Global Scholars Projects: Pascale Yola Heurtelou Gassant, MD, MSc

About the Global Scholars Project

In 2020, more than 650 chemotherapy treatments were performed at Saint Damien Hospital, the only center in Haiti with a dedicated pediatric oncology unit. However, the lack of national policies, standardized protocols and appropriate institutional procedures exposed children to high risks. In 2021, 11% of health care-associated infections were related to chemotherapy, up from 10% in 2020. These infections are mainly linked to cytostatic preparation carried out on the oncology ward. 

After this finding, Saint Damien Hospital launched a two-year quality improvement project to optimize the process of preparation and administration of cytotoxic drugs and to establish best practices for the administration of chemotherapy. 

Centralizing preparation of these drugs in the pharmacy increased compliance with international standards from less than 10% to an average well above the 76% target. During 72 weeks of follow-up, the average compliance rate was 98%, and no infections related to the preparations were reported. This project provides a model that can be adapted for use in other clinical services and integrated into national and international discussions on the safety of care in resource-limited settings.

Project Assets

Fishbone

Logic Model

About the Scholar

Pascale Yola Heurtelou Gassant originally dreamed of working as an agronomist, someone who studies the science and technology of agriculture. However, she won a scholarship for medicine, and her path was set. She earned her Doctor of Medicine degree and later earned a degree in pediatrics from Carlos J. Finlay University of Medical Sciences, Camagüey in Cuba. 

After returning home to Haiti in 2002, Heurtelou Gassant worked in a remote area for a year before relocating to Port-au-Prince. There, she obtained a position at Saint Damien Hospital. She started as a general pediatrician and then trained herself in order to work in the oncology unit. She worked there for the next six years and ultimately served as the head of the pediatric oncology department. She is a founding member of the Haitian Childhood Cancer Foundation. 

Since 2022, Heurtelou Gassant has been the director of Saint Damien Pediatric Hospital, one of Haiti’s pediatric referral hospitals, where she leads the hospital’s clinical, administrative and strategic work.