Haitian Health Care Foundation, INC

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The Lascahobas Coalition is an initiative of the Haitian Health Care Foundation (HHCF) in partnership with the Lascahobas Coalition and Partners in Health/Zanmi Lasante. The Coalition is composed of twining parishes from the Diocese of Richmond, Virginia, corporate sponsors, individuals, and other interested groups who would like to collaborate, exchange information, and promote healthcare services around the two Partners in Health/ Zanmi Lasante clinics in Lascahobas and Belledere located in the lower plateau of Haiti. It is formed in response to the HHCF Mission Statement goals of "working with parishes and other groups in the Diocese of Richmond in support of their collaborative efforts with parishes and other entities in Haiti" and "assessing the healthcare needs of our brothers and sisters in Haiti in collaboration with Haitian healthcare groups (e.g. Caritas-Hinche) and other interested groups."

In development of the coalition, a specific area was identified in collaboration with PIH/ZL to build a hospital in Lacolline, an area just outside of Lascahobas. In conjunction with the Clinic was a simultaneous plan for development of a Dental Program that would serve residents of the Lower Plateau through this hospital and the current facility in Lascahobas. In addition to these immediate projects the Coalition would engage in identifying ongoing needs assessment for individuals in these areas.

Before the construction of the hospital in Lacolline, the existing Zanmi Lasante Klinik in Lascahobas was the only free medical clinic in the area that served a large catchments area of approximately 70,000 people. Many Haitians have to travel a great distance, often 3-5 hours by foot, to obtain medical care for advanced illnesses. They do not have access to regular medical care and the advanced illnesses that they face are largely preventable. PIH/ZL is the only source of free, ongoing healthcare in this area. Though renovated in 2003 the Lascahobas Clinic faced a severe shortage of space for the services that were needed and the amount of patients seen per day. Estimates, based on current figures and projected future demand, are that the Lacolline clinic will serve approximately 300-400 patients per day and it is anticipated that the existing Lascahobas Clinic will serve approximately 100-150 patients per day, after the addition of the new facility in Lacolline.

Zanmi Lasante will renovate the current clinic in Lascahobas to house a Women's Center (Sante Fanm) and a Community Health Center (Sante Komunite). The women's health center will include the following services; labor and delivery; a program to prevent mother-to-child transmission of HIV; prenatal care, reproductive care, maternal care, and colposcopy. The renovated facility will include four exam rooms, a delivery room, a recovery room, large meeting areas, a lab and a small pharmacy. The community health center will include a large meeting hall which will serve as space for planning mobile clinics, health fairs and mobile clinics, an area to provide vaccines to children and mothers and administrative offices. It is important to recognize that the people of Lacolline donated the land for the hospital. Land is precious in Haiti and this commitment demonstrates the tremendous community support for and acknowledgement of the contributions of Zanmi Lasante within the community.

The Lascahobas Coalition has an advisory board which meets yearly as a group with the PIH staff to discuss the community's healthcare needs and then develop an action plan for the upcoming year. The advisory board develops specific subgroups to help carry out the goals for the upcoming year. The advisory committee is composed of individuals representing HHCF, nine parishes in the Diocese of Richmond, and corporate members as well as communication with Caritas-Hinche.

Developmental initiatives of the Lascahobas Coalition include individual and corporate sponsorship, collection efforts for medical/dental equipment and supplies. HHCF support for the coalition includes administrative and logistic matters and an ongoing financial commitment from proceeds of the annual HHCF fundraising efforts.

Individuals wishing to donate, sponsor or learn more about the Lascahobas Coalition are invited to contact HHCF. Members of HHCF who wish to learn more details are invited to look at the respective site in the interactive forum.