Community Health Project

The Community Health Project is a collaborative effort with Santa Hildegarda Clinic,  located in Barrio Jaime Roldos, a community of 40,000 people, just outside of Quito, Ecuador.  The program was initiated in 2000 in response to a request from a local St. James Society priest.  With technical assistance provided by St. Elizabeth's Medical Center's Pulmonary Medicine Department, a team of local medical professionals and community volunteers was formed and started a small-scale DOTS (Direct Observed Short-Course Therapy) program for prevention,detection and treatment of tuberculosis.  As tuberculosis cases have diminished, the clinic has refocused its community outreach towards general health education activities on preventable diseases and wellness. 

Por Cristo continues to provide support to the Sisters of Santa Hildegarda.  More than 8,000 patient visits were made to their clinic this past year.  Their St. Boniface School Lunch Program provided over 125 school lunches daily to at-risk school children and the St. Jude Soup Kitchen for the elderly served over fifty senior citizens each day.  Additionally, more than 125 adolescent girls and women at the Por la Vida Training Center received training and developed new skills for potential employment.