Today, we toured Hospital Universitario Austral and were able to speak with nurses as we toured the NICU, PICU, emergency department, and the adult critical care unit, which was very, very exciting for me as a nursing student. Central to their mission statement, Austral Medical Center emphasizes the “pursuit of truth” and a “culture of life.” To me, their statement about the “pursuit of truth” is their work towards attaining the best, most up to date and comprehensive healthcare knowledge and research so they can implement it in their work so as to be able to promote a “culture of life.” This pursuit is reflected in their incredibly high rankings, as well as their clinical placement opportunities for the nursing students which allow them hands-on practice to further their learning. Additionally, we met with a hospital researcher in the translational medicine department studying pain, and the university’s involvement in research like this further exemplifies their commitment to the “pursuit of truth.”

The Medical Center’s “pursuit of truth” allows them a way in which they can, in turn, promote a “culture of life” amongst their patients and the community at large. A “culture of life” isn’t just about patient survival, but rather a culture where people thrive and enjoy life. So, Hospital Universitario Austral doesn’t just cure diseases, they promote healthy living for all. I noticed their commitment to this mission through their Joint Commission International standard accreditation, which is a very rigorous accreditation that ensures higher quality of care than the National Ministry of Health does for all hospitals. Also, as we learned from Dr. Gaston Gabin’s lecture yesterday, the hospital is incredibly committed to healthcare innovation in order to provide the highest standard of care to all patients. For example, the private Austral hospital is working on a policy where cardiac patients from the public hospital, where cardiologists are not readily on call, can be digitally assessed by the cardiologist at the private hospital and severe cases can be sent over for high-level care. On the other hand, the public/private healthcare system of the country seems to be the opposite of their “culture of life.” Because Austral is a private hospital, they would refuse care to an uninsured patient who relies on the public system, and the idea that they can refuse treatment to others because of their ability to pay is not adherent to their policy of promoting healthy living for all.