Andrea Arathoon – University of Michigan School of
Public Health
Jacaranda Health is an organization that “aims to
make pregnancy and childbirth safer for women and newborns by transforming
maternity care in East Africa”1. They started operations in 2011 with
a mobile clinic that provided prenatal care to women in Kenya. It has now grown
into two distinct arms that still work towards the same goal but cover two
different aspects of maternal health.
Jacaranda Health’s NGO arm focuses on research and healthcare
innovations. In 2017 they worked with 15 public/mission hospitals in two
counties and this year they are expanding to three counties and more facilities.
Jacaranda’s other arm, Jacaranda Maternity, is an 18-bed private hospital
located in the outskirts of Nairobi. The hospital conducts over 25,000
outpatient visits per year and delivers an average of 115 babies every month. I
have the privilege of working as a summer intern with Jacaranda Maternity.
 |
| Jacaranda Maternity, located in Kahawa West |
Jacaranda Maternity focuses on delivering
high-quality, affordable healthcare to women and children. Quality care is
based on three pillars: accessibility, excellent outcomes and continuous
improvement. Jacaranda provides outpatient services every day of the week and is
open for deliveries and emergencies 24 hours a day. In terms of outcomes, the
hospital has not had a maternal death in over 4,000 deliveries, which is a testament
to the highly qualified staff in the institution. Continuous improvement is
also an essential part of the care provided. The staff has daily huddles, during
which the previous day’s activities are discussed, and where opportunities for
learning constantly arise. They also attend weekly educational workshops that
allow them to be up-to-date on a variety of topics related to patient care.
Jacaranda Maternity’s target population is primarily
low-income women and children around Kahawa West, a peri-urban area located
north-east of Nairobi. Most of the hospital’s patients are women receiving pre
and post-natal care in the facilities. These women also deliver their babies in
the hospital and return for their child’s immunizations and wellness checks.
The hospital also offers general medical outpatient consultations for adults
and children, and includes a pharmacy and laboratory where patients can
purchase their medications and receive a wide variety of tests, respectively.
The biggest challenge for an organization like
Jacaranda Maternity that provides high-quality care while serving mostly low-income
populations is financial sustainability. Over the past few months, there have
been many efforts by Jacaranda Maternity to reduce costs and to increase
patient volumes, while at the same time maintaining the high quality of care
that Jacaranda is known for. One potential intervention that can have a
positive impact on profitability is the improvement of patient flow in the
facility. If patient flow is streamlined, waiting times can be reduced and
consultations can be more efficient, which in turn, increases patient volumes
and reduces costs. As part of my summer internship project, I have been tasked
with mapping and optimizing the processes for outpatient visits and inpatient
stays. These improvements in patient
flow include the rollout of an outpatient care checklist, which will simplify
the current medical record and will ensure that the organization complies with World
Health Organization and Kenyan Ministry of Health guidelines for patient care. This
checklist will also serve as a decision-support tool that can aid providers in
their clinical decision-making process, promoting high quality care.
I am very excited about my summer project and the
impact that it can have in improving maternity care for women and children in
the country.
References
1. Jacaranda Health. (n.d.).
Retrieved June 12, 2018, from http://jacarandahealth.org/
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