The following is a full accounting of the Faith In Practice mission trip to Guatemala from SSM Health Communications Consultant Shari Lau. Last week, 16 SSM Health team members helped provide free surgical care to residents in the country.
Day 1 – Saturday, September 30
The Path
The path I was walking was solid and firm.
But I felt there was more I needed to learn.
Ahead I could see my path split into two.
Should I hold my course steady, or should I try something new?
Life has no guarantees, but I was willing to try.
Willing to spread my wings. Willing to fly.
For life is meant to be lived, and there is no better way,
Than to step from the known path, take a chance and be brave.
For the next eight days, 16 SSM Health team members will take a chance and be brave. Today we embark on a trip that will change us all. We are setting out on a mission trip to Retalhuleu, Guatemala, where we will work alongside eight healthcare workers from various organizations and members from Faith in Practice to provide healthcare to those in need.
Some of us have walked this path before, but for others – including myself – this is our first journey. We trust in each other and in ourselves to live up to SSM Health Otolaryngologist Dr. Matthew Pogodzinski’s team motto “Adapt and Overcome.” Just as the people we seek to help continuously adapt and overcome.
The magnitude of this trip sprang on me during the early morning shuttle ride to the airport. We are going to Guatemala. A place that until now seemed so far away. Welcoming team members eased the butterflies as they spoke fondly of past trips and the patients they have met, leaving us newcomers even more eager and excited. Liz Allen, Chaplain at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Madison, said she has traveled quite a bit before, but never on a mission trip like this.
“I admire and respect people who sacrifice for something,” she said. “Who go out of their way to help others in need.”
Our plane took off without incident, and after a four-and-a-half-hour flight that took us 1900 miles away from home, we landed safely in Guatemala City.
Stepping out of the airport was an amazing experience. What seemed like hundreds of people were gathered in celebration to welcome home their family members. Colorful Guatemalan dresses and balloons saying, “bienvenido,” adorned women and children. Families shrieked and ran to embrace their loved ones. I couldn’t help but wonder how long it had been since they last saw each other. It was a beautiful sight. A wonderful welcome to Guatemala.
Our drive to Retalhuleu is a beautiful one. The hustle of Guatemala City turns into vast spans of trees, valleys and mountains that rise into the clouds. But we also see the reality of life in this beautiful place, and it brings us back to why we are here. It brings us back to our mission.
I don’t know what tomorrow will bring, but I do know we will all bring our best to the day and the people of Guatemala.
**Note: Total travel time – 11.5 hours
Day 2 – Sunday, October 1
The team awoke to a Guatemalan sunrise and the call of the local peacocks. Six of us woke up early to get in a workout lead by Dr. Matthew Pogodzinksi before devotion and breakfast. Healthy body and healthy spirits. SSM Health Chaplain Liz Allen brought us all to tears with her heart felt greeting of thanks.
“I am so honored to be here and to be with this team,” Liz said among tears. “You are servants, and you are here to serve. It moves me what you’re using your life for. You have gifts, and you are sharing them.”
After devotion and tears from many, we gathered to eat breakfast and headed to the bus for the trip to the hospital. We had a hard day’s work ahead. Once we arrived, we could see there were already patients waiting to be seen by providers. Hopeful the doctors would be able to help them. After an introduction to our Faith in Practice partners and hospital staff, the team set to work sorting and unpacking supplies to set up a pharmacy, PACU and operating rooms for urology, ENT and general surgeries.
Drs. Pogodzinski, Otolaryngology; Danielle Gindlesberger, Family Medicine; Brent Shulman, Anesthesiologist; and Adam Tierney began patient consultations in the clinic and quickly began filling up the surgery schedule for the week. Unfortunately, some patients weren’t eligible for surgery due to the complexity of the case or the limited access to materials and technology. Those conversations proved to be difficult and emotional for the patients and our team.
“Some people had chronic pain conditions,” Dr. Tierney explained. “One person didn’t know he had advanced cancer, but even though I can’t do surgery, there is still something I can do for him. I explained that what he thought he was coming here for isn’t what he needs. You can tell patients without taking away hope. You can reframe their condition in a way that helps them manage it. We can help people even if we can’t perform surgery.”
The patients continued to fill the waiting area, overflowing outside. Everyone seemed in good spirits as we visited with them and posed for pictures. The anticipation high. With a long day and a full schedule, we head back to the hotel to prepare for the first day of surgery.
Day 3 – Monday, October 2
Surgery – Day 1
“How is your spirit doing?” Chaplain Liz Allen asked us all during the daily devotion. “On a scale, how is it right now in this moment? Because it changes moment to moment, and that’s what keeps you in the now. Today will test your spirit. You must be in the now to adapt, and the overcome is up to you.”
Today is the first day of surgeries, and this is where we see all the planning and preparations come into play as we remember our motto, “Adapt and Overcome.” Dr. Pogo sent the surgical staff off with encouragement and trust saying, “Don’t let fear frustrate you.” So, with brave hearts and skilled hands, the teams donned scrubs, caps, masks and shoe covers determined to improve the lives of those in their care.
The first patient taken back to the operating room was an eight-year-old boy named Samuel whose mother sat dutifully by his side. They made a Facetime call to Samuel’s dad, and he showed off the new toy car the team had given to him. Then he was called back to the operating room. Samuel shivered from the cold and the nerves. How brave this child is. Dr. Pogo and his team successfully performed an adenoidectomy, a surgery where the adenoids are surgically removed through the mouth. An adenoidectomy treats enlarged adenoids that can cause problems by partially blocking the airway, which can cause a variety of issues that require treatment.
After surgery, Samuel was taken to the PACU and reunited with his mother whose thankful embrace to Chaplain Liz brought tears to our eyes and warmth in our hearts.
“The gratitude of the people is something you can’t explain,” said Kim Hinkle, SSM Health RN who is on her third trip. “It’s just what you see and what you feel from them. The ability for them to trust us – complete strangers – is a huge honor.”
Dr. Pogo also saw a familiar face in his OR today as Luis returned for another trachea change. He first came to the Faith in Practice team in 2021 to have his trachea changed. Years before, Luis had been attacked and had his throat slit. The trachea put in place had made it hard for him to breathe and negatively affected his work on the family farm. Dr. Pogo and the team replaced it for the first time in 2021, and he comes back every year for the change. This procedure truly did change his life.
There are so many more stories to tell, and it’s only the first day of surgeries. Tomorrow morning, physicians will round on the patients from today before starting the next schedule of surgeries.
We are tired, but our spirits soar.
17 total surgeries performed today:
General surgery: Five surgeries
ENT: Seven surgeries
Urology: Five surgeries
Day 4 – Tuesday, October 3
Another early workout this morning to center and focus, but this morning’s daily devotional looked a bit different. I connected with, and was so inspired by, a patient yesterday that I asked Chaplin Liz if I could sing for the team. She graciously agreed, and I sang two verses of Amazing Grace. I was moved as I looked out at my teammates and saw the emotion on everyone’s faces. What a blessing for me to be able to give that to them just as they give that same feeling to our patients.
The patient who inspired me and many others yesterday is named Lesley. She is 28 years old and is a singer as well. She was singing to herself to help calm her nerves before being taken back to surgery to have some painful keloids removed from her chest. We chatted for a bit with the help of Jeff our translator, and I asked her if she would sing. She was a bit shy at first, but then sang a beautiful song for us.
She also told us she had seen a doctor previously, but she didn’t pray before the appointment, and they told her they couldn’t help her. She said she prayed for two days before this appointment and now she is being treated.
Translation of her words: “I pray for him to give me the knowledge, the experience and the wisdom in this. Whatever God permits. It is his will. I put myself in God’s hands.”
We watched her walk back to the operating room full of faith where Dr. Tabitha Ongstad, general surgeon at Aurora Medical Center in Kenosha, and her team got to work. I was in the room when they finished the surgery, and as soon as they were done, she cried out, “Dios te bendiga,” which translates to “God bless you.”
Lesley was all smiles when Dr. Ongstad checked on her this morning during rounds. The incision sites look good, and she will be discharged today. Unfortunately, due to some political protests, the road to her home is blocked so she will have to stay at the hospital a while longer. But she is in good spirits as we talk and sing together in the housing area.
Urology performed four transurethral resections of the prostate (TURP) today, a surgical procedure that involves cutting away a section of the prostate. When the prostate becomes enlarged, it can lead to decreased ability to urinate and cause urine to back up into the kidneys leading to infection. Dr. Adam Tierney, urologist at SSM Health, also did a lot of these procedures yesterday. He said while this procedure is common in the United States, it isn’t readily available here because they just don’t have the equipment.
“A man I treated yesterday has been out of work for three months because he requires a catheter due to his very enlarged prostate,” Dr. Tierney said. “He has no money to provide for his family. I can do this basic procedure, and he can get back to taking care of and feeding his family.”
General surgery was filled with hernia repairs. Another common procedure in the United States, but here we are seeing patients who have gone for ten years or more waiting for surgery. Tomorrow Dr. Ongstad and Dr. Tierney will team up to perform a surgery starting as a hernia repair and moving into the bladder.
It is humbling to see these people so grateful for surgeries that happen every day in the United States.
14 Total surgeries today:
ENT: 5 Surgeries
General Surgery: 5 Surgeries
Urology: 4 Surgeries
Day 5 – Wednesday, October 4
Chaplain Liz played Lady Gaga’s “Hold my Hand” at this morning’s reflection as a special request from Becky Meinholz, RN at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital - Madison.
“I chose that song because when patients are going to sleep, they’re scared,” Becky said. “And me holding their hand helps them. Even in this country, where I don’t speak the language, holding their hand makes a difference.”
That shows the power of human connection, and this trip is all about human connection. It is an honor to watch these healthcare providers from multiple organizations come together to work seamlessly in the care of the people of Guatemala. Each person a unique piece of a beautiful puzzle.
Dr. Tabitha Ongstad, Aurora Medical Center, and Dr. Adam Tierney, SSM Health, partnered together on a surgery today. The patient named Manuel originally presented to Dr. Tierney with a full catheter and inability to urinate, but after a full examination, Dr. Tierney discovered something that would take this case in another direction. Because general surgery and urology are anatomically close, Dr. Tierney consulted with Dr. Ongstad.
“When I did the exam, I found he had two very large fluid clutches in his scrotum,” Dr. Tierney said. “They were actually very large hernias. We did an ultrasound immediately and walked him over to general surgery."
The ultrasound showed Manuel’s abdominal contents had dropped into his scrotum. Dr. Tierney and Dr. Ongstad developed a plan for a joint surgery to separate the abdominal contents and push them back into the abdomen. The small blood vessels connected to the testicles adhered to the hernias and had to be dissected otherwise he would lose both of his testicles.
“Dr. Tierney made it far more efficient for me to identify the testicles and the blood supply to the testicles to get that dissected away from the hernia contents,” Dr. Ongstad said.
Drs. Tierney and Ongstad both acknowledge the incredible teamwork seen throughout the week saying we wouldn’t be able to do what we do without the entire team of nurses, surgical techs and anesthesiologists.
Teamwork isn’t just happening in the operating rooms; it flows into the PACU as well where Stephanie Shulman, a Nurse Practitioner at UW Health, is working with three nurses from SSM Health. They say with patient care as the common end goal, supporting each other and working together makes them a strong team.
“We all came into healthcare to care for humankind,” Stephanie said. “So, no matter where you come from, you share that foundation.”
Shannon Sullivan, RN at SSM Health St. Mary’s Hospital – Madison, said she agrees, and every year since she’s done this trip, the team easily becomes a cohesive group.
“The type of people who sign up to do these trips are generally outgoing and easy to work with,” Shannon said. “We have a shared passion for caring for people and that unites us almost instantly.”
Full team roster:
Dr. Matthew Pogodzinski, Otolaryngologist, SSM Health
Dr. Tabitha Ongstad, General Surgeon, Aurora
Dr. Adam Tierney, Urology, SSM Health
Dr. Brent Shulman, Anesthesiologist, SSM Health
Dr. Laura Hammel, Anesthesiologist, UW Health
Dr. Andy Dalley, Anesthesiologist, UW Health
Dr. Danielle Gindlesberger, Family Medicine, SSM Health
Stephanie Shullman, NP, UW Health
Krista Chin, Physicians Assistant, SSM Health
Lindsey Boucher, Anesthesia Assistant, Gunderson Hospital in Lacrosse
Becca Linskens, RN, SSM Health
Joe Boyd, RN, SSM Health
Amy Scarbalis, RN, St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago
Carrie Kruse, RN, SSM Health
Becky Meinholz, RN, SSM Health
Shannon Sullivan, RN, SSM Health
Kim Hinkle, RN, SSM Health
Lauren Mahun, RN, SSM Health
Paul Masciola, Surgery First Assist, St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago
Ellie Reel, Surgical Tech, SSM Health
Staci Rieder, Pharmacist, SSM Health
Jeff Early, Translator, Houston
Liz Allen, Chaplain, SSM Health
Shari Lau, Communications, SSM Health
Total surgeries today: 13
ENT (or ear-nose-throat): 6 surgeries
General Surgery: 5 Surgeries
Urology: 2 surgeries and 1 additional consultation and surgery added to tomorrow
Day 6 – Thursday, October 5
Faith In Practice
We are each a candle full of light, but when we join together, we light the night.
Today is our last day of surgery and our last day in Retalhuleu. Chaplain Liz started the devotional with a candle and asked us to pass it around and share our reflection of the past few days. Here are some below:
Staci, Pharmacist: “I am not usually in a hospital pharmacy, so I was completely out of my element, and I am thankful for this experience.
Joe, RN: This is my first trip, and I had a lot of anxiety in the weeks leading up to the trip, but it all vanished on the first day. This team is incredible.
Lydia, Faith in Practice: The highlight for me is seeing each of you everyday with a smile. I am very grateful and enjoy being with you every day.
At the hospital, the team got to work. The physicians started rounds to check on recovery, and the last round of surgeries began. Throughout the day, I asked people how they feel knowing this is the last day.
Krista, Physicians Assistant: This my second trip and they have both been very rewarding. We definitely had more cases this year.
Shannon, RN: It feels good. We came here and took care of the people we set out to help.
Dr. Tierney, Urology: When I was suturing my final patient, I took time to be in that moment. To reflect on the time here and savor this experience.
Becky, RN: It took a team. Half of us were strangers at the start of this trip, and we’re leaving here as family. It brings people together to help others.
After the final patient was taken to the patient recovery room, the team gathered, and we learned our plans for the next couple days had changed. Originally, the physicians would round early Friday morning before the team headed to Antigua where we would stay the night and fly out of Guatemala City on Saturday morning. Unfortunately, those same protests that had kept Lesley from her home, are blocking our way to Antigua. They have also prevented numerous patients from coming to the hospital to receive the care they need. Our new plan is to check out of the hotel at 2:30 am, board a bus and leave for Guatemala City at 3:00 am escorted by private security. Once at the hotel, we will not be permitted to leave.
We are disappointed in missing the day in Antigua, but we understand the situation, and our hearts and prayers go out to the people of Guatemala and their quest for justice and democracy.
The bus arrived at 4:30 pm to drive us back to our last night in Retalhuleu. As we walked out the door to the hospital for the last time, tears fell from my eyes. I will miss this team, the hospital staff, the Faith in Practice team and the people of Guatemala who opened their lives to us.
Total surgeries this week: 11
Urology: 2 surgeries
ENT: 4 surgeries
General Surgery: 5 surgeries
Day 7 – Friday, October 6
At 2:30 this morning, we received the news our bus was unable to get through the roadblocks, and it would be unable to reach us until later in the morning. We went back to sleep for a few more hours. At 6:00 am, we received the news ground travel would be impossible. Roadblocks have increased significantly overnight. The possibility of air travel to Guatemala City either by helicopter or two small airplanes is being checked on by the Faith in Practice team. As of 9:00 am, we have two options. Wait until Monday to take a bus to Guatemala City or air travel today and tomorrow. No decision has been made.
Faith in Practice has been amazing through all of this, and despite the obstacles we face, we know we are safe and in good hands.
NOTE: The team in Guatemala is safe and traveling back to Guatemala City on Friday, October 6. Additional stories from their time in Guatemala will be shared after their return trip home.
