Hannah’s Heroes: Swain family’s faith-based clinic in Haiti delivers year-round care

While many people use their vacation time to unwind, Dr. Steven Swain and his wife, Katie, spend much of their time traveling to serve patients thousands of miles away through a faith-based medical clinic in Balan, Haiti, one of the country’s most underserved communities.

For Steven Swain, the work traces back to a medical mission trip to Africa in 2009 that reshaped his perspective and set him on a long-term path of service.

A few years later, he met Katie on another mission trip and together, they have expanded her nonprofit into Brown Horse Projects. In 2019, they opened the Brown Horse Project Medical Clinic in Balan.

“I saw poverty like I’d never seen before, but also among people who were so kind and loving and appreciative of us being there, very hospitable, and it was just really convicting,” Katie Swain said.

While Dr. Swain, who doubles as the director of the Family Medicine Residency Program at East Liverpool City Hospital, uses much of his free time to lead medical mission trips and recruit fellow physicians, Katie keeps the ministry running all year round.

Today, the clinic provides affordable healthcare to people who once had few, if any local options.

Patients pay only a small fee that covers their doctor’s visit, lab work and medication. Prayer with the clinic’s pastors is also available.

In 2025, the clinic cared for more than 20,000 patients for everything from chronic illnesses like diabetes and high blood pressure to infectious diseases caused by unsafe water and poor sanitation.

“But here in Haiti is really hard. One physician for about two or three thousand people,” said Dr. Pierre Roosevelt, the clinic director at BHP Medical Clinic Haiti.

What began as a mobile clinic has grown into a permanent medical center staffed by 18 Haitians, including doctors, nurses, pastors, community health workers and support staff. Those workers travel daily to surrounding villages to provide medical advice, education and health screenings.

“As you know some people can’t make it because their life literally depends on them working that day to make money, so that they’re able to eat. So we send out people to go to the communities to deliver some of the health messages that we’re delivering in the clinic,” Steven Swain said.

Political violence has kept Steven Swain from returning to Haiti since 2021, but the clinic has continued operating. Katie Swain stays in daily contact with staff through WhatsApp, and Steven Swain provides advice through video calls and mission trips to the Dominican Republic. The couple plans to return to Haiti this year.

“They can be in a very tough position and feel like they might be forgotten. And so I think doing mission work lets people know, no matter what circumstances they’re in, they’re not forgotten,” Katie Swain said.

The ministry operates on nearly half a million dollars a year and is funded entirely through donations and community fundraisers.

“When they come, they say, doctor, ‘I don’t have money,’ no problem. Doctor, ‘I do not have money for that,’ there’s no problem, you know. But all those support is from the Swain family,” Roosevelt said.

Roosevelt said the Swains have become part of the community they serve.

“I’m very proud to work alongside them, as Haitian. They are American but its no different when we are together. They treat me with respect, and me the same,” he said.

Steven Swain is preparing for his 20th mission trip this August. He said the work has changed him as much as it has helped others.

“I’ll tell you, you know, you go on mission trips and you think that you’re going to go to help people and change the world down there in Haiti and you do provide help. But really what ends up happening is it really changes your heart usually more than I would assume that it changes those people because it just really…touches you and reminds you of how blessed you are to live here in the United States,” Swain said.

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