Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Courtyard by Dror Yaron

GigapanMagazine.org  vol 3 issue 4

Inspired by friend and mentor, Dr. Albert Schweitzer, Gwen Grant Mellon and her husband, Dr. Larimer Mellon opened Hôpital Albert Schweitzer Haiti (HAS) in Deschapelles, Haiti in 1956. After 55 years, HAS Haiti is a perpetual swirl of activity: a fully integrated health system, devoted to prevention as well as cure.

Since 1956, the HAS courtyard has served as the central gathering place for patients, families and other visitors. It is the first glimpse of the Hospital as you come down the main driveway. Words on the outside of the hospital remind all of Dr. Schweitzer’s philosophy: “Reverence pour la Vie,” or “Reverence for life.” The hospital remains committed to the philosophy of Dr. Albert Schweitzer as well as to the objectives of its founders: “To collaborate with the people of the Artibonite Valley, Haiti as they strive to improve their health and quality of life.”