FLN Clinic
Finca Las Nubes Centro de Nutrición Comunitaria
Finca Las Nubes Centro de Nutrición Comunitaria was established to promote a healthy change in diet towards organic vegetables. The farm supporting the clinic grows just that, healthy organic vegetables. We believe that most illnesses could be prevented by such a change in diet.
Alden Willard and Federico Cruz-Uribe are a married couple from Washington state who live at Finca Las Nubes and are sponsoring the center. Federico is a retired public health physician and Alden is a family nurse practitioner. They hired Dr. Clarissa Montenegro, a Nicaraguan physician with many years experience to be medical director of the center.
The center has a waiting room, an office, 3 exam rooms and running water! However, this place is much more than a building.
The center provides education and treatment programs for diabetes and those at risk for diabetes.
The center also serves as a site for Alcoholics Anonymous meetings, another serious illness afflicting the local population.
Why Diabetes?
Diabetes is a serious chronic condition but is a preventable and manageable one as well. Our commitment to services for diabetics and those at risk for diabetes arose from discussions with local medical officials. Because of the global recession, the government has cut back dramatically on care to the general population. Services to those with chronic diseases like diabetes and cardio-vascular disease are basically non-existent.
The local health providers gave us a clear message that there was an overwhelming need for diabetes education and treatment. Developing a program that provides on-going medical supervision and health education fits perfectly with our search for a way to expand the work of our center, thereby increasing its effectiveness and impact on the overall health of the San Juan community.
What are the services?
Currently, the diabetes program of Finca Las Nubes Centro de Nutricion Comunitaria, involves sessions that are held weekly. These sessions include monitoring blood sugar, blood pressure, weight and assistance with diabetic medications. The groups vary in size from 10 to 20 or more and each group comes either once or twice a month for the services which last all morning. The participants come in fasting (no breakfast) and we check their blood sugars and then everyone gets a sandwich and fruit juice (organic and without sugar, of course). Blood pressure, weight, and foot inspections are done as well.
The heart of the program is the charla which is an educational talk. The subjects covered include dietary advice, the importance of daily physical activity and information about diabetes. Dr. Montenegro uses humor and her knowledge about her culture to deliver clear and positive messages about health and nutrition to the groups. She believes strongly that the program must have a family focus so that everyone in the family strives toward better health.
The sessions close with stretching and strengthening exercises including some basic yoga poses. Everyone really enjoys that part!
What is next? Help of any kind is much appreciated.
Starting in early 2010, Finca Las Nubes Centro de Nutricion Comunitario is planning to expand its diabetes program by providing screenings in neighboring rural villages. We can identify those people with diabetes and those at risk and intervene with periodic education and clinical monitoring.
These programs have been well received by the community and the hard work of Dr. Montenegro and Alden Willard have been appreciated. The contributions in time and assistance of local health officials, as well as volunteers, have been inestimable.
As we expand our program into neighboring areas and do more screenings, we are going to find more cases and more people at risk for diabetes. This will lead to more services being provided. We will need your help in order to do this.
Your contributions, whether they be medical supplies, donations, or the time and assistance as a volunteer, are essential for the success of our center. For further information or if interested in helping us to expand services for the diabetic community of southern Nicaragua, please checkout our website at www.fincalasnubes.com
We can also be contacted by e-mail at fcruzu@gmail.com or aldenawillard@gmail.com
More information can be obtained from our sponsoring agency in Tacoma, Wa, at the Pierce County Medical Society. Sue Asher is the executive director and can be contacted at sue@pcmswa.org
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