Culturally Competent Care in Community Health

A Bronx resident, student and single mother, Angelita Cordova-Hayes, recently spent a week providing medical assistance and health education to the Fonfrede community in Haiti.
Her trip, which took place from February 17 through February 24, was part of Monroe College’s “Culturally Competent Care in Community Health” course within the Baccalaureate Nursing program, which provides students with diverse clinical experiences outside the hospital setting. Having previously focused on the Bronx community, this is the first year that the clinical experience took place outside of he U.S.
During her time in Haiti, Ms. Cordova-Hayes and four other Monroe College nursing students worked at different health clinics in the community to provide wound care assessments and other non-intrusive procedures. Additionally, she taught individuals in the local community about poignant issues, such as breast self-examination, STDs and nutrition, in addition to hygiene and HIV/AIDS.
Ms. Cordova-Hayes, originally from the Philippines, immigrated to the United States with her son more than ten years ago. She is a registered nurse and is currently enrolled in Monroe’s Baccalaureate Nursing program.
The Fonfrede community is a remote, rural area in the South of Haiti with a population of roughly 20,000 people. Severely impacted by the catastrophic earthquake in 2010, residents face extreme poverty in an economy where healthcare is expensive and largely inaccessible, leaving many residents susceptible to malnutrition, malaria, tuberculosis, cholera and more.
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Pictured above: Professor Laura Penalo, Angelita Cordova-Hayes, Jacqueline Ross, Elaine Barclay, Diane Mitchell, Chairperson Deborah Little and Winston Sua is the male student standing behind Angelita
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