The Future
Our Belief
Through compassionate care, we seek to make Christ’s healing love visible—meeting each person not as a problem to be solved, but as a beloved child of God to be served.
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St. John Paul II reminded us that hospitals must be more than places where care is provided. They must be places where suffering is met with compassion and where every person’s life is recognized as a gift of immeasurable dignity.
Corporal Work of Mercy
We believe healthcare is a profound expression of mercy because illness touches the very core of human dignity. When someone is suffering, Jesus does not turn away. He draws near. Through healthcare, we have the privilege of doing the same.
Our Mission
Visitation Hospital Foundation, motivated by profound respect for human dignity and with deep appreciation of the solidarity within the human family, is established to provide quality and compassionate healthcare for the people of southwest Haiti, and empower them with resources to pursue their basic right to health and health education.
Our Story
"A Conviction That Wouldn't Quiet"
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Years ago, our founder Theresa Patterson—leading the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas—wrote five words in her journal that she couldn't shake: "Build a Hospital in Haiti."
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It wasn't strategy. It wasn't a grant proposal. It was something deeper: a response to fifteen years of witnessing the suffering of the Haitian people and the near absence of quality healthcare in the rural Nippes region.
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That conviction became Visitation Hospital Foundation.
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And in January 2008, Visitation Clinic opened its doors on a hillside in Petite Rivière de Nippes—the Caribbean visible in one direction, the mountains in the other.
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Over the past 18 years, we have served more than 300,000 patient cases. We have stood firm through earthquakes, epidemics, and countless storms. We have trained more than 40 Haitian midwives. We have cared for more than 1,000 patients every month, led entirely by an all-Haitian medical staff who serve their neighbors with skill, compassion, and pride.
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But Theresa's vision was never a clinic alone. It was always a hospital.
Timeline
"Our Journey: 25 Years of Faithfulness"
Our story isn't a straight line from dream to completion. It's a journey marked by conviction, setbacks, learning, and the steadfast belief that lasting change takes time.
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Timeline Milestones
1999
THE VISION TAKES FORM
Theresa Patterson, moved by 15 years of witnessing suffering in Haiti's Nippes region, founds Visitation Hospital Foundation. The mission is clear: build a hospital that brings dignity-centered healthcare to rural Haiti.
2003
THE CAPITAL CAMPAIGN BEGINS
With Fran Rajotte joining as Development Director, VHF launches a capital campaign to construct a rural outpatient clinic with modern infrastructure—a first step toward the hospital vision.
2008
VISITATION CLINIC OPENS
On a hillside in Petite Rivière de Nippes, with the Caribbean on one side and mountains on the other, Visitation Clinic opens its doors. The 30-member all-Haitian medical staff begins serving their neighbors—1,000+ patients monthly.
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The clinic becomes a model: energy-efficient architecture, full medical laboratory, dental clinic, radiology, pharmacy, electronic medical records, solar power, and satellite internet. No patient is turned away because of inability to pay.
2010
Haiti's devastating earthquake strikes. Visitation Clinic becomes a refuge. During the cholera epidemic that follows, the clinic treats over 70 critically ill patients. Everyone who reaches the clinic survives.
This moment proves what we have always believed: when crisis comes, faithful presence matters.
TESTED BY CRISIS
2014
EXPANDING TO SERVE MOTHERS
VHF launches midwifery services. Over 40 Haitian midwives are trained—"matrôns"—recognizing that women prefer to give birth close to home. Pre-natal education and dignified care follow. Maternal and infant mortality in the region begins to decline.
2022
THE HOSPITAL VISION ADVANCES
Through the generosity of major donors, planning begins for a surgical center—the next phase of Theresa's original vision. VHF has now treated over 300,000 patient cases. The foundation is strong. The need is clear.
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The hospital is no longer a dream. It is a promise waiting to be kept.
Meet the Team
"The People Behind the Mission"
Theresa Patterson
Founder
Theresa Patterson founded VHF out of a conviction that emerged from 15 years of witnessing suffering in Haiti. Her vision— "Build a Hospital in Haiti" — remains the north star of our work. A former executive director of the Parish Twinning Program of the Americas, Theresa continues to serve actively on VHF's board and remains deeply engaged in our mission.
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Stacy Cornwall
Executive Director
Stacy leads VHF's strategic direction and daily operations. With deep expertise in nonprofit leadership and a warm heart for VHF's mission, Stacy ensures that our work remains faithful to our values while growing to meet the urgent needs of Haiti's Nippes region.
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Board Members
Our board members bring diverse expertise in healthcare, finance, nonprofit governance, and fundraising. They serve without compensation, united by a shared belief in VHF's mission and commitment to faithful stewardship of every gift received.
Fran Rajotte Myers
Immediate Past President + Member
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Theresa Patterson
Founder + Member
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Matt Davis
President
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Charlie Sheridan
Vice President
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Alan Dooley
Member
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Kathy Ingleson
Member
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Dr. Marjorie Calixte-Hallworth
Member
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Fr. Anthony Stewart
Member
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Dr. Janet Donahue
Member
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Mendy Calixte
Secretary
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Chris Kelly
Member
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HAITIAN MEDICAL, ADMINISTRATIVE AND SUPPORT STAFF
The True Leaders of Our Mission
VHF's clinic is led by a 30-member team of Haitian medical professionals, administrators, and support staff. They are not assistants to visiting doctors. They are the primary healthcare providers, the decision-makers, the trusted leaders of their communities.
They include:
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Doctors and nurses providing primary care and emergency services
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A dental team offering comprehensive oral health services
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Laboratory technicians running sophisticated medical testing
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Midwives ("matrôns") providing prenatal, birth, and postnatal care
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Pharmacy staff ensuring medication access and patient education
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Administrative staff coordinating patient care and community outreach
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Community health workers bringing care to villages beyond the clinic
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These professionals are the heartbeat of Visitation Clinic. They arrive every day to serve their neighbors with skill, compassion, and pride. They make clinical decisions. They know their patients. They understand their region's unique healthcare challenges. They are the reason trust exists.
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When you support VHF, you are supporting them—their continued training, their fair compensation, their ability to serve with excellence.