Goals & Methods
FIMRC prides itself with staying on the cutting edge of measuring achievements by establishing qualitative and quantitative metrics for its project goals. At year’s end, data collected by field staff and GHVP participants demonstrate the effectiveness of past goals and areas for future growth.
1. Establish an effective system for the delivery of acute and preventative healthcare to over 2,000 Costa Rican and Nicaraguan patients served by the FIMRC run clinic.
2. Transition from a system of triage healthcare to one of continuous care by implementing well-child visits for the entire community while monitoring key indicators of overall health through the promotion of preventative health.
3. Achieve a marked decrease in pediatric malnutrition and in the number of underweight children in the community through health education sessions. FIMRC will facilitate 36 sessions in local soup kitchens to increase baseline health and decrease incidences of malnutrition and related problems. Impact will be measured based on pre and post test statistics, including height, weight and gastrointestinal illness rates.
4. Curb the devastating spread of common endemic disease caused by preventable microbial infections through the execution of 50 health education sessions with local entities such as schools and FIMRC-run groups to decrease illnesses caused by basic hygiene deficiencies. To reinforce prevention, the distribution of basic hygiene kits will be given to participants.
5. Promote and sustain programs in health education, with particular focus on pediatric and maternal health initiatives through the development of two new health education groups in 2010. FIMRC will execute 60 health education sessions targeting the above-mentioned populations by the end of 2010, with an 80% increase in knowledge through pre and post test results.
1. Provide Global Health Volunteers a wider array of opportunities to acquire invaluable field experience through providing six trainings for seven members of local health committee with 14 follow-up activities aimed at 200 community members.
2. Further develop the breadth and reach of the Micro Health Insurance Program through increasing total capacity from 12 to 40 participants, providing additional services such as small business training and whole family health, and establishing a benchmark for health credits earned.
3. Improve community water treatment services through initial consultation with an international collaborator followed by gathering census data for at least 140 households projected to benefit from infrastructure improvements to begin by 2011.
4. Implement a community-wide waste/recycling program through conducting 15 awareness campaigns with a school and seven sectors of the community. Later phases will include the collection of 50 pounds of recyclable plastic resulting in a profit to fund on-going and future health initiatives.
5. Expand the nutrition group to include children from 6 years old to 12 years old.
1. Establish an effective system for tracking healthcare of children 2-4 years old at four crèches in the southern India state of Tamil Nadu through a comprehensive survey-based data collection and analysis of over 200 households.
2. Build a strong health education system by implementing weekly sessions for crèche teachers and parents from partnering hospitals, clinics, and schools. Participant’s children’s overall health will be monitored based on key indicators such as weight, height and frequency of illness.
3. Achieve a marked decrease in pediatric malnutrition and in the number of underweight children in the community through nutritious food planning. FIMRC will facilitate acquiring nutritious meals for 210 children at Grace Kids Center, Peach Tree Creche, Little Lily Creche and Helping Hearts Creche. Impact will be measured through monthly check ups on weight and nutrition status (vitamin C deficiency).
4. Decrease preventable illness in communities served through building and strengthening partnerships and providing supplemental medical treatment with various health care facilities, schools serving Kodaikanal, and neighboring towns. Maintaining medical attendance sheets at these organizations will assist in monitoring the patient population served.
5. Facilitate better access to pediatric care in Kodaikanal through providing a consultant pediatrician at Kodaikanal Health and Medical Services who will attend at least 160 patients per month.
1. Most crucially, to establish an effective system for the delivery of free acute and preventative healthcare to over 180 children in the communities of Asentamiento, Cuascoto Adentro, Limón I, and Limón II, through the hiring of a pediatrician. Children will be identified and families will be encouraged to participate through the completion of community census maps.
2. Establish a system of continuous care by implementing well-child visits for the children ages 0-5 of the four communities both on site and in the home, while monitoring key indicators of overall health through the promotion of 25 preventative health sessions for the population the clinic serves.
3. Achieve a marked decrease in pediatric malnutrition and in the number of underweight children in the community by 25% through health education sessions with parents during well-child visits. Impact will be measured based on pre and post-test statistics as well as on anthropometric measurements of children.
4. Promote and sustain programs in health education, with particular focus on pediatric and maternal health initiatives through the development of two new health education groups comprised of 15 or more members of both genders, ages 5-50, in 2010. FIMRC will collaborate with local clinics and schools to establish health education programs in family planning and natural sciences for secondary students.
1. Improve access to medical attention in the drastically underserved area of Agallpampa through launch of a mobile clinic that will provide access to free medical care in 12 communities covering a native population of over 22,000.
2. Launch and implement 40 health education sessions over a period of 12 months targeted at children ages 5-10 from partnering schools, hospitals, and local clinics. Participant’s overall health will be monitored based on key indicators such as weight, height and frequency of illness.
3. Mitigate preventable illness and assist in providing medical treatment in Agallpampa, Huancayo, and Trujillo through building and strengthening partnerships with various health care facilities, orphanages, soup kitchens, and schools. Support for partners will come in the form of scholarships and donations of medicines and equipment.
4. Extend nutrition education programming at partner orphanage and special needs school in Huancayo to include vocational training. FIMRC will execute these activities with a goal of empowering at least 50% of participants to meet their financial needs through self employment.
5. Achieve a better understanding of health care concerns in La Florida, Agallpampa by working in tandem with medical students to implement health surveys covering 70% of houses in the community. FIMRC will assist in collecting the data and publishing results with the end goal of addressing local health care concerns more efficiently.
1. Increase the efficiency of the clinic’s purchases and use of medicines and supplies by monitoring drug distribution through an inventory system. Guidelines will be established for drug prescriptions as mandated by the various levels of medical education of staff.
2. Implement the Rotational Program by hosting pediatric residents and other specialty residents (i.e. family practice residents, emergency medicine residents, etc) at the FIMRC clinic. A curriculum will be provided to guide rotators through myriad activities such as pediatric care at FIMRC clinic, off-site clinical experiences at affiliated Ugandan health centers, weekly lectures on relevant topics, required readings, completion of a project/presentation, and required participation in FIMRC’s outreach activities.
3. Increase attendance with monthly immunizations by 30% through greater emphasis on immunization during health education outreaches, specialized mobilization of mothers prior to immunization clinic days, and better tracking of immunization status for children under five in patient databases.
4. Expand the use of family planning services in the community through focused education and improvement of the dissemination protocol to increase patient confidentiality and facilitate timely follow-up.
5. Initiate maternal-child health programs by holding focus group discussions with 10 midwives, 10 Traditional Birth Attendants, and 10 female community leaders to determine maternal child health challenges within the community; establishing a pregnant women’s health group; and conducting bi-monthly prenatal care clinic during which at least 30 women will be monitored monthly.
