Patients benefit from faster response time for medical care

(MissionNewswire) The new Salesian mental health and primary care services management center in Araçatuba, Brazil, is already showing improvements for the population’s health. A branch of the Salesian Mato Grosso Mission, the Zatti Saúde center works in partnership with the municipality of Araçatuba.

During the center’s first 50 days, more than 32,000 medical appointments were conducted across Araçatuba’s health facilities, reflecting a faster response time in patient care. There has also been a noticeable improvement in lab testing. In June, more than 56,000 laboratory tests were completed, successfully addressing a backlog in under one month. This outcome was made possible thanks to partnerships with local laboratories.

According to Father Paulo Vendrame, general director of Zatti Saúde and rector of the Salesian university UniSalesiano, these results reflect a successful health care model grounded in academic excellence, social commitment, and technical planning.

Fr. Vendrame explained, “This project has been developed over the years within the university. Our medical students begin working with communities from the very start of their studies, and some of them now serve as doctors in these facilities. The same spirit that inspired Don Bosco’s preventive system now guides our approach to health care, based on closeness, listening, and consistent presence.”

One of the key changes brought by the new management is the shift in employment policy. Previously, doctors worked without job security. Now, with permanent contracts, they enjoy safer, more stable working conditions. This encourages professional retention in family health teams and grants access to key employment rights such as paid leave and year-end bonuses.

Currently, Araçatuba has 46 family health teams, and 14 more are in the process of being approved by the Ministry of Health. In addition to Zatti Saúde’s staff, the medical workforce is supported by professionals from the federal government’s More Doctors program.

Another major focus is the investment in digital tools and professional development. UniSalesiano purchased 550 Samsung Galaxy S10 FE tablets to support digitization in health units, improving patient data management and monitoring.

All medical teams also take part in ongoing training sessions. To further evaluate service quality, the internationally recognized “Primary Care Assessment Tool” will be introduced. This tool, validated in Brazil, assesses key elements of primary care such as accessibility, coordination, comprehensiveness, and universality.

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Sources:

ANS Photo (usage permissions and guidelines must be requested from ANS)

ANS – Brazil – Primary Health Care Makes Strides with Zatti Saúde’s First 50 Days of Management

Salesian Missions – Brazil

UniSalesiano

World Bank – Brazil