Day 3! Today was such a cool day because we got to explore a completely different area outside of Buenos Aires. We took a boat over to Tigre, and the views along the river were beautiful. It was really interesting seeing all the houses, schools, and small communities along the water because it felt so different from the busy city atmosphere we have been around most of trip.

While we were there, we got to tour a small healthcare facility and see one of the mobile healthcare boats. I thought this was one of the most interesting healthcare ideas we have seen so far, especially because it was a boat, because many communities do not have road access. The boats being able to travel to different communities and schools allow them to provide healthcare services, vaccines, and emergency care. It made me understand even more how important accessibility is in healthcare. Not everyone lives close to a large hospital, so bringing healthcare directly to people can make a huge difference.

Another very interesting thing about this facility was that there are different doctor specialties there on different days! For example, today there was an ER doctor and pediatrician. They did make a note that typically a pediatrician is there every day. But tomorrow there may be a neurologist and pediatrician. Something else that was interesting was the fact that they had a separate room for vaccinations. In the states typically this is just done in the same room that a patient ‘scheckup occurs, but here there was a totally separate room.

We had lunch at Vivanco Restaurant, where we had a delicious appetizer of cheese, tomato, and salad. Then, for the main course I had fish and mashed potatoes. The dessert was ice cream with berries, which was so good!

Later in the day, we visited Hospital Central de San Isidro and learned more about public healthcare and hospital funding. It is interesting learning how funding balance works between different areas, between hospitals, primary care, or preventative care programs They have different needs, hospitals tend to need expensive equipment, and emergency resources. While preventative care is also extremely important because it can reduce the amount of patients in a hospital by being able to stop larger health problems before they happen.

There is a major focus on trying to encourage people to use primary care services for smaller issues instead of overcrowding hospitals and emergency departments. This made a lot of sense because hospitals should have a focus on serious illnesses and emergencies. It also showed me how connected healthcare funding and organization really are.

Today emphasized the fact that healthcare is not just about hospitals, emergencies, and the workers. But a big part of it is about making sure that people can actually access care before problems become more serious.