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	Beyond The Horizon 2017: New clinic in Belize lays foundation for future
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        <h1 class="title">Beyond The Horizon 2017: New clinic in Belize lays foundation for future</h1>
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            <img src="https://media.defense.gov/2017/Jun/19/2001764911/1920/1080/0/170609-A-AD814-086.JPG"
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                 alt="Completion of the new building at the Ladyville Health Clinic is officially marked at the ribbon-cutting ceremony June 9 in Ladyville, Belize. Shown cutting the ribbon (from left): Chief Warrant Officer 3 Herminio Romero, site project manager and member of the 448th Engineer Battalion from Puerto Rico; Col. John Simma, Beyond the Horizon 2017 Task Force Jaguar commander; Adrienne Galanek, Chargé d’Affaires for the U.S. Embassy Belize; Ramon Figueroa, CEO of the Belize Ministry of Health; Lance Cpl. Gladden of the Belize Defence Force and Lt. Col. Robert Ramsey, Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché for the U.S. Embassy. Construction was accomplished during Beyond the Horizon 2017, a collaborative training event between U.S. Army South, the Belize Defence Force, other Central American nations and local and international NGOs, providing medical and engineering services throughout Belize. "
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            <div class="image-caption">Completion of the new building at the Ladyville Health Clinic is officially marked at the ribbon-cutting ceremony June 9 in Ladyville, Belize. Shown cutting the ribbon (from left): Chief Warrant Officer 3 Herminio Romero, site project manager and member of the 448th Engineer Battalion from Puerto Rico; Col. John Simma, Beyond the Horizon 2017 Task Force Jaguar commander; Adrienne Galanek, Chargé d’Affaires for the U.S. Embassy Belize; Ramon Figueroa, CEO of the Belize Ministry of Health; Lance Cpl. Gladden of the Belize Defence Force and Lt. Col. Robert Ramsey, Senior Defense Official and Defense Attaché for the U.S. Embassy. Construction was accomplished during Beyond the Horizon 2017, a collaborative training event between U.S. Army South, the Belize Defence Force, other Central American nations and local and international NGOs, providing medical and engineering services throughout Belize. </div>
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            <img src="https://media.defense.gov/2017/Jun/19/2001764913/1920/1080/0/170609-Z-XJ577-031.JPG"
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                 alt="Col. John Simma, Commander for Beyond the Horizon 2017  Task Force Jaguar, speaks a the Ladyville Health Center Ribbon Cutting Ceremony June 9. BTH is a collaborative training event between U.S. Army South, the Belize Defence Force, other Central American nations and local and international NGO's providing medical and engineering services throughout Belize. Simma said the engineering projects and health events conducted during BTH uncluded approximately 1,900 U.S. Military members from the Army, Air Force, Marine Reserves and National Guard who worked shoulder-to-shoulder with members of the BDF, an Engineer Regiment from Trinidad and Tobago, and soldiers from the Columbian military."
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            <div class="image-caption">Col. John Simma, Commander for Beyond the Horizon 2017  Task Force Jaguar, speaks a the Ladyville Health Center Ribbon Cutting Ceremony June 9. BTH is a collaborative training event between U.S. Army South, the Belize Defence Force, other Central American nations and local and international NGO's providing medical and engineering services throughout Belize. Simma said the engineering projects and health events conducted during BTH uncluded approximately 1,900 U.S. Military members from the Army, Air Force, Marine Reserves and National Guard who worked shoulder-to-shoulder with members of the BDF, an Engineer Regiment from Trinidad and Tobago, and soldiers from the Columbian military.</div>
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                 alt="Ribbon Cutting Ceremony June 9 for Beyond the Horizon 2017 construction project at Ladyville Health Clinic, in Ladyville, Belize. BTH is a collaborative training event with U.S. Army South and Belize Defence Force and includes support from other Central American nations and local and international NGO's. The new facility will more than double the capacity of the existing structure providing a wider range of availble medical options at the primary care level."
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            <div class="image-caption">Col. John Simma, the commander for Beyond the Horizon 2017 Task Force Jaguar, hands over the keys to the new Ladyville Health Clinic building to Dr. Javier Zuniga, regional health manager for the Ministry of Health, at the ribbon-cutting ceremony June 9 in Ladyville, Belize.</div>
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                 alt="Nurse Sharon Espinoza, Ministry of Health nursing supervisor, speaks at the Ladyville Health Center ribbon-cutting ceremony June 9 in Ladyville, Belize. Construction of the building was completed as part of Beyond the Horizon 2017, a collaborative training exercise between U.S. Army South, the Belize Defence Force, other Central American nations and local and international NGOs, providing medical and engineering services throughout Belize. The new facility will more than double the capacity of the existing structure providing a wider range of availble medical options at the primary care level."
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            <div class="image-caption">Nurse Sharon Espinoza, Ministry of Health nursing supervisor, speaks at the Ladyville Health Center ribbon-cutting ceremony June 9 in Ladyville, Belize. Construction of the building was completed as part of Beyond the Horizon 2017, a collaborative training exercise between U.S. Army South, the Belize Defence Force, other Central American nations and local and international NGOs, providing medical and engineering services throughout Belize. The new facility will more than double the capacity of the existing structure providing a wider range of availble medical options at the primary care level.</div>
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                 alt="Students from the Ladyville Evangelical School check out the new facilities at the Ladyville Health Clinic ribbon-cutting ceremony June 9 in Ladyville, Belize.  Construction on the addition to the existing clinic was accomplished during Beyond the Horizon 2017, a collaborative training event between U.S. Army South, the Belize Defence Force and other Central American nations. Members from the girls’ school participated in the ceremony with a hymn. "
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            <div class="image-caption">Students from the Ladyville Evangelical School check out the new facilities at the Ladyville Health Clinic ribbon-cutting ceremony June 9 in Ladyville, Belize.  Construction on the addition to the existing clinic was accomplished during Beyond the Horizon 2017, a collaborative training event between U.S. Army South, the Belize Defence Force and other Central American nations. Members from the girls’ school participated in the ceremony with a hymn. </div>
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    <div><b>By Sgt. 1st Class Nichole Bonham</b> <span class="date">/ Published June 19, 2017</span></div>
    <span class="dateline-text">LADYVILLE, Belize, </span>
    <p><span style="font-family: Arial; font-size: 16px;">Members of the Beyond the Horizon Task Force and the Belize Ministry of Health hosted a ribbon-cutting ceremony June 9 for a newly constructed addition to the Ladyville Health Clinic in Ladyville, Belize. </span></p>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">The new clinic, which was completed as part of the Beyond the Horizon 2017, more than doubles the capacity of the current health center and lays the foundation for developing more robust health care assistance in the region.</span></p>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">BTH 2017 is a partnership exercise between U.S. Army South and the Government of Belize providing five construction projects and three medical events throughout the country. </span></p>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">The ceremony included a song by the students of Ladyville Evangelical School and remarks by members of the Ministry of Health; Col. John Simma, BTH Task Force commander; Adrienne Galanek, Chargé d’Affairs of the U.S. Embassy Belize; and Glenroy Fermin, President of the Belize District Association of Village Councils.</span></p>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Ramon Figueroa, chief executive officer for the Ministry of Health, said construction of the new facility “fits into a plan by the government and the Ministry of Health in terms of seeing how best we can extend access and coverage to the population.” </span></p>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Dr. Javier Zuniga, Belize District Regional Manager for the Ministry of Health, , elaborated by saying, “the plan to strengthen primary healthcare services in this area is well on its way to become a reality.” </span></p>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">After the ceremony, Zuniga described how the clinic currently operates and what impact the new structure will have. Health centers such as the original structure at Ladyville, can service 2,000 to 4,000 patients a year, referring more serious needs directly to larger facilities in Belize City. </span></p>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Zuniga added the new building will allow the Ladyville Health Clinic to transition into a poly clinic, with a greater range of available medical services. Poly clinics can provide care to approximately 10,000 patients a year and can receive referrals from smaller clinics in the surrounding communities. The result is closer access to quality care for local residents and a reduced strain on Belize City medical facilities. </span></p>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Construction of the new Ladyville building was accomplished by BTH engineers and Army reservists from the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, Montana, Wisconsin, Colorado and Texas over a three-month period. </span></p>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">“Our engineers worked shoulder to shoulder with the Belize Defence Force Engineers, Trinidad &Tobago Regiment and Engineers from Columbia.” Simma said. “It provided our soldiers with realistic training for both engineering and medical skills hard to train on, one weekend a month back home.” </span></p>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Chief Warrant Officer 3 Herminio Romero, clinic project manager, and his core team from the 448<sup>th</sup> Engineer Battalion from San Juan, Puerto Rico, stayed for the duration of the build, assisting new Soldiers coming in every two weeks over six rotations.</span></p>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">“The main purpose is to do the entire mission and serve the communities of Belize. But the purpose too, at the same time, is to have training for the Soldiers,” Romero said.</span></p>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">He explained that because each team came in with their own tools and different levels of ability, time had to be spent on inventory, training, and assessments, leaving only about 10-11 days per rotation to go from a cold start to transition with the next team.  </span></p>
<span style="font-size: 16px;"> </span>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Even though there were training requirements before each rotation started, the project remained ahead of schedule, allowing for the completion of several projects of opportunity. Aside from the originally planned 10 rooms, which include a triage room, asthma bay, and two private consultation rooms, the construction team also designed and built a concrete ramp for handicap access to the building’s entry, and painted the original building to match the new construction.</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Romero’s efforts were recognized during the ribbon-cutting ceremony by Zuniga, “I can literally say his sweat is in the building."</span></p>
<p><span style="font-size: 16px;">Zuniga estimated the new building would be fully operational within one to two months, depending on the delivery schedule of medical equipment and supplies being provided by local and international NGO’s. The transition to a larger-staffed Poly Clinic would take slightly longer, but was expected to be up and running by the end of the year. <br />
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