Improving Women’s Health in the Dominican Republic
Today, two community clinics developed by the program provide over 70,000 women and children with high quality health care.
March 7, 2012
Project HOPE began the Maternal Child Health Clinic Program in the Dominican Republic in 2002 in partnership with the Order of Malta. Today, two community clinics developed by the program provide over 70,000 women and children with high quality health care.
The goal of the program is to establish financially sustainable clinics that care for underserved populations by providing high quality and low cost services for women and children. Through this program:
- Health care worker skills are updated
- Clinic services are supported with donations of medicines and medical supplies
- Community outreach events support prevention and awareness efforts
For the women of Monte Plata, the clinic provides a safe, organized, clean and expertly run health facility to access the best medical care for themselves and their children.
At the clinic, when a first-time patient registers, all the pertinent information, including insurance provider, is collected and a manually-maintained patient record is opened. A nurse takes the family/patient health history prior to the patient meeting with the specialist. If required, laboratory tests or sonograms are ordered and prescribed medicines are picked up at the pharmacy.
The final stop for each patient is the Community Health office, where the clinic staff provides a more detailed discussion of how to consume or administer the prescriptions.
Patient care, satisfaction and responsibility are valued at the clinic. Patients are recognized for their participation in their health care and for practicing good health habits through the 5-Star Program which publically rewards pregnant women who attend all prenatal checkups with gift baskets, filled with donated necessities for newborn care.