About Us

OUR VISION

A world in which every human life is valued and quality health services and dental care are available to all.

Health is not just an absence of disease. It is a state of emotional, physical, mental, and spiritual well-being, and it is a fundamental human right. What we are trying to promote in the pastoral work of the parish are healthy individuals through education, religion and medical care. The clinic work is one part of this overarching goal for the Church mission as a whole. The Mission Team (priest, sisters, catechists) are working on spiritual health, and the Clinic (medical and dental professionals, staff) is working on physical and mental health.

OUR MISSION

 

Rooted in the healing ministry of Jesus Christ, and open to all needy persons, the Mission Clinic works to provide quality sustainable health and dental care to those people who live in the “Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe” in Zamora-Chinchipe Province and to the other underserved citizens of southern Ecuador.

OUR GOALS

Brigade 2012

Goal 1: Provide quality basic health services

 

  • Staff the clinic at all times with at least one licensed primary care health professional volunteer.
  • Welcome providers of all creeds who are of good character and respectful of local customs and traditions.
  • Expect volunteers to abide by Catholic Doctrine as far as abortion, euthanasia and natural family planning is concerned.
  • Assure that the health care providers have knowledge of medical and conversational Spanish.
  • Expect all physicians and other professionals to acquire familiarity with the endemic illnesses, the social needs of the community, and the available clinic and community resources, and to be willing to collaborate as necessary with local medical and public health care personnel.
  • Maintain a supply of affordable medication in the pharmacy according to World Health Organization guidelines, supplemented by those suited to the particular needs of the populace.
  • Encourage specialty medical teams to come to rural Ecuador.
  • Include specialty care in the areas of General Surgery, Ophthalmology, Otolaryngology, Gastroenterology, Gynecology, and others as deemed necessary by the full time staff at the mission clinic.

Goal 2: Provide quality basic dental care

 

  • Staff the clinic with at least one licensed primary care dentist volunteer, one dental technician and one dental hygienist.
  • Welcome dental providers of all creeds who are of good character and respectful of local customs and traditions.
  • Assure that the dentists, technicians and assistants have basic knowledge of medical and conversational Spanish.
  • Assure that patients are able to obtain affordable fitted partial dentures.
  • Ensure dental practice needs are appropriate to the available resources of the clinic, and maximize the benefit to the greatest number of the patients needing to be seen.
  • Supply the Clinic adequately to ensure the quality of dental services.

Goal 3: Provide sustainable and affordable health and dental care

 

  • Staff the clinic with a long-term physician and a long-term dentist.
  • Utilize short-term volunteers to supplement and augment their care, including providing necessary specialty services.
  • Maintain a fund to subsidize costs of those patients not able to pay for treatment.
  • Staff the clinic where possible with volunteer professional staff, hiring individuals to provide services only when essential.
  • Solicit donations of up to date medications, equipment, and supplies.

Goal 4: Provide eyeglasses to those who need vision correction

 

  • Maintain a donated supply of corrective eyeglasses.
  • Have a staff member trained to measure visual acuity and to fit patients for corrective eyeglasses.

Goal 5: Provide health education

 

  • Maintain a supply of written information to give to patients.
  • Staff the clinic with a person designated to teach health education.
  • Hold periodic health maintenance and disease management classes on the premises and in the villages of the community.
  • Utilize mass media to promote a healthy lifestyle and publicize the mission clinic.
  • Coordinate with village leaders, local physicians and government health centers to most efficiently promote good health practice.

Goal 6:
Provide basic care to those people who are unable to travel to Guadalupe

 

  • Visit regularly each of the villages of the “Parroquia Nuestra Señora de Guadalupe” with a physician and dentist.
  • Supply periodically nurses, physicians, dentists, health education volunteers, and medication to mobile clinics that will visit other villages in the Zamora-Chinchipe Province and neighboring venues.
  • Provide outreach and supportive services to home bound patients, coordinating with the nuns and public health nurses.

Goal 7: Serve as a model of compassionate care

 

  • Volunteers are encouraged to participate in community activities.
  • Volunteers should always be respectful of other people.
  • Volunteers should endeavor to provide the best possible care.
  • Volunteers need to be sensitive to cultural and economic issues.
  • Volunteers need to behave and dress in a professional manner.
  • Volunteers need to be available to care for the patients during clinic hours.
  • Volunteers should serve as role models to local physicians, promoting quality care to all persons regardless of race, income, or social status.