Join the Mission-Margin Discussion

Area of Science:

• Healthcare Management
• Global Health
• Public Health Policy

Background:

• St. Francis de Sales Hospital in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, serves the poorest populations.
• Hospital leadership faces significant financial and operational challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

• To explore the management and financial sustainability challenges of a hospital serving an impoverished population.
• To understand the deliberations surrounding balancing mission-driven care with financial viability.

Main Methods:

• Qualitative discussion with hospital management (three priests).
• Exploration of strategies for financial sustainability.
• Analysis of the dual challenge of serving non-paying and paying patients.

Main Results:

• Hospital leadership expressed difficulties in maintaining financial margins while fulfilling their mission.
• Discussions revealed complexities in attracting paying patients to subsidize care for the indigent.
• The hospital operates under significant resource constraints.

Conclusions:

• Achieving financial sustainability for mission-driven hospitals in low-resource settings is complex.
• Innovative strategies are needed to balance serving vulnerable populations with financial health.
• The case highlights the critical need for support systems for healthcare facilities in developing nations.