Five years ago, I joined the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Global Health Center in an administrative role. While I have interacted with several colleagues from the Center’s partner sites, it wasn’t until this past June that I had the opportunity to join CHOP’s Global Health Allies team on my first global health work week in the Dominican Republic. I’m so thankful for the opportunity, and I feel honored to have been selected to join the team of eight Global Health Allies who participated in this visit, including Mariam Faiz-Nassar, Pediatrician at CHOP Chestnut Hill, Vanesa Karamarian, Program Director for the Healthier Together Initiative, Mark Malczynski, a Physical Therapist, Cristina Morganheira, an Occupational Therapist, Rebecca Nymick, a Child Life Specialist, Marissa Olson, a Program Coordinator with the Global Health Center, and Anabel Fernández, Program Manager with the Global Health Center.
Personal Connections
Participating in the Global Health Allies Program in the Dominican Republic (DR) held even more meaning for me because my husband was born and raised there. His family lived in a housing community for sugar cane plantation workers in San Pedro de Macorís. The plantation, “Ingenio Santa Fe,” is about a 15-minute drive from Consuelo, where CHOP and the Centro de Salud Divina Providencia (Divine Providence Health Center; CSDP) partner to provide quality primary care to children and families. My father-in-law worked on the rail lines transporting the sugar cane from the plantation to the processing factory, and my husband has fond memories of his childhood, including running into the factory as a boy and getting fresh sugar from the workers there, who all knew him and his friends.
Background on the Program
The DR is home to about 11.3 million people, and Consuelo, a small rural town in the Eastern region of the DR, has a population of approximately 60,000. Although the DR is an upper-middle-income country, comprehensive healthcare access is often out of reach for poorer communities like those in Consuelo. Despite having about 20.3 medical doctors per 10,000 people, this ratio is still below the WHO recommendation. Therefore, Community Health Promoter programs like the one facilitated by CHOP and CSDP for the Niños Primeros en Salud (NPS) or Kids First in Health Program are incredibly vital to the community – enabling children in Consuelo to have ready access to the clinic and the health services offered there. Continuing education for the Consuelo health promoters is a critical ingredient to ensure that the program thrives. By equipping health promoters with up-to-date knowledge and skills, they are further empowered to serve as effective bridges between the clinic and the community, enhancing the reach and impact of health services for children and families in need. The Allies program is expertly co-led by Anabel Fernandez (CHOP Global Health) and Ramona Cordero, RN (lead community nurse of the NPS program).
A Day in the Life of a Global Health Allies team member
We spent several months developing the training materials leading up to the visit. We also collected over 150 Spanish-language children’s books, which we donated to the NPS clinic team to be distributed to children during their routine clinic visits.
During the Global Health Allies week, we would start our days in the clinic with a morning huddle and prayer, and then, we would head over to a nearby training space, where we held educational sessions every morning. We focused on different topics related to early childhood development (hearing, vision, cognitive, social, emotional, gross, and fine motor development). In the afternoons, we would visit a different ‘barrio’ or neighborhood and hold community health fairs. During the fairs, families could receive height, weight, blood pressure checks, and fluoride applications. Additionally, toothbrushes and toothpaste were distributed. We saw almost 1,000 participants over the course of one week.
Returning with a Sense of Purpose and Fulfillment
One of the things that stuck out to me about the Allies experience was how kind and welcoming the whole community was to us. In the US, I am used to people always being in a hurry, trying to avoid making eye contact on the street, and definitely not striking up a conversation with a stranger. Whereas in Consuelo, everyone had a welcoming smile. I returned to the US feeling completely refreshed and inspired by my work. I now have a deep sense of WHY I do what I do every day. I can still see the small faces of the children at the community fairs and their happy smiles. I have a greater appreciation for my life in the US, but I was also reminded that kindness, graciousness, and hospitality are not tied to financial means or resources, as shown to me by the families and colleagues I met in the DR. Before participating in the Allies program, I did not fully understand why expanding my perspective was so valuable until my perspective shifted. If you feel disconnected from the purpose of your work, I encourage you to try something new that allows you to help, learn from, and serve others, like participating in the Global Health Allies Program. While a one-week program may feel like a small investment of time, it will pay dividends in renewing your sense of purpose and fulfillment.
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Five years ago, I joined the Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP) Global Health Center in an administrative role. While I have interacted with several colleagues from the Center’s partner sites, it wasn’t until this past June that I had the opportunity to join CHOP’s Global Health Allies team on my first global health work week in the Dominican Republic. I’m so thankful for the opportunity, and I feel honored to have been selected to join the team of eight Global Health Allies who participated in this visit, including Mariam Faiz-Nassar, Pediatrician at CHOP Chestnut Hill, Vanesa Karamarian, Program Director for the Healthier Together Initiative, Mark Malczynski, a Physical Therapist, Cristina Morganheira, an Occupational Therapist, Rebecca Nymick, a Child Life Specialist, Marissa Olson, a Program Coordinator with the Global Health Center, and Anabel Fernández, Program Manager with the Global Health Center.
Personal Connections
Participating in the Global Health Allies Program in the Dominican Republic (DR) held even more meaning for me because my husband was born and raised there. His family lived in a housing community for sugar cane plantation workers in San Pedro de Macorís. The plantation, “Ingenio Santa Fe,” is about a 15-minute drive from Consuelo, where CHOP and the Centro de Salud Divina Providencia (Divine Providence Health Center; CSDP) partner to provide quality primary care to children and families. My father-in-law worked on the rail lines transporting the sugar cane from the plantation to the processing factory, and my husband has fond memories of his childhood, including running into the factory as a boy and getting fresh sugar from the workers there, who all knew him and his friends.
Background on the Program
The DR is home to about 11.3 million people, and Consuelo, a small rural town in the Eastern region of the DR, has a population of approximately 60,000. Although the DR is an upper-middle-income country, comprehensive healthcare access is often out of reach for poorer communities like those in Consuelo. Despite having about 20.3 medical doctors per 10,000 people, this ratio is still below the WHO recommendation. Therefore, Community Health Promoter programs like the one facilitated by CHOP and CSDP for the Niños Primeros en Salud (NPS) or Kids First in Health Program are incredibly vital to the community – enabling children in Consuelo to have ready access to the clinic and the health services offered there. Continuing education for the Consuelo health promoters is a critical ingredient to ensure that the program thrives. By equipping health promoters with up-to-date knowledge and skills, they are further empowered to serve as effective bridges between the clinic and the community, enhancing the reach and impact of health services for children and families in need. The Allies program is expertly co-led by Anabel Fernandez (CHOP Global Health) and Ramona Cordero, RN (lead community nurse of the NPS program).
A Day in the Life of a Global Health Allies team member
We spent several months developing the training materials leading up to the visit. We also collected over 150 Spanish-language children’s books, which we donated to the NPS clinic team to be distributed to children during their routine clinic visits.
During the Global Health Allies week, we would start our days in the clinic with a morning huddle and prayer, and then, we would head over to a nearby training space, where we held educational sessions every morning. We focused on different topics related to early childhood development (hearing, vision, cognitive, social, emotional, gross, and fine motor development). In the afternoons, we would visit a different ‘barrio’ or neighborhood and hold community health fairs. During the fairs, families could receive height, weight, blood pressure checks, and fluoride applications. Additionally, toothbrushes and toothpaste were distributed. We saw almost 1,000 participants over the course of one week.
Returning with a Sense of Purpose and Fulfillment
One of the things that stuck out to me about the Allies experience was how kind and welcoming the whole community was to us. In the US, I am used to people always being in a hurry, trying to avoid making eye contact on the street, and definitely not striking up a conversation with a stranger. Whereas in Consuelo, everyone had a welcoming smile. I returned to the US feeling completely refreshed and inspired by my work. I now have a deep sense of WHY I do what I do every day. I can still see the small faces of the children at the community fairs and their happy smiles. I have a greater appreciation for my life in the US, but I was also reminded that kindness, graciousness, and hospitality are not tied to financial means or resources, as shown to me by the families and colleagues I met in the DR. Before participating in the Allies program, I did not fully understand why expanding my perspective was so valuable until my perspective shifted. If you feel disconnected from the purpose of your work, I encourage you to try something new that allows you to help, learn from, and serve others, like participating in the Global Health Allies Program. While a one-week program may feel like a small investment of time, it will pay dividends in renewing your sense of purpose and fulfillment.
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