Global Brigades Supplemental Programming – Small Contributions; HUGE Impact!
- The “supplementary programs” strengthen sustainability and deepen community impact
- brigades. Each Program Lead is responsible for working with community members, local technicians, and committees of campus chair people (student leaders) to develop these programs. At the end of the year, Global Brigades distributes any remaining funds to implement them. As a social enterprise, remaining funds are directly tied to number of volunteers, but this year we are offering donors the opportunity to contribute directly into these programs to ensure that they continue regardless of volunteer volume.
100% of your donation will go directly to implement these programs without a single dollar spent on administrative costs, which are already covered through brigade operations. This is an opportunity to provide direct contributions into the community we serve, creating huge impact for families that live on just a few dollars a day.
Below is a description of the supplementary program for Medical Brigades. To see the other programs, click on the program name here: Architecture, Business, Dental, Environment, Law, Microfinance, Public Health, Water.
Medical Brigades – Patient Referral Program
Global Brigades’ referral system promotes sustainability of Global Brigades programs by ensuring that our patients receive necessary care at all times. This program assists with necessary medical care that falls outside the scope of brigades and the referral program facilitates the entire process of administering this care. First, a Global Brigades physician identifies patients on brigades who need follow-up care. Second, depending on the nature and severity of the needed care, Global Brigades will either immediately take patients to the hospital or assist in the process of scheduling the necessary health services. Then the referral program raises funding for the care and ensures the patient is able to access it. Two full-time Global Brigades staff members are dedicated to facilitating this referral process.
There are two types of patients who typically utilize this system. One type is emergency patients, who are transported from the brigade site to the nearest clinic or hospital to receive immediate care. The second type is patients who require specialized care that does not require immediate attention. These patients are tracked and monitored with our electronic medical records system. Upon identification of these patients, Global Brigades staff works within local healthcare systems and with other NGOs to ensure referred patients receive the necessary specialized care.
Global Brigades is committed to providing care including logistics for all emergency cases. However, for all non-emergency patients we need you to take action to changes their lives! You can help make a difference by sponsoring individual patients or by contributing to the general referral fund. The general fund will be used to provide patients with basic tests or treatments.
