The Global Health Initiative was established in 2019 to optimize access to quality care for children with congenital heart conditions and improve pediatric cardiovascular outcomes, through a comprehensive Colombia-based specialty care program that identifies and treats at-risk youngsters of all ages.
The initiative is a collaboration between Nicklaus Children’s Hospital, through generous funding by the Larry De George (LDG) Foundation and the Lorena Perozo-Rocha (LPR) Charitable Foundation.
Enhancing Access to Care for Infants in Colombia
The Global Health Initiative has established programs in six different regions of Colombia, with a special focus in the northern Caribe region, to provide early diagnosis of congenital heart disease (CHD) and facilitate access to innovative cardiac treatment.
Representatives of the initiative work with strategically located hospitals, maternity centers, and universities in Colombia to implement and support the universal adoption of newborn screening for the early detection and treatment of CHD. The initiative provides equipment, training, and education on protocols and best practices, as well as other support required to launch the individual screening and diagnostic evaluation programs in Colombia. The initiative also provides support to expedite access and treatment of CHD-positive cases.
Since the program’s inception in 2019, the Global Health Initiative has screened over 50,000 newborns for congenital heart disease.
The initiative supports participating sites by training nurses and physicians on the use of donated pulse oximeters and echocardiography equipment and by providing the most up-to- date clinical protocols for CHD screening (approved by the American Academy of Pediatrics) and echo evaluations.
Our Screening Sites and Clinical Partners
- Regional partner in Bolívar: Hospital Infantil Napoleón Franco Parejas/Casa del Niño
- Clínica Crecer
- Clínica de la Mujer
- Clínica la Ermita de Cartagena
- Clínica Santa Cruz de Boca Grande
- Hospital Divina Misericordia de Magangué
- Hospital Divina Misericordia de Mompox
- Maternidad Rafael Calvo
- Regional partner in Magdalena: Fundación Prematuros sin Fronteras
- Clínica de la Mujer Santa Marta
- Policlínica Ciénaga
- Other parthers:
- Clínica Comfamiliar
- Clínica Prado
- Hospital General de Medellín
- Hospital Infantil San Vicente Fundación
- Hospital Universidad del Norte
- Hospital Universitario de Caldas
- Hospital San Juan de Dios
