Bringing Laboratory Testing Closer to Patients in Honduras

HNL Lab Medicine Supports Manos Amigas Clinic in Honduras

For more than two decades, the Manos Amigas Clinic in Honduras has worked to provide healthcare to people who may otherwise have limited access to affordable medical services. Now, HNL Lab Medicine is helping support that mission through a donation of laboratory equipment designed to bring important testing capabilities closer to the patients the clinic serves.

A Vision Born from a Need for Care

The story of Manos Amigas began when Dr. Robert Sumner traveled to La Entrada, Honduras, on a mission trip. During his visit, he saw firsthand the challenges many people in the community faced when trying to access healthcare At the end of the week, Dr. Sumner encountered more than 100 people standing outside a fence. Many had come seeking medical care but were unable to receive it.

The experience stayed with him after he returned home. He envisioned a permanent clinic where people could receive quality healthcare regardless of their ability to pay. With support from individuals who donated money, equipment, supplies, time and skills, that vision eventually became the Manos Amigas Clinic. Today, the clinic continues that mission, serving patients who may have few other options for affordable healthcare.

Bringing Care Beyond the Clinic

Access to healthcare can be challenging even after a clinic has been established. Manos Amigas serves several surrounding villages, and reaching the clinic can require a journey of 30 minutes to an hour and a half. For some patients, that distance can make it difficult to receive care as often as they may need it. “There’s a clinic and many villages,” said Richard “Rick” MacKenzie, former Senior Vice Chair of Emergency Medicine and a board member of Serving at the Crossroads. “Some of the people in the villages cannot travel to the clinic.

Since everyone cannot get that access, we hope to get into the villages to provide them with the care they need.” Bringing laboratory testing capabilities into these communities could help healthcare providers gather important information closer to where patients live, reducing the need for some patients to travel to the clinic for testing.

HNL Lab Medicine Donates Point-of-Care Testing Equipment

To help support these efforts, HNL Lab Medicine is donating three handheld laboratory analyzers to the Manos Amigas Clinic. The analyzers can quickly test a patient’s blood and provide important health information, including sodium and potassium levels. Having access to this information can give healthcare professionals another tool to support patient care both at the clinic and in the surrounding villages. The need for point-of-care testing became apparent to Rick through his involvement with Serving at the Crossroads. After traveling to Honduras in April and later joining the organization’s board in June, he recognized an opportunity to help expand access to testing.

When he learned that the organization did not have the funds to purchase an analyzer, he reached out to HNL Lab Medicine’s point-of-care testing team. “There are a number of people with dialysis, and they need sodium and potassium testing,” Rick said. “Having access to that information can be very important when caring for patients.”

Supporting Healthcare Where Patients Live

The analyzers may also be useful when caring for patients whose health conditions require regular assessment. For example, someone living in a village with a condition such as COPD may have difficulty traveling to the clinic as frequently as their care needs might otherwise be required. Having testing equipment that can be brought into the community could help healthcare professionals gather additional information while providing care closer to home.

This approach reflects the broader mission of Serving at the Crossroads, whose work is centered on “Aid. Inform. Empower.” The organization provides resources while also helping empower local healthcare professionals to continue serving their communities. “People are so appreciative when you provide something they don’t have,” Rick said.

A Partnership Focused on Access

The donation of three laboratory analyzers is one part of a much larger effort that has supported the Manos Amigas Clinic since its beginnings. For more than 20 years, the clinic’s work has depended on partnerships, volunteers, and donated resources. For HNL Lab Medicine, supporting Manos Amigas is an opportunity to contribute laboratory equipment and expertise to healthcare professionals who are working to make care more accessible.

By helping bring testing resources closer to patients, these handheld analyzers may provide healthcare professionals with additional information to support care decisions, both at the clinic and in the villages it serves. HNL Lab Medicine is proud to support the Manos Amigas Clinic and the healthcare professionals working to make quality healthcare more accessible to the people and communities they serve. Learn more about Serving at the Crossroads: Serving at the Crossroads