Hospital de las Mujeres Dr. Adolfo Carit
By Serena Carlson
Today we visited the Hospital de la Mujeres or the Women’s Hospital in down town San Jose, Costa Rica. We had the privilege to be escorted by hospital administrator Jenny Velasquez Cubero, MBA. She gave us an informative and personalized tour. We were able to see firsthand how healthcare is delivered to women in Costa Rica.
The hospital follows its four main ethics: honesty, responsibility, compassion and courtesy. Similar to the ethics our U.S. hospitals operate under.
This hospital is classified as a “specialized hospital”, with national coverage; It is part of the group of Deconcentrated Hospitals and reports directly to the Medical Management of Hospitals and Major Clinics of the Costa Rican Social Security Fund. It also is a hospital that specializes in high-risk pregnancies and deliveries.
Costa Rica has a different approach to women’s care. We visited the maternity area of the hospital and found that babies do not leave their mother’s side after delivery. They co-share the mother’s hospital bed. Mothers and their babies practice the kangaroo method (skin to skin contact) the first few hours after birth to develop bonding. We had the pleasure of visiting an area that was for mothers in their post-delivery care.
Each mother and their baby receive support that is holistic in nature. Mothers receive education on infant care, breast feeding and post-partum depression. This enables the mother and her baby to be supported prior to discharge.
Costa Rica encourages breastfeeding and has lactation consultants at each hospital for delivering mothers. Costa Rica has milk banks for its babies. All mothers are encouraged to donate their extra milk. It is located in the Hospital Carlos Luis Valverde Vega of San Ramon, Alajuela, but serves most cities in the nation. 
Costa Rica offers universal healthcare to all of its permanent citizens. There are 2 parts of the system, public and private. All citizens pay into the system based on their annual income.
Hospitales. Retrieved from http://www.ccss.sa.cr/hospitales?v=3