VCOM - Virginia 2017 Yearbook

Oscar de la Renta Pediatric Care Center

VCOM students on rotation in the Dominican Republic with Dean Sutphin, PhD, VCOM Vice Provost for International and Appalachian Outreach (far left), and Frank Rainieri, President of Grupo Punta Cana (center).

O n April 26, 2017, medical students, faculty and administration from the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM) attended the opening of the Oscar de la Renta Pediatric Care Center in the Verón, Punta Cana region of La Altagracia, Dominican Republic. The new, VCOM-affiliated facility will provide professional health services of the highest quality to the population of more than 15,000 children living in the underserved communities in and around Punta Cana. The event was attended by the Dominican Republic’s President, Danilo Medina, as well as Annette de la Renta, wife of the late Mr. de la Renta.

“We are very pleased to open the Oscar de la Renta Pediatric Care Center and bring high- caliber medical care to the children of Punta Cana,” said Frank Rainieri, CEO, Grupo Puntacana. “This facility means a great deal to us. It is the result of a shared mission with Oscar de la Renta to ensure that the children in our region will thrive for generations to come.” The facility will be managed in partnership with VCOM, the Dominican Republic Ministry of Public Health, Servicio Nacional de Salud, Akron Children’s Hospital and the Grupo Puntacana Foundation. It will treat 50-150 children per day, ranging in age from newborns to 15 years old. The Oscar de la

Renta Pediatric Care Center’s services will be rendered free of charge, with a modest fee for laboratory services. The facility will diagnose and treat common illnesses, offer regular checkups and immunizations, take x-rays and scans, and track children’s growth progress. “VCOM is pleased to partner with the Grupo Puntacana Foundation, the Ministry of Health in the Dominican Republic, and others in order to advance medical care for the children of Verón,” said John G. Rocovich Jr., JD, LLM, VCOM Chairman. “We look forward

to long-term progressive improvement in medical

services through this important and innovative collaboration.”

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