About Us
Our Mission
La Clinica de la Mariposa was founded (1) to provide integrated health care; including such complementary and alternative care as chiropractic, massage therapy, and acupuncture and oriental medicine; to individuals and families in lower-income communities in Costa Rica, (2) to provide referral services or co-management of care to patients requiring care not available at La Clinica to providers in the larger Costa Rican health system, (3) to provide learning opportunities and professional supervision to a select group of senior students in varying professional health care training programs, and (4) to provide practice and service opportunities to select health care professionals.
Our Purpose
- To organize collaborative and integrated health care, in areas without access to adequate care;
- To involve licensed and active-practice health care practitioners, and students supervised by professionals in their fields; and
- To offer clinics and care to communities in collaboration with other self-help groups.
Our History
La Clinica de la Mariposa (The Butterfly Clinic):
- Was associated, from its founding in May of 2000, with an international foundation based in Kansas City, KS, the Christian Foundation for Children and Aging (CFCA). As it was organized, La Clinica cooperated with CFCA staff and volunteers who are based in Kansas City, KS, USA and San Jose, Costa Rica, and in the ten Costa Rican communities in which CFCA has been active; This is no longer true as La Clinica has served independently of CFCA as of March 1, 2009.
- Has had a ready supply of dedicated faculty clinicians and senior-level chiropractic, massage, and acupuncture students from accredited natural health care universities. It is these knowledgeable, mature, and enthusiastic people who have supplied the bulk of the clinical care of the people who come to our clinics. For five years, La Clinica operated two clinic trips annually, generally in October and February. In 2006, we added a third trip, in June, to accommodate student schedules and their expanding interest. Each trip usually includes two to three professional providers, chiropractors, massage therapists, and others.
- Has had leaders who have not compromised an ethical orientation that values continuity of care of the people who come to La Clinica for care. We favor our ethical orientation over unethical large-group and anonymous treatment. In 15 years of itinerant clinics, the project has interviewed and treated over 7500 patients from ten different communities in the country. Health care records for each patient are kept in secure storage and are pulled and transported with clinicians and equipment when La Clinica goes to the patients' towns. Patients are seen on a continuing-client basis, as their conditions require and the schedule of La Clinica permits.
Any project developed on the La Clinica model will require an understanding of the formal and informal structures of health care in an area, as well as an appreciation of the health problems and barriers to health care experienced by the target population.
Our Board
Members of the Board of Directors of Santé, Inc., include G. Kimbrell, Chair of the Board, T. Davis, Advisor to Chair; S. Bahr, Director of Operations in Costa Rica; J. Hulbert, Advisor to new board members; A. Dashe, Academic Advisor; M. Renee, Academic Advisor; T. Bergmann, Acadmic Advisor; D. Eggebrecht, Academic Advisor; and P. Brooks, IT Advisor.
Each member brings special interests and skills to his or her service on this Board. Each helps provide a balance in the management of services for La Clinica de la Mariposa in Costa Rica.