Statements

Mission

Visitation Hospital Foundation provides competent and compassionate healthcare to the people of southwest Haiti and empowers them with the resources to pursue their basic right to health and health education.

Background

Visitation Hospital Foundation completed construction on the Visitation Clinic in January 2008. Our building is an outpatient medical center in a very rural and under-served area of over 400,000 people in Haiti.

Impact

Since opening in 2008, Visitation Clinic has provided healthcare to the people in a large impoverished rural region in Haiti. With over 300,000 patient cases, we have had a major beneficial impact on region. We treat all patients, regardless of age, income, residence or religion. Over 75% of our patients are women and children. Our primary care program covers all types of diseases including infectious and chronic illness, as well as trauma, maternity care, preventative care and healthcare education. In addition, we sponsor public health programs including water purification, education programs, nutrition supplements, and emergency transportation. In Haiti, it is customary to give birth at home with a 'matron' (midwife). However, as infant and maternal death rate remains high, in 2015 we began a 'Masters Midwife' program for matrons in the community, providing in-depth medical training. Though it was not initially part of our program, because of the camaraderie and friendships developed, our Masters Midwives still convene monthly at the Clinic for continuing education from our doctors. The program widened the awareness of Visitation's availability for supplements, prenatal care and safe-physician supervised deliveries. The number of prenatal visits and deliveries are three times what they were three years ago and the number of overall patients has grown tremendously as our mothers encourage all their family members and relatives to visit the Clinic for medical care.

Needs

Visitation Hospital Foundation is exploring a multi-year expanded service initiative. This will encompass the construction of a second wing to the Clinic adding a surgical suite, emergency care area and a labor & delivery suite. New medical equipment would be required in each room of the expansion. This expansion, accommodating an increased number of patients and doctors, would make it necessary to expand the sleeping quarters for both staff members and medical mission team members, the kitchen and storage areas. We are always in need of funds for general operating along with updated medical equipment and supplies.

CEO Statement

In a country that seems beset with misfortune, there are still some good news stories coming from Haiti. Visitation Clinic is being recognized as one of them. Since opening in 2008 we have striven to provide competent and compassionate health care to one of Haiti's most under-served and impoverished rural departments. For the first time in many patients' lives, they have had access to quality healthcare regardless of their income. They have come to our doors over 300,000 times and the result has been a dramatic improvement in the health, hope and well-being of the entire region. There are two parts to this success story. The primary one is our qualified and caring all-Haitian staff. The second is that they do not draw boundaries around their work. They are committed to doing what is necessary for every patient. This extends to a wide range of community outreach programs that include health care education; clean water programs; radio broadcasts on health issues; working with the government in responding to emergencies such as cholera; and even to experimenting with gardening and agricultural projects. Finally, they welcome and host numerous visiting medical teams from outside Haiti throughout the year. This year we have volunteers scheduled for pediatric dentistry, adult dentistry, and other general services. Our teams visit the clinic from all over the US. These visiting teams interact and collaborate with their Haitian medical peers resulting in a natural, organic exchange of ideas and realistic practices. Even as our reputation grows in Haiti so do the needs of the patients who come to our doors. Almost every day we see patients in need of care that we cannot now provide. It may be surgical intervention, trauma care, inpatient care of obstetrics services. Currently, we have little choice but to refer these patients to an overcrowded and understaffed government hospital in the nearest city. The outcome is not always good, and our community leaders are pleading with us to expand our services to avoid this. In 2012 and 2013, we planned a multi-year expanded service initiative (MESI) to avoid just this. One of our major challenges will now be to execute this in conformance with recent information on the high-risk seismic (that relates to the movement of the earth during an earthquake) zone that we serve. Fortunately, volunteers are already stepping forward from the architectural and engineering community to assist with this. Sometimes in Haiti a little hope and a little support can have a tremendous impact.

Board Chair Statement

Over the past several years we have seen the Visitation Clinic grow and flourish offering the finest professional and compassionate care for all those who grace the Clinic doors. We are grateful for an all-Haitian staff who realize that our patients are individuals with their own specific needs. We are blessed by the many partners and staff who make this a reality. However, our needs continue to grow and we are always in search of volunteers and donors who are interested in a making a difference in the lives of those we see at Visitation Hospital Foundation. If you are a nurse or Board certified physician and would like to join us on a medical mission, we welcome you. However, there are many ways to help by volunteering, hosting fundraisers, and by giving. The needs are great, but we are the hands and heart for serving the poor. We do hope you will continue to support our efforts to serve the people of Haiti.

Service Categories
Primary Category:	Health Care  - Hospitals
Secondary Category:	Human Services  - Pregnancy Centers
Tertiary Category:	International, Foreign Affairs, and National Security  - International Relief

Areas Served

We serve a region, the Nippes Department in Haiti, with approximately 400,000 children and adults. However we have recently found that a good number of our patients are traveling from other more distant regions to our Clinic. The Nippes department is a rural, under-served area where the median family income is less than one dollar per day. Our clinic has gained a reputation for offering compassionate and professional care, so many patients come for this special treatment.

International