The Puerto Rico Community Outreach Program began in 2017 after the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria. Not only did the heavy rains, strong wind gusts, and storm surge cause extensive damage to the island itself, but the ramifications to the country’s infrastructure—especially in terms of available medical care— are still being felt to this day.  Many residents do not have access to medical care due to prohibitive costs or because the health practitioners simply are not available on the island.

“The devastation suffered by this intense hurricane was the beginning of inspiration, dedication, and great effort to bring community outreach from Florida,” said Vanessa Blanco, Puerto Rico Regional Campus director. “NSU has so much to offer, and I wanted to engage with our students, faculty members, and administration to bring resources we have to Puerto Rico.”

The NSU Professional Doctor of Physical Therapy and Mental Health Counseling Programs in the Fort Lauderdale/Davie Campus and the Tampa Bay Regional Campus work in collaboration with the Puerto Rico Regional Campus to carry on the community outreach efforts that began after Hurricane Maria. Blanco has also engaged the College of Dental Medicine and the Physician Assistant programs from the Dr. Pallavi Patel College of Health Care Sciences to participate. She coordinates with community leaders to set up health fairs and offer medical screenings to as many Puerto Ricans as possible.

Thousands of residents have been seen for screenings since the Puerto Rican outreach program began. Canes, wheelchairs, braces, hand sanitizer, masks, and other supplies have been distributed to communities in need.

“Students and faculty from physical therapy, occupational therapy, speech-language pathology, psychology, physician assistant, and recently dentistry have visited our communities,” Blanco said. “Our plans are to continue and extend the missions in Puerto Rico to encourage other NSU colleges as well as local organizations to join our efforts.”

A native Puerto Rican, Ovidio Olivencia, D.P.T., PT, OCS, is one of the faculty members who volunteers his time to facilitate the twice-a-year community outreach program. The team, which includes 8 to 10 physical therapy (PT) students, has visited residents in community centers, churches, and even on basketball courts. The faculty and students check vitals, screen neurological and musculoskeletal functions, and screen for conditions that put individuals at risk for injury or disease. Home health visits are also conducted for residents who are unable to travel to the community clinics. Residents whose screenings demonstrate a possible need for medical care are encouraged by the PT volunteers to see health practitioners in Puerto Rico.

Students learn cognitive and motor skills from screening, as well as how to communicate with community members of all ages.

“Students learn community service and how rewarding it is to donate your time and provide a service that you have for people in need,” Olivencia said. “Fortunately, the program at NSU and our profession allow us to make a difference in someone’s life.”

Brett Berkowitz, a second-year student in the DPT program, had the opportunity to travel to Puerto Rico with Olivencia and other students last year. At the time, he had only been in school for one semester and helped by taking vitals and translating conversations between Spanish-speaking residents and students who were further along in their training. He is planning to return to Puerto Rico next year.

“I had a basic understanding, but I learned from my peers and “Dr. O.” They told me exactly what they were doing and that helped me prepare for where I am now,” Berkowitz said. “The program takes students like me and my peers into a different culture. In addition to learning the curriculum, we learn about the people, the area, how they live their lives, and why they may not be able to get healthcare in the area.”

Another benefit to the program, according to both Blanco and Olivencia, is that it shows NSU’s reach and capabilities to the people of Puerto Rico. Blanco shares the community outreach efforts when marketing the Puerto Rico campus, and Olivencia hopes the program will help inspire Puerto Ricans who hope to strengthen the country’s medical infrastructure.

“Our main goal is to help people, but the program opens all kinds of windows in Puerto Rico,” he said. “It makes sense that we could implement the programs in Puerto Rico and give the population an opportunity to become health practitioners themselves through NSU’s academic programs.”

Students pay for their own flights to Puerto Rico and are also responsible for contributing to the cost of local transportation, accommodation, and food. In addition, the team raises money to pay for supplies to distribute during their visit. To support NSU’s community outreach efforts in Puerto Rico, donations can be made through a GiveCampus campaign.