Lee & I arrived in Havana yesterday for a 2wk trip to Cuba – our first bonafide Gap Year adventure! For this first week, we’re part of a health care education exchange arranged by MEDICC, a US-based non-profit that arranges trips for American groups interested in learning about Cuba’s health care system, which (FYI!) has achieved many high-level health goals with a performance that meets or exceeds US health care performance. But more on that later!
These first few days have given us a dramatic introduction to Havana, and an up-front view of much that we had heard and read about Cuba -e.g. the amazing beauty and contrasts of the city, with historic architecture standing beside crumbling buildings; photos & tributes to Fidel & Che everywhere; the famous Malecon boulevard ringing the city, complete with dramatic sunsets and pounding surf; and the proud showcasing of1940’s & 50’s American cars meticulously preserved with the uncanny skill & resourcefulness of people with strikingly few resources.
Internet access is incredibly limited here, as we knew, so am posting a few photos now – more to come later this week on what we’re learning about their health care system. A pretty incredible start, to be sure!
Lee & Lisa Explore 
Thanks so much for sharing this! I visited Cuba in 2003, also via MEDICC and it was an incredible learning adventure. Make sure to take some time for music and dance!
Margaret
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Pásalo Muy Bien! (and make sure Lee takes pictures of tu)!
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Thanks for the summary on the organization of the primary care in Cuba. I would be curious if the health care providers assigned to the communities do indeed live in the same communities they are responsible for providing health care.
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Hi Omar – yes – the Family Dr/Nurse teams most definitely live in their community. In fact, the dr typically lives in the 2nd floor of the “Consultorios”where they see patients. We got to recognize the very simple 2- story structures and saw them in virtually every neighborhood in both the cities & small rural towns. The dr/nurse teams clearly have responsibility not only for caring for individuals but the population of ~1200 people they’re serving – i.e. They apparently figured out “population health” way before us!
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