02 September, 2006
MONTE PLATA, Dominican Republic. Jessie Clyde, a student completing her Masters in Public Health at Columbia University’s Mailman School, spent ten weeks of her 2006 summer at Centro Medico BRA in the Batey Cinco Casas. Jessie was one of four students from Columbia who traveled to the Dominican Republic, under the Dominican Exchange Program, to complete projects with different organizations working in community health and social justice. Jessie conducted a patient satisfaction survey and interviews with staff and volunteers at BRA’s Centro Medico and Mobile Clinic. The purpose of this project was to gather different perspectives from providers and users as an assessment of the services of BRA. Jessie completed more than one hundred surveys and interviews and the data compiled was analyzed to show the areas in which BRA’s services are the strongest and those that need work. The Pharmacy at Centro Medico BRA is the last stop for the patients before they return home after their consult. Jessie became a constant presence outside the Pharmacy, alluring patients with a friendly smile to complete her survey despite the heat and their eagerness to leave. Regardless of the challenges that an exit interview presents, Jessie was successful in fulfilling her goals and contributed to the growth of BRA with a valuable piece of information.
