Referrals and Patient Advocacy

Referrals:

We are the only health facility in the south of Haiti that specializes in people and children with disabilities. Our staff have trained and worked all over the country and our program is well respected with many contacts across Haiti, this network enables us to offer local solutions to patients who present with special health conditions.

Patient Advocacy:

Many schools in Haiti prohibit children with disabilities from participating in normal education, even when they are more than capable of doing so. We provide many professional assessments of children with disabilities seeking entry into school. We write letters to school directors advocating for inclusion and giving our professional assessment of each child’s capabilities. This process is very successful and many of our patients are in school through their families efforts and our advocacy.

Advocacy for adults who have suffered trauma, like a motor vehicle accident, or a neurological event, most commonly strokes, are at risk for becoming (or remaining) unemployed. Part of our advocacy program involves standing with our patients by writing to employers to reassure them of the patient’s capabilities. In the beginning of this year two ladies, one a teacher, the other a secretary, were recovering from strokes. Both women’s employers had decided to terminate their contracts due to an assumption that they would no longer be able to perform their duties. We wrote to the employers explaining the pathology, recovery process and with assessments of the women’s current functionality. The employers reversed their decisions and the women kept their jobs.

We also communicate closely with the two hospitals in Les Cayes, carrying out rehabilitation programs post surgical intervention or other acute treatment.