Infante Sano Hosts Hospital Inauguration to Unveil Improvements

For immediate release
April 5, 2007

Nuestra Señora de Regla Hospital Baní, DR - Over the past 3 months, Infante Sano Director Sarah Henry and Medical Director Dr. Sara Tolentino have worked hard to receive donations from the local community of Baní for improvements to the Hospital.

Infante Sano also worked closely with the local Pediatric Committee, a long-standing local Baní institution that has been helping the area of Pediatrics in the Hospital for fifteen years. Together they worked with local political figures, including Senator Guerrero and Mayor Landestoy, as well as local businesses that responded with incredible generosity. Computers, paint, wall fans, garbage cans, and much more were donated. Volunteers helped Infante Sano clean and re-paint the hospital, as well as install a library with computers, garbage cans and wall fans, all of which contribute to the overall well being of patients.

To celebrate the improvements at the hospital Infante Sano hosted a reception for the community, hospital, and public health figures. The inauguration was well attended and the guests exceeded the capacity of the room. Noteworthy guests included Infante Sano President Bill Haney and Medical Director Dr. Kim Wilson, nurses Sophy Rodrigues and Lorianne Boa, all of whom attended from the United States, Dominican Minister of Public Health for the Province of Peravia Dr. Emilton Lopez, the Minister of Health for the Southern Region of the Country, the Sub-Secretary of Health for the country, as well as, many other local leaders and business owners from the Baní area. After the ceremony there was a tour of the facility highlighting the newly painted walls with health messages as well as the library.

Staff at the hospital, as well as members of the community, are thrilled about the new improved look of the hospital. Many of the doctors and nurses have commented on how cleaning and painting the walls has improved overall moral, not to mention the noticeable difference for patients.

The hospital inauguration took place in the middle of the Community Health Worker and Low Birth Weight trainings; the second and third curricula being rolled out in Baní by Infante Sano this year. Upcoming trainings include Ambulatory Primary care and Management of Perinatal Complications.

Infante Sano is a nonprofit organization affiliated with the Children s Hospital in Boston. Its goals are to improve infant and maternal health throughout Latin America and the Caribbean and to disseminate collected information to the international community working on improving neonatal and maternal healthcare practices. Infante Sano partners with existing hospitals and community health clinics to help them implement effective health care guidelines and improve the quality of care they provide to mothers and newborns. Local health care providers are capacitated through training and provision of medical supplies and equipment necessary for quality health care services. For more information visit www.infantesano.org

Press Contact: Christa Thoeresz 617.515.0335 christa@infantesano.org