Improving Rhode Island’s health care system: lessons from the Cuban model

Improving Rhode Island’s health care system: lessons from the Cuban model Cuba is world renowned for its health care system. In regards to international health crises, Cuba is a leader in sending workers abroad and training doctors from all over the world. Within its own borders, the Cuban model provides free access to all citizens in which every individual has a primary care provider. Cuba boasts high vaccination rates, a long life expectancy, low infant mortality rate, and a population that is one of the healthiest in the western hemisphere. The purpose of this research project is to evaluate the Cuban model of healthcare and compare it with the United States model. More specifically, for this research, we compared the Cuban province of Sancti Spíritus and the U.S. state of Rhode Island. The methods taken to evaluate the Cuban and American healthcare systems include the following: Review of the Cuban Health Care Model, review of the Rhode Island Primary Care Trust, and interviews with multiple individuals in both health care systems. The interviews were conducted with both Cuban and American health care professionals, medical students, and the former director of the Department of Health, Dr. Michael Fine. Dr. Michael Fine is an expert on community health programs. Primary care and prevention are the most cost effective and attainable methods of securing a healthier population. In the United States it is common that physicians continue on into specialized fields that compete for patients and do not consider the larger health care need for service in the community. This creates a dire need for primary care providers and is in contrast to what occurs in Cuba. In Cuba, physicians, physician’s assistants and nurse practitioners are trained specifically to continue their work in the primary care field tending to the basic needs of the Cuban population. Providers trained at the Latin American Medical School System in Cuba do not pay for their education. On completion of their expense-free training, the graduates ...