PANOLA COLLEGE ADN STUDENTS AND FACULTY TRAVEL TO BELIZE 

Recently, twenty-two volunteers, including two nursing students and two nursing instructors from Panola College, traveled to the Toledo District in southern Belize, Central America, to provide health care to remote villagers.  Panola College students Kelli Washer, of Keithville LA and Shirley Kimbrell, of Kilgore TX and Associate Degree Nursing instructors Dr. Barbara Cordell and Dawn Johnson made the trek to Belize on the mission of mercy.   

The inhabitants of this region are the remnants of the Mayan Indian tribes, believed to be the original settlers of the region.  Many of the villages are accessible only by hiking along a footpath, and they have no running water or electricity.  Very little health care is available to the inhabitants, and these volunteers are often the only health care providers to come along each year.  This year the group saw 1042 patients in five days and took care of many serious infections and injuries.  In addition to acute care such as treating pain and disease and pulling teeth, the doctors, nurses, and dentists provided preventive health care such as vitamin therapy, health teaching, and teeth cleaning. 

 “I am proud of the impact our students are having not only here in east Texas, but around the globe”, said Dr. Powell, President of Panola College.  

Additional information about “Project Belize” is available at: http://www.panola.edu/instruction/adn/Belize/Belize.htm and at the Panola College Associate Degree Nursing Department, 903-694-4000.

Student Shirley Kimbrell and Dr. Cordell assess a young patient.

Kelli Washer teaches a group of children about health care in Belize.