By Dr. David Swan, Former BBF Board Member, and Dr. Barbara Swan

We are David and Barbara Swan, both retired physicians specializing in Family Medicine and Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, respectively.  David is a former board member of Brother’s Brother Foundation.  We have been going to the Dominican Republic for the past 9 years working in medical mission. We began doing “pop up” medical clinics in the sugarcane field villages (bateys). 

At first, we felt good about seeing the villagers and handing out medicines for 30 days. We quickly came to realize this model was not sustainable, and we were concerned about how to provide continuity of care for these villagers. Many of these people are of Haitian descent and frequently do not have access to the government health care due to a lack of documentation. 

We met Dr. Yasquina Benjamin who grew up in Batey Margarita, one of the sugarcane villages. She went to medical school in the DR and returned to her village as a medical missionary to her community. We agreed to support her and her clinic on an ongoing basis. We helped with medical supplies, a portable ultrasound unit, and ongoing training. A couple of years ago, we met Dr. Gavina Quinterio, who also went to medical school in DR and wanted to provide medical care for those in need in her community. She had a brand-new clinic outside of the town Consuelo, which we helped to furnish. We have been providing ongoing support to her as well. 

Working with these two doctors and their nurses has expanded our understanding of how to meet the medical needs of these communities. These people need continuity of care and a long-term relationship with a medical provider. Having two doctors who grew up and live in their villages provides much more appropriate care than sporadic, one-day pop-up clinics.  Currently our doctors see a total of 150 – 200 patients per month in their two clinics. Dr Yasquina has been trained in performing and reading ultrasounds which she does 4 – 5 times per month, often for pre-natal care. We provide health services to 18 bateys, many of which are very remote. 

We have learned that health literacy is very low in these communities. As retired physicians, we do not feel we should provide direct patient care in the DR. So, we changed our medical mission model to one of education. Now when we go to the DR, we hold “health expos” in the villages we visit. 

We set up stations where we focus on health education topics, such as diabetes, hypertension, women’s health, children’s health, dental care, and adult medicine. We check blood pressures and finger-stick blood sugars, identifying those who need to be seen by one of the two doctors in their local clinics, and we provide transportation if needed. We also teach about diabetes and hypertension and discuss healthy diet, hydration, and other self-care. We teach children and adults how to properly care for their teeth and provide toothbrushes. We also provide basic non-prescription medications and vitamins, as these are not readily available to those who live in the bateys. Our doctors also visit local villages and conduct seminars discussing health education topics like dental care, women’s health and infectious diseases. 

Over the past two years, we have formed a non-profit foundation in the DR, Fundacion Medico Del Rey. We also have a 501(c)3 here in the states, Del Rey Medico, with the mission of supporting these doctors and their staff serving the local sugarcane workers and their families. Our goal for the future is to be able to host our own mission trips and invite interested individuals to participate in the medical mission of Del Rey Medico. We are hoping to expand the services offered at the clinics to include dental care and basic laboratory services. We are also exploring electronic health records in order to facilitate communication and continuity between clinics. We are looking forward to expanding our program in the DR and working with BBF. For more information, visit our website “DRMedico.org.”