Dear Friends of ALMC, The opening was fantastic! The Lord has brought this dream to fruition.
We held two major events in celebration. On Wednesday afternoon, we held a reception for the staff and community. It was really well attended by friends and community leaders. We knew the presidential visit would be so much protocol that there would be little chance for people to see anything around his visit. So we arranged tea and tours for a couple hundred people.
Consistently people were just amazed and we heard the phrase repeatedly that we are “redefining health care in Arusha!” We gathered then in the chapel for words of gratitude to our donors and to God. I’ll send my speech to you separately as many found it inspiring. The excitement in the community was palpable and their amazement that we are doing laparoscopic surgery and having an ICU really amazed many. Speeches were of thanksgiving. I gave special thanks to you our supporters, to the Bishop, to my mentors, Dave and Eunie Simonson, and to our architect John Kraft with giving them a picture of the Maasai mother and child. All were moved.
My hospital team then gave Linda special recognition for putting up with me and supporting me during these long years of struggle. Very nice of them for sure and very, very right.
Thursday, we woke to the announcement that the President would not be coming after all. Multiple rescheduling on his behalf and at the last moment he sends his vice president. It felt very anticlimactic in one way, but by this time, I think we were all just eager to get through the day and begin the business of providing health care.
When the VP arrived, he was received by a dozen of our bishops. The protocol is to sign the guest book and then unveil the dedication plaque. Then I took the VP and his entourage on the tour of the hospital. We had the Outpatient, Med/Peds Rooms, Maternity, Surgical Theatres, and ICU prepared for his visit. He was duly impressed and kept referring in his speech about how this is as fine as the hospitals he has visited in Germany and India. He reiterated my speech in saying that a hospital is nothing without quality staff.
Next the United States Ambassador spoke briefly and shared his belief that it was indeed our deep faith that had brought this into being. The Diocese dedicated a plaque in honor of our Jacobson Family for all the work we have done for health care in Tanzania.
Most incredible for me was the amazing work done by the whole staff to get this all ready! What teamwork and team building. To have the surgeons leading the way in moving furniture and cabinetry was really touching to me. We struggled with receiving our cabinetry and furniture only one week before the opening. We worked day and night to get the basics in, to hang the curtains, to prepare the rooms for the visit.
There is much final finishing to do yet but we are trying to take our first patients Monday afternoon. This will just be consultant appointments in our new OPD but we will have patients in the building! The management challenges continue but this is management for health care and I enjoy working on these details.
So we are in. It is a huge step forward. We still have far to go but we are moving at last. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement again in the midst of these great challenges.
Blessings, Mark
We held two major events in celebration. On Wednesday afternoon, we held a reception for the staff and community. It was really well attended by friends and community leaders. We knew the presidential visit would be so much protocol that there would be little chance for people to see anything around his visit. So we arranged tea and tours for a couple hundred people.
Consistently people were just amazed and we heard the phrase repeatedly that we are “redefining health care in Arusha!” We gathered then in the chapel for words of gratitude to our donors and to God. I’ll send my speech to you separately as many found it inspiring. The excitement in the community was palpable and their amazement that we are doing laparoscopic surgery and having an ICU really amazed many. Speeches were of thanksgiving. I gave special thanks to you our supporters, to the Bishop, to my mentors, Dave and Eunie Simonson, and to our architect John Kraft with giving them a picture of the Maasai mother and child. All were moved.
My hospital team then gave Linda special recognition for putting up with me and supporting me during these long years of struggle. Very nice of them for sure and very, very right. Thursday, we woke to the announcement that the President would not be coming after all. Multiple rescheduling on his behalf and at the last moment he sends his vice president. It felt very anticlimactic in one way, but by this time, I think we were all just eager to get through the day and begin the business of providing health care.
When the VP arrived, he was received by a dozen of our bishops. The protocol is to sign the guest book and then unveil the dedication plaque. Then I took the VP and his entourage on the tour of the hospital. We had the Outpatient, Med/Peds Rooms, Maternity, Surgical Theatres, and ICU prepared for his visit. He was duly impressed and kept referring in his speech about how this is as fine as the hospitals he has visited in Germany and India. He reiterated my speech in saying that a hospital is nothing without quality staff.
Next the United States Ambassador spoke briefly and shared his belief that it was indeed our deep faith that had brought this into being. The Diocese dedicated a plaque in honor of our Jacobson Family for all the work we have done for health care in Tanzania.Most incredible for me was the amazing work done by the whole staff to get this all ready! What teamwork and team building. To have the surgeons leading the way in moving furniture and cabinetry was really touching to me. We struggled with receiving our cabinetry and furniture only one week before the opening. We worked day and night to get the basics in, to hang the curtains, to prepare the rooms for the visit.
There is much final finishing to do yet but we are trying to take our first patients Monday afternoon. This will just be consultant appointments in our new OPD but we will have patients in the building! The management challenges continue but this is management for health care and I enjoy working on these details.So we are in. It is a huge step forward. We still have far to go but we are moving at last. Thank you all for your prayers and encouragement again in the midst of these great challenges.
Blessings, Mark
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