Puerto Rico Children’s Health Project (PRCHP), a partnership with Salud Integral en la Montaña (SIM), was launched in 2018 to support recovery efforts in the wake of Hurricane María.

PRCHP serves children and families in communities affected by the hurricane as well as poverty and barriers to healthcare that existed long before the storm. Through a mobile program and nine fixed-site clinics, PRCHP provides quality pediatric primary care to children and adolescents in seven municipalities across northern Puerto Rico.

The mobile clinics allow PRCHP to reach children and families living in isolated rural areas of the central mountain region. The program also leverages partnerships with schools and community sites, allowing PRCHP to meet young people where they spend most of their time, feel comfortable, and are open to learning. Because of the complex nature of patient needs, clinicians, social workers, and health educators go beyond primary care, administering important social and behavioral health screenings, making referrals to subspecialty care, and connecting families to other essential services (such as WIC, early intervention services, and medical insurance).

PRCHP provides primary and preventive care services without regard to income level or insurance status. Over 90% of patients served are at or below the poverty line.