

A craft fair and bake sale will be held Tuesday, December 8 in the School of Public Heath lobby.  The fair will be open between 12 pm and 1pm and 5 pm to 6 pm.  Proceeds will be used to buy school uniforms for Blanco's Kids.  Come brouse, buy and eat!

Thanks to Scott Battaglia for creating a poster on the Dominican Republic Health Outreach Project which will be on display at the Robert Wood Medical School Global Health Fair Dec. 2.  The Fair will be held at the New Brunswick CAB building beginning at 5 pm.

Once again, V.O.I.C.E.S, the School of Public Health's student service organization has been active in a number of fund raising events for the Project.  A highly successful bakesale was held on the Newark Campus on November 22.  Thanks to the students and faculty who contributed baked goods and other goodies as well as to Dunkin Doughnuts, who contributed bagels to the event.  On Dec.

Thanks to the Anchor restaurant and community of Costambar in the Dominican Republic for hosting a wonderful party and feast for Blanco's Kids on Halloween.  The kids participated in apple bobbing and games.  A great time was had by all.