Description:

We feel called to share the love of Jesus through caring for the health and healing of underserved populations. Thanks to committed and compassionate volunteers, Threefold Ministries is able to provide medical and dental attention to several identified communities and hundreds of people every year who have little access to healthcare. Our medical ministry is dedicated to ensuring the patients we serve feel listened to, valued, and receive quality medical attention. We provide continuity of care to our patients through follow-up care and frequent clinics. These clinics are only possible through dedicated volunteers.

What makes up a medical/dental team?

Dentists, doctors, medical assistants, nurses, and pharmacists. Don't have any medical training? We also need volunteers to help facilitate the logistics of the clinics through registering patients, filing patient records, helping in the pharmacy, directing patients through the flow of the clinic, electronic data entry, among other important duties to execute the clinics.

Where are the clinics held?

Threefold's base of operations in Nicaragua is located at the Skylark Retreat Centre in San Marcos, Carazo. Clinics are hosted on-site at Skylark in the medical building. Eight individual clinics are set-up to receive patients with a pharmacy in the back of the building. Patients come from the local community and are bussed in from other identified communities who have limited access to healthcare.

How do clinics run?

Patients are identified either through past clinics in which they were noted to receive further attention and through trusted community leaders.
The first half of the day’s patients arrive at 8:00am. All patients go to a waiting area next to the clinics where they are given a welcome and a brief explanation as to how the clinics flow.
Patients go through registration in groups where their old charts are found if they have come to the clinic before, receive a new chart, and then have their vital signs taken.
Patients are tri-aged if necessary.
Patients go to their consult.
Patients return to the waiting area to be called to receive their medicine, health kit, and receive counseling on how to take medicines.
Health education is provided to the patients in the waiting area
Each patient chart is entered into an electronic data base after they have had their prescriptions filled.
At mid-day the patients return home and the team prepares for the afternoon group.
Repeat.

What do the clinics focus on?

Dental and general medicine are the two largest areas in which we provide medical attention. Diabetes, hypertension, parasite infections, and respiratory problems are some of the most common issues that patients struggle with. We have also provided and hope to continue to provide specialty care such as attention to women's health through gynecologist consults and PAP smears. At each clinic a workshop on healthy living is provided to the patients in a context that makes sense with their daily life.

What happens after the team leaves?

Threefold values making sure that patients get the attention they need. On each patient's medical chart there is a place for the attending physican to write-in necessary follow-up needed for the patient such as blood work, ultrasounds, x-rays, consults with specialists, etc... We ensure these patients receive the attention needed as identified by the physician and get a follow-up consult with a local internist to interpret the exam results and instruct the patient on next steps. Our staff walks alongside each of these identified patients to ensure these patients understand their health conditions, personal health habits that can improve their condition, and how they need to proceed after they complete follow-up. We have seen lives saved through the follow-up process and made many new friends along the way!

Organizational Base: Waterloo, ON

Other Programs: Construction, dental, evangelism