Description:

Primary care is the heart of the work that happens at the hospital and throughout SBHF's work in Southern Haiti. Many people in Haiti who suffer from chronic illnesses or a sudden illness or injury are unable to get care when they need it. At St. Boniface Hospital these services are available to all who need them, every day, regardless of their ability to pay.

Villa Clinic

The Saint Boniface Haiti Foundation’s satellite clinic in Villa provides a permanent station for high quality care an otherwise isolated section of Southern Haiti.

The town of Villa lies high in the mountains about an hour's drive east of St. Boniface Hospital. The trip there is rough, and when the rains come it is often cut off for hours or days, until the rivers subside enough for vehicles to ford them again. There are a few small health clinics in the area, but most are rarely stocked with supplies and have very little capacity to treat patients. The Villa Clinic is the one health facility that ensures that all patients who come there can receive the care they need, and its relationship with St. Boniface Hospital ensures that those who need more intensive or specialized care can be transferred to the hospital while maintaining a continum of care.

The old Villa Clinic was damaged beyond repair in the 2010 Earthquake. With assistance from the Spanish Red Cross, SBHF built a new clinic in the Southeast Department that now serves over 1,100 patients per month. The clinic's operations are funded, in part, by the Dover Church in Dover, MA and St. Agnes Parish of Reading, Ma.

There are two permanent nurses and one permanent doctor at the clinic, and someone is on call 24/7/365. Along with the clinic's pharmacist, lab technician, and visiting nurses and resident doctors from St. Boniface, they are the most trusted healthcare provider in a large and extremely remote area.

Non-Infectious Diseases

Though infectious diseases like tuberculosis and cholera often make the headlines, noncommunicable diseases (NCDs) pose serious threats to Haitian communities. By 2030, NCDs are expected to be leading cause of death in most low-income countries.

Volunteering

SBHF occaisionally needs experienced medical professionals to volunteer on a short term basis for training and specialty skills. Those positions will be posted here as needed. However, because our mission is to help build the longterm sustainability of the Haitian medical system, 98% of our staff is Haitian and we prioritize hiring well-trained Haitian medical professionals for all positions at the hospital.

Organizational Base: Newton Upper Falls, Massachusetts