Health Care

Quality healthcare is a basic human right. The Mission’s hospital has been led by Dr. Rafael Tun, a San Lucas native, since 1998. Services include consultations, ultrasound, x-ray, maternity & delivery room, ER, dentistry, podiatry, pharmacy and an ambulance. The healthcare program treats over 20,000 patients per year.

Health Promoter Program

The Mission’s internationally recognized Health Promoter program was started in 2004 by Sue Hammerton, an American Nurse Practitioner.  The program has grown through a collaboration with Stanford University under the leadership of Dr. Paul Wise. Health Promoters live in the communities they serve and receive training to identify the treatment and prevention of different illnesses. Promoters focus on malnutrition, respiratory illness, diarrhea, skin disease and chronic illnesses including diabetes, hypertension and asthma.

The Mission currently has 41 health promoters serving 19 communities. Since the onset of the child nutrition program, childhood deaths due to malnutrition have been reduced by 80%.

Medical and Surgical Groups

Each year, the Mission hosts medical and surgical groups who provide a variety of services to the people in and around San Lucas. Medical groups work with the Health Promoters in the communities providing general consultations, physical therapy, and dental care. Surgical groups work at the Monseñor Gregorio Schaffer Hospital.

All medical groups follow similar protocols, use the same formulary and track treatments using an electronic medical records system developed specifically for the Mission.