International Health Collective Returns to San Juanico!

The International Health Collective (IHC) is a youth-driven organization made up of a group of students and alumni from UCSD in the medical field that come together to help areas in San Diego, Mexico, and other locations abroad who have a holistic approach to health.  They have various projects going on around the world and one of the ones they just started is with our local community in San Juanico. IHC is improving healthcare access through community health worker training. To see what they are all about and hear more of their projects, click here.

We are happy to welcome IHC for the third time to their biannual trip. Each year the students will come in June and December and stay at Scorpion Bay Hotel at night while they work with our community during the day. Their  project “aims to equip local community members with teachable skills that will prepare them to provide care to their own community.” These people who are being trained will be known as Hermanos de la Salud de San Juanico (The Brothers/Sisters of Health from San Juanico). “This project encompasses IHC’s philosophy of creating sustainable change, using collaborative, interdisciplinary strategies to improve all aspects of community health.”

Although this is still a small step in the grand scheme of things, their plan moving forward is to create a clinic where there will be space in the community for them to administer accessible health. This clinic is planned to be located at the Scorpion Bay Airport which is coming soon to San Juanico. Let’s take a look back at our previous trips with San Juanico…

First Trip:

In June of 2017, on their first visit to San Juanico , Dr. Weena Joshi who is a practicing pediatrician in the United States, led the trip. She with the help of the IHC students consulted 132 patients in San Juanico.

Second Trip:

In December of 2017, IHC returned with Dr. Weena Joshi and Dr. Jia Shen (a practicing cardiologist). With their team of students they again treated 132 patients.

The main complaints that were treated by the doctors were coughs/sore throat, conjunctivitis/eye redness, abdominal pain, allergies, and rashes.

If you love this cause and want to get involved there plenty of ways you can help! Firstly, please join the International Health Collective and Scorpion Bay Hotel at Syrah Wine Parlor on May 24th for our fundraiser  event! There will be awesome prizes for auction and you can meet the people directly involved!

If you can’t make the fundraiser and would still like to help we appreciate any and all donations. Some of the supplies that would help include :

1. Stethoscopes and sphygmomanometer (BP cuffs)

2. Pulse oximeter

3. Otoscope

4. Epi-pens (preferably not expired)

5. Medications (recently expired, ok):  Acetaminophen, Aspirin, Claritin, Hydrocortisone, Ibuprofen, Lisinopril, Losartan, Ophthalmic Brinzolamide, Simvastatin, Prenatal vitamins, etc.)

6. Pill organizer

7. Plastic storage bins

8. (Folding) table

If you are interested in getting involved/donating/or would like to volunteer at one of our upcoming events while you are in San Juanico, please let us know! We could always use a helping hand; you can reach us at info@scorpionbayhotel.com.

Thank you IHC for all the work you do for our community; we’ll see you in June!