I recently spoke with Susan Dix Lyons, visionary and founder of Clinica Verde, a holistic, community-oriented medical clinic in Nicaragua. Their mission is to serve the local poor with excellent health care and nutritional counseling in sustainably designed buildings with organic gardens. Clinica Verde is still in the fundraising process, but hopes to break ground in 2009. This project could become the prototype for sustainable, community-oriented clinics around the world.

EcoSalon: What prompted the creation of Clínica Verde?

Susan Dix Lyons: I founded Clínica Verde in April of 2007, after a few trips to Nicaragua with my husband, a physician. We visited a small public hospital and were shocked by the conditions. It was in dire need ““ poorly equipped, unsanitary and starving for resources. We coordinated a couple of shipping containers of medical supplies in an attempt to help. That felt good. It was a step. But we quickly realized that, despite our good intentions, our shipments were not going to make any lasting or fundamental change in the lives of the people served. In order to do that, we would have to make a real commitment to change. That was the seed of Clínica Verde.

ES: Tell me about your experiences in Nicaragua.

SDL: The first time I was in Nicaragua was actually 1990. I was working at my first job out of college, as a reporter for the Tico Times in San Jose, Costa Rica, and I flew to Managua to witness the election between Daniel Ortega and Violeta Chamorro. That experience left a deep impression on me. I was struck by the people and their history ““ a history that included a series of natural disasters and civil war. I felt a connection that I didn’t fully understand until years later when I returned with my husband. It occurred to me then that this path was meant to be. Today, the daughter of Violeta Chamorro is a partner in Clínica Verde and a member of our board of directors.

ES:  How does sustainable building design benefit the health of the community?

SDL: When conceiving the idea for Clínica Verde we were mindful of the fact that hospitals and clinics throughout the world are, ironically, often not healthy environments. They are not, for that matter, pleasant environments. We wanted to rethink that. We asked ourselves the question, “What should a clinic ideally be?” Well, it should start by being built responsibly and sustainably, with materials that respect and conserve our resources and create a supportive environment for our users. It should respond to the notion that good health includes not just sound clinical practice but lifestyle and behaviors ““ strong relationships, nutrition, education, a supportive community and a hopeful outlook on our lives.

Our clinic plan includes an organic garden that can be used as a tool for teaching both cultivation of healthy food and nutrition, a demonstration kitchen for classes on food preparation and handling, a community room for health talks, computers for Internet access, a children’s playground, a small café, and a prayer alcove. We wanted to create a place not just where people have to go, but where people would want to go.

ES: How close are you to reaching your financial and building goals?

SDL: We’ve raised about half of our total construction budget of $580,000. It’s a lot of money ““ but not a lot when you consider what we’re building. The cost in the U.S. would be many [times] that. Nicaragua is a great testing ground for our concept because of the low cost to build, combined with the country’s great need and our strong relationships with people in the country who understand the healthcare system first-hand. For example, the former Minister of Health is one of our board members.

We have terrific community support, both in Nicaragua and in the States. In terms of fund-raising, we’ve received a number of generous donations from individuals, a grant from the Clif Bar Family Foundation, a pledge from another family foundation, and the support of our local Episcopal church. We have quite a few in-kind donations from businesses that support the project. We have an exceptional bi-national board of directors and panel of advisors. We’re pushing hard to raise the remaining funds so that we can break ground in 2009. We won’t begin construction until we have the total funds necessary.

ES: How will you raise maintenance funds once the clinic is built?

SDL: We’re realistic about the need to cultivate long-term relationships with a community of passionate supporters and advocates. We’ll be doing fundraisers in California and spreading nationally as more supporters step forward to take ownership in the project’s growth and success. But we also have a financial model that incorporates local sustainability. Our healthcare will be offered on a “donation” basis to the poor, with no patient being turned away. Middle-class patients, however, will be offered care by appointment at private market rates. Our model calls for these patients not to exceed one-third of the total number of patients served, so that we can focus on our mission of serving the very poor. In this way, we make sure that the local community is invested in the health and success of the clinic as well, while bolstering our long-term financial stability.

ES:  Will the clinic work with local midwives, curanderas, and herbalists, and integrate local knowledge with modern medical technology?

SDL: Expanding care beyond the boundaries of the clinic will be a major focus for Clínica Verde. Patient attendants will be trained to assist physicians at the clinic and also to be clinical educators and observers in the community. These patient attendants will rotate regularly to serve in the clinic or in one of the outlying rural areas. Their role in these outlying posts will be to provide clinical care (triage, first aid, general medical care, prenatal/postnatal/infant care, and health care education) and to be observers of home life, assessing the impact of the clinic’s education. These attendants will be the necessary bridges to the community to deepen the community/clinic relationship, expand social support networks for patients and care providers, and gain insight into patients’ lives inside their homes and neighborhoods.

I just want to close by thanking VivaTerra and EcoSalon for taking a leadership role in strengthening our communities throughout the world. These are the kind of partnerships* that I think have tremendous possibility for bringing people together to support positive change. Wherever you live, whoever you are, you have the ability to make a difference in the world. I don’t think there’s anything more powerful or meaningful in life than that. Clínica Verde will be a success because of that spirit of compassion, and that willingness to get involved beyond the boundaries of our individual lives ““ to connect with a purpose outside of ourselves. I’m grateful for your interest in our project. Spread the word!

Please click here to donate to Clínica Verde.

*Note: VivaTerra is a proud corporate sponsor of EcoSalon.com.

Tags: Community , family , green , health , innovation , interview , Places , sustainable

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