Outreach Programs
CAMSA's Outreach Programs include conducting medical missions to underserved communities throughout the Caribbean, organizing conferences, health fairs and town hall meetings geared towards health promotion and the prevention of chronic diseases. Our programs also include health screening and distribution of literature.
Medical Missions
CAMSA's medical missions primarily to the Caribbean target underserved areas in the countries with permission of the Ministries of Health. CAMSA has partnered with organizations such as Caribbean American Outreach Association and Millenium Sistahs in e.g. Trinidad & Tobago, Grenada, Jamaica and St. Lucia. Members pay their own transportation and accommodation expenses. The volunteer multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses and others see both adult and pediatric patients, doing physical examinations, treating urgent problems, dispensing medication and providing counseling. CAMSA welcomes other healthcare professionals to join us as we plan future missions.
Conferences
Over the years, CAMSA has conducted various community conferences some of which are listed below:
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Nutrition, Obesity & Diabetes
St. Mark's Church
Brooklyn, NY
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Obesity
Hammer Health Science Center at
Columbia-Presbyterian Campus
New York, NY
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Immigrant Health Issues
Hammer Health Science Center at
Columbia-Presbyterian Campus
New York, NY
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Disaster Awareness for
Community Preparedness
York College
Jamaica, NY
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Complementary & Alternative Medicine
Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center
Brooklyn, NY
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Disaster Awareness for
Community Preparedness
New York Methodist Hospital
Brooklyn, NY
CAMSA has also collaborated with the Barbados Cancer Association (BACA) USA, Inc. and the Barbados Nurses Association (BNAA) to conduct an annual cancer symposium, many of which can be viewed on Youtube.
Health Forums and Fairs
CAMSA regularly provides health screenings and distributes information to enhance the awareness of local communities about practices to maintain good health. Over the years, CAMSA volunteers have participated in community events, including the annual Barbados Fun & Family Day in Brooklyn, NY, at churches, civic associations and other non-profit organizations.
Special Project: Haiti
Within a week of the 2010 devastating earthquake in Haiti, CAMSA’s Dr. Patricia Nicholas, a Haitian-born podiatrist, was on the ground in Leogane, the epicenter of the earthquake providing health care to the injured. Her empathy for her people would lead her to establish, first a medical clinic and later a school in the village of O’Rouck near Anse-a-Veau, some 96 kilometers west of the capital, Port-au -Prince. Other CAMSA members were part of the initial missions to O’Rouck, and CAMSA and individual members have made financial and other donations over the years. The clinic has a pharmacy and is staffed by a doctor and support personnel. Services have expanded since the early days and the school has secured accreditation by the Haitian government. Jobs have been created and other activities have contributed to the local economy. CAMSA is proud to have supported these efforts. To donate or volunteer, please contact Dr. Nicholas at: healthystep@aol.com
