![DVG Home](../Images/dorotea.jpg)
May 31st the Global Health
Council awarded to Dorothy and the clinic their extremely prestigious
award, the Best Practices in Global Health Award. This tremendous honor
recognizes the work of the clinic in empowering local women, in saving
lives, and for addressing the issues of violence and poverty as integral
to providing health care.
Thousands of the major movers
in global health and international health policy makers gathered in
Washington, D.C. to honor models of leadership in the field. We are
so proud to have Dorothy and the women of the Cooperative acknowledged
for the outstanding work they do. The Council recognized the model of
community women coming together to improve their lives by integrating
health care with antiviolence work and with antipoverty initiatives
as a “best practices” model.
In the words of the GHC,
the award is given “to celebrate…the efforts of a public
health practitioner or organization dedicated to improving the health
of disadvantaged and disenfranchised populations and to recognize the
programs that effectively demonstrate the link between health, poverty
and development.” Recipients must “demonstrate the success
of the program, measurable results…, as well as possess the ability
and expertise to share, inspire and extend best practices for improving
health.”
The clinic is, of course,
extending its model through its outreach to the outlying communities
of the municipality with community health workers and the initiatives
to decrease maternal mortality with the new Casa Materna and new birthing
facility.
Dorothy was, as always, extremely
gracious and inspiring in her acceptance speech, calling the award “an
affirmation of great value” and reiterating that, at the clinic,
“we listen to the people we serve with our hearts and minds”.