Global Health

UCF students and faculty partner with University of Florida and local physicians to serve rural communities in the Dominican Republic.

Spring 2016 | By Eric Michael, ’96

In July, UCF medical, nursing and engineering students and faculty traveled to the Dominican Republic to set up temporary, no-cost health clinics, with the support of the Diebel Legacy Fund at Central Florida Foundation. The team, which also included students from the University of Florida and Universidad Católica Nordestana as well as physicians and dentists from Central Florida, served patients in rural communities while working in interprofessional teams, an innovative approach that fosters collaboration between diverse practitioners to create improved patient care.

“I got to diagnose a woman with diabetes and truly helped her start to turn her health around. It doesn’t get more real than that.”
Daniel Stehli, second-year medical student

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UCF College of Nursing clinical assistant professor Laura Gonzalez, ’08.

Judy Simms-Cendan, UCF College of Medicine associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology and director of international experiences.

Images courtesy of UCF College of Medicine/Suhtling Wong-Vienneau

864

Patients served

49

Students, faculty and volunteer medical professionals

8

Days in the Dominican Republic

6

Communities without adequate health care

4

Number of service trips taken

1

Portable generator to power lights and equipment