First stop was Universidad Austral so we could hear from Dr. Josefina Medrano, the Past Minister of Health Province of Salta during COVID. She covered several topics such as health coverage and financing, provincial health system, actions during a pandemic and healthcare management and its complexity. When it came to making decisions, she needed to take into account the complexity of what is managed, collaborative solutions, establishing clear processes and proactiveness. Soon after we headed to the Fernandez public hospital where we were lectured by Dr. Previgliano on the past and present of the hospital. In 1888 it was originally a Syphilis asylum and in 1977 there was modernization leading to a refurbishment in 1990. The hospital encompasses high complexity progressive care, high resolution and innovation. In terms of a SWOT Matrix the strengths are high skilled human resources, integrated work and the weaknesses are specialized nursing, architectural design and lack of spaces for management support to care tasks. The threats are disruption of networked work, uncontrolled spontaneous demand and the opportunities are post pandemic legacy, hospital social image and services not covered by the public sector. Our last visit was Swiss Medical, a private healthcare institution, where we toured floors five, four, and six that included operating rooms, ICU and more. 

After seeing the contrast between public and private infrastructure you can truly see the social gradient in health which refers to the relationship between socioeconomic status and health outcomes. Individuals in lower classes or who are poor tend to experience low quality access. Argentina has a segmented healthcare system that includes public, social security, and private sectors, which in theory offers broader coverage. In the U.S., the healthcare system consists of programs like Medicare (for people over 65 and certain disabled individuals) and Medicaid (for low-income individuals) which provide important safety nets. Although gaps remain especially for those who fall between eligibility thresholds or face high out-of-pocket costs even with coverage. While Argentina offers broader theoretical coverage, both countries experience a social gradient in health rooted in unequal access.

Fact of the day: Later in the night we had some delicious empanadas. They reflect the rich Argentina culture, with influences from Spanish cuisine. Each province in Argentina has its own variety of empanadas.