The Cuban Prescription: Human-Centered Care

Faith Mitchell, Ph.D., President and Chief Executive Officer, Grantmakers In Health

Earlier this year, members of Grantmakers In Health’s board and senior staff visited Havana, Cuba, with MEDICC, an organization licensed by the U.S.Department of the Treasury to conduct people-to-people trips to Cuba. The primary objectives of the trip were to see the Cuban approach to health in action, and to consider whether there were takeaway lessons for the U.S. health system.

In this article, they share their impressions of the Cuban health system and how it compares with the United States; the takeaways for health philanthropy; whether they see a role for philanthropy in Cuba when, and if, the embargo is lifted; and other thoughts.