Por Cristo Project Report Letter from the Executive Director
Por Cristo Honors Rich Meelia
2012
Event Raises Crucial Funding Support of our Mission
Dear Friends of Por Cristo, In 2012, Rich Meelia We all face challenges daily. Here in the United States, life retired from his position as seems to move faster every year as computers, smart phones and Chairman of Covidien, a expectations of twenty-four-seven availability have taken over. global healthcare products While the stresses of modern life should not be minimized, most company based in Mansfield, of us are able to take for granted a basic standard of living. In Massachusetts, after having Ecuador, that is not usually the case. Daily challenges have a stepped down as Chief different meaning. Many families here are faced with little clean Executive Officer the water, poor sanitation, childhood malnutrition and long waits for previous year. Rich and basic health care. his family have been For over 30 years, Por Cristo has worked to help the people supporters of Por Cristo since 1996, and Covidien has been of Ecuador face those challenges. While we have made great very generous over the years progress, we know we are a small part of the total solution. Por Cristo Board Chair Gary Kaneb as well. Additionally, Rich has Nonetheless, for the people we serve, we are making a difference. presents Rich Meelia with a gift. introduced others to Por Cristo, Understanding the significant issues, we remained fully talented individuals who have come to support our work in engaged in our work in 2012. This report provides a summary a variety of ways. of some key program activities. In its pages, you will read about In gratitude for the tremendous generosity of Rich and his Por Cristo’s services helping mothers who otherwise might not family and in recognition of his retirement from Covidien, receive adequate prenatal care, newborns whose start in life Por Cristo was pleased to honor Rich in October of 2012 at depends on proper nutrition, children who need dental health an event that took place at the Westin Waterfront Hotel in care, and teenage girls who will know how to stand up for their Boston. A fundraiser to benefit Por Cristo, the evening was a rights because they have improved their self esteem. tremendous success, raising $700,000 under the exceptional leadership of Committee Chairs Jack Connors and Amy You will also find a story about Rich Meelia, a long-time Wendell. Many of Rich’s friends and corporate associates, supporter of Por Cristo, whom we were pleased to honor upon led by his Covidien colleagues, filled the Westin ballroom. his retirement as Chairman and CEO of Covidien. I want to say Por Cristo is grateful for the support, and we were honored to thank you to Rich and his family for their tremendous support be a part of this milestone in Rich’s life. through the years. Your presence has certainly made a difference in the lives of Ecuador’s poor. Finally, in 2012 we completed our separation from Steward Health Care. Over the years, both Steward and Caritas Christi, our former parent organizations, have been effective partners as we’ve carried out our mission. Thank you to both organizations for helping us develop into the fully independent nonprofit we are today. Though our organizational structure has changed, our mission remains the same. That continues as it started—a Cardiac Team members Jorge Garcia, MD, commitment to living the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He told us and Lisa Crawford, Echo Sonographer, in Matthew 25 to care for the poor and the sick. He showed with three young patients. us by the way He lived His life. Together with you, our generous donors, we continue to follow His direction, knowing that, while we cannot solve every ill, we can support families in Ecuador as they strive to meet their everyday challenges. Thank you for all you do to make our Extended family from the Isla Trinitaria. work possible. Joseph A. Reardon
Infant is monitored for growth at the Por Cristo Nutrition and Health Center.
Por Cristo Nutrition and Health Center
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Outreach Fairs and Events As poor as life is in the older parts of the Isla Trinitaria, over time, many of those residents have been able to find basic employment. They progress from a cane hut to a cinder block house. But the community continues to expand with new arrivals, and areas that house the poor grow. Many of these residents only visit health care facilities when they are really ill, not to obtain preventative services. That is why we must go to them. We held 12 different outreach events in 2012 in four barrios and at a community center that serves children who have been abandoned or are otherwise at risk. Often Girls Self Esteem Program we set up in a local school or even the The Girls Self Esteem Program has schoolyard. We identified pregnant women grown, now taking place at two schools. who were not receiving prenatal care; The program continued at the Juan Martin screened for hypertension and HIV; provided Moye School, where it has been very well infant weighing, measuring and evaluation; received for seven years and served 122 girls immunized for preventable childhood in 2012. The new school is the Luis Pauta diseases; and held talks on nutrition for Rodriguez, where the program served 160 girls. Outside of the school system, we held Children participating in the School Fluoride Program. mothers and children at a preschool. a two-day Girls Self Esteem workshop for 22 high risk girls. Life for the poor in Ecuador is a daily challenge. In 2012, the Por Cristo Nutrition and Health Center continued its work diagnosing, treating and preventing health problems. The number of patients seen was 4,562, and patient visits totaled 18,562. Children under the age of 5 and women of childbearing age comprised 89 percent of patients seen. We held 74 Health Education talks in the clinic, reaching more than 1,600 people. We are happy to report that 97 percent of patients surveyed said they would return to our clinic and that they would refer family and friends to us.
School Fluoride Program Most of us never stop to think about the fact that fluoride is in our drinking water. We take its benefit—prevention of tooth decay—for granted. But in Ecuador, many do not have that luxury. The lack of fluoride in the water of the Isla Trinitaria often results in additional dental health problems. That is why our School Fluoride Program is so important. In 2012, we added three schools to the program, bringing the total to 12, serving 2,368 children.
Family of Five Benefits from Clinic’s Services Ingrid del Rocio lives in a very modest house in the Las Brisas section of the Isla Trinitaria with her husband and three children. Her husband sells plastic household products. Ingrid first came to the Por Cristo Nutrition and Health Center in 2009 with her then 4-year-old son, Jesús, to see our pediatrician and nutritionist. Since 2009, she has been coming regularly with her three children for various services. She received her prenatal care while pregnant with now 13-month-old Leydy, and Leydy is coming in for vaccines, growth monitoring and pediatric visits. Ingrid has said that she appreciates the respect shown to the patients and is very happy with the care she and her children have received over the past four years.
Por Cristo Becomes a Fully Independent Nonprofit
Ingrid and Leydy del Rocio visit the clinic for a check-up.
With Gratitude to Steward Health Care and Caritas Christi On December 31, 2012, Por Cristo became a fully independent, nonprofit organization, separate from the Steward Health Care system. Por Cristo became part of the Steward system in 2010 when Steward purchased the Caritas Christi Health Care system, our former parent organization. Whereas Caritas Christi had been a nonprofit organization, Steward is a for-profit corporation. Por Cristo remained a nonprofit 501(c)(3) after the sale. However, the Board of Trustees determined that, in the long run, it would be better for Por Cristo to operate independently. That is now the case. All of us at Por Cristo, including staff and the Board of Trustees, are grateful for the support Steward has provided us. We also want to thank the Archdiocese of Boston and Caritas Christi for their years of support, support that has greatly helped Por Cristo reach its current state of operating independently to serve the poor of Ecuador.
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Cardiac Team 2012 Trip
Those familiar with Por Cristo know that our work in Ecuador began with visits from teams of medical professionals. And while our efforts have grown dramatically since establishing our year-round community clinic, our dedicated cardiac-team medical volunteers continue to make annual visits. In 2012, Dr. Tom Hougen once again led a team of cardiologists, a cardiothoracic operating room team, nurses and medical technicians to Ecuador for a week-long stay at the Baca Ortiz Pediatric Hospital. The purpose of the visit was twofold: to provide additional hands to work on the more complex surgical cases and perform catheterizations and echocardiograms during the week, and to further develop these skills in Ecuador. Cardiac Surgery The team performed five surgical procedures on children ranging in age from 6 weeks to 7 years old and were pleased with the outcomes. Our bilingual volunteers, surgeon Lucas Collazo; perfusionist Ruben Muńoz; and biomedical engineer, Ozzie Rivera, have been extremely well received by the local surgical team. Nursing The expert nursing team continued working with their Ecuadorian counterparts on post-operative protocols and practice guidelines. This year’s lectures included case studies as well as clinical exercises simulating Cardiac/Respiratory arrest and providing more technical training on ventilators and monitors. The team also worked with the Baca Ortiz nurse manager to develop a user-friendly database spreadsheet to track infections, post-op complications and length of stay in the intensive care unit. Cardiology (Cath Lab) The hospital’s first cardiac catheterization lab opened in 2012. Funded by the government of Ecuador, the lab is a tremendous addition to the level of health care now available
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Por Cristo Cardiac Team members and Ecuadorian counterparts are thrilled to see a young boy who came in for a follow-up after last year’s surgical procedure.
Santa Hildegarda Health Center
The Santa Hildegarda Health Center in Jaime Roldos, a barrio of Quito, is run by Italian missionary sisters. It provides a range of primary health care services, including tuberculosis screening and treatment and community health education. Por Cristo continued to support the center’s activities, providing some financial assistance and advising on community outreach and health education. Here are some highlights of the Santa Hildegarda Health Center’s work in 2012: • Santa Hildegarda Clinic provided primary health care to 10,080 patients. • San Bonifacio Lunch Program for Children provided hot lunches to 170 vulnerable children daily, and many children also benefited from San Bonifacio’s afterschool program. • St. Jude Soup Kitchen for the Elderly provided lunch, companionship and basic health screening for elderly community members. In 2012, between 60 and 80 elders were served each day. • The Por la Vida Training Center helps women and girls learn key work skills that result in many finding their first paid employment. Courses include sewing, pastry making, hairdressing and computer skills. In 2012, 130 participants benefitted from the program.
Sr. Filomena with student from Por La Vida Training Center.
Sr. Concettina with a Jaime Roldos family.
Children at our clinic.
Cardiac Team (continued from page 3)
to patients who come to the Baca Ortiz. Por Cristo was pleased to provide some of the medical supplies as well as feedback to the hospital staff regarding the lab’s design. During the 2012 visit, the team reviewed videos from catheterizations done since the 2011 visit and were very impressed with the outcomes. Five catheterizations were performed while our team was there, one of them using an Amplatzer device, which is used to close a hole in the heart. Additionally, over $25,000 of equipment/materials was delivered, sourced by the team from various donors.
Jack Connors, Co-Chair of the event honoring Rich Meelia, offers a tribute to the honoree.
Thank You to Our Donors!
Por Cristo’s total funding comes from individual donors. You are critical to our ability to fulfill our mission, and we are grateful to each of you for your support. Thank you!
Por Cristo Board member and event Co-Chair Amy Wendell greets guests at the start of the evening honoring Rich Meelia.
Please Make a Contribution Today
Our long-term presence in Ecuador, which allows us to provide the quality medical care described in this report, is made possible by the commitment of our generous donors. Please help us to continue to build on the years of service to Ecuador by making a gift today. Por Cristo 77 Warren Street Brighton, MA 02135-2997 617.770.7240 www.porcristo.org Por Cristo is a 501(c)(3) tax exempt organization. Gifts to Por Cristo are tax deductible as allowed by law. © Por Cristo 2013
Echocardiography The team performed more than 40 echocardiograms and one trans-esophageal echo (a procedure during which an ultrasound is passed into the esophagus to take a photo of the heart). The team also worked with the Ecuadorian doctors on scanning techniques, diagnosis of basic anomalies and obtaining proper views. Dr. Jorge Garcia gave an echocardiogram/anatomy presentation that outlined different cardiac malformations.
Por Cristo Board of Trustees Gary Kaneb Chair of the Por Cristo Board President Catamount Management Corporation, Lynnfield, MA Stephen C. Orr Vice Chair of the Por Cristo Board Retired Vice President State Street Research and Management Company Boston, MA Joseph A. Reardon Executive Director Por Cristo, Boston, MA Sr. Anne Mary Donovan, SNDdeN Treasurer Emmanuel College Boston, MA
Raymond Dunn President Latin Health Care Fund Acton, MA
Leo J. Morrissey, ChFC Retirement Asset Protection Systems Milton, MA
Richard F. Guerriero State Secretary Massachusetts Knights of Columbus Norwood, MA
Anthony Sapienza Marketing Consultant Burlington, MA
Thomas J. Hougen, MD Cardiologist Georgetown Pediatric Cardiology Associates Potomac, MD
Amy Wendell Senior Vice President Strategy and Business Development Covidien Mansfield, MA
Richard Meelia, Retired Chairman Covidien Mansfield, MA
Por Cristo Project Report 2012 Por Cristo • 77 Warren Street • Boston, Massachusetts 02135-2997 • 617.770.7240 • www.porcristo.org