Volunteer Spotlight: Dr. Gerard Tiffault

Dr. Tiffault volunteers with the ultrasound training program team at Konbit Sante. He has also donated multiple medical supplies from local free-standing emergency medical centers in his city in Texas to Konbit Sante.

He graduated from the University of Maryland with a degree in Microbiology. Thereafter, he attended medical school at New York University on an Army Medical Scholarship. Upon graduation in 1996, Dr. Tiffault decided to pay back his time as a general practitioner for five years in the military. After completion, he trained at Thomas Jefferson University Hospital in emergency medicine. At the end of that assignment, he served in Iraq, on active duty, for several months. Upon return from Iraq, he practiced emergency medicine in the community, and thereafter, he began his annual trips to Haiti as a volunteer for Project Medishare and Partners in Health.

Dr. Tiffault’s parents are from Port-au-Prince, Haiti, and that is what drew him to the country. He indicated, “I have been to Haiti many times. I have been blessed to do God’s work as a physician. I feel even more blessed that I can share that knowledge with young healthcare workers in Haiti who are a part of the solution to make a sustainable healthcare system.”

Dr. Tiffault became involved with Konbit Sante through our current Executive Director, Rupal Shah. They both worked at Hôpital Universitaire de Mirebalais several years ago. By keeping in touch, he got involved with Konbit Sante when Rupal wanted to launch an ultrasound training program in hospitals and clinics in Cap-Haitien. He stated, “What drew me to the organization is the organization’s mission to build a sustainable healthcare system in Northern Haiti. Some organizations provide services for a limited amount of time without taking the approach to make a program or project sustainable.”

Several statements on our website are meaningful to Dr. Tiffault. He appreciates Konbit Sante’s approach to promote a ‘pull’ system in which specific needed resources are identified and sought, rather than a ‘push’ system in which resources are provided regardless of need. He stated, “I have learned that the way I do things or evaluate issues is not always suitable for Haitians. Haitians understand what resources and processes are needed and what will work for them. They are open to strategies and resources that will fulfill those needs. Therefore, it’s important to listen to them and develop collaborative processes.”

We are fortunate to have volunteers like Dr. Tiffault who work hard to uphold our values and collaborate with our healthcare partners and champions in Haiti. We look forward to our continued work together.