Helping or Hurting? Volunteering with Positive Impact​ | Dr. Jeannine Hatt | TEDxAustin College

Pediatrician Dr. Jeannine Hatt of Denison, Texas, reflects on how volunteer medical work can be more effective than it first appears. Prompted by a troubling situation, she became involved in international volunteer medicine, mainly supporting services and education at Grace Children's Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, since 1990. The talk, given at a TEDxAustin College event, looks at why people volunteer and how good intentions do not always produce the help that was expected. Hatt describes learning to make a real difference as a volunteer.

• Motivations for volunteering abroad in medicine
• Why good intentions do not always lead to the most helpful outcome
• Hatt's work with Grace Children's Hospital in Haiti since 1990
• Lessons on making a lasting difference as a volunteer

Have you ever learned of a troubling situation that made you think, “I need to do something about that?” Jeannine had one of those moments, and it prompted her to get involved in international volunteer medical work. After some introspection, she drew some conclusions on why she wanted to get involved and, when the opportunity arose, jumped in to serve. It did not take many trips to realize that the “something” she was doing was not necessarily the best or most helpful thing that could be done. That is when her eyes were really opened, and she started to learn how to really make a difference as a volunteer, and how the effect of helping others is not always what we’d assume. Jeannine is a pediatrician in Denison, Texas, and has over 45 years of experience in the medical field. She earned a bachelor’s degree from Austin College in 1972 and received a medical degree from the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston. Jeannine specialized in pediatric medicine and trained at the Bowman Gray Center for Medical Education’s North Carolina Baptist Hospital. She has been involved in international medical volunteer activities since 1990, working mostly in support of services and education at Grace Children’s Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti. Global health and community service are important to Jeannine, and she volunteers in support of many organizations including the American Academy of Pediatrics' Section on Global Health, the Child & Family Guidance Center of Texoma, the health advisory committee for Denison ISD, and the Board of Directors of the Texoma Community Foundation. Jeannine is also a member of the Austin College Board of Trustees. This talk was given at a TEDx event using the TED conference format but independently organized by a local community. Learn more at https://www.ted.com/tedx