Last December, Comunidad Connect welcomed partners from across the Dominican Republic and beyond to Puerto Plata for the 7th Annual Comunidad Connect Health Summit. While only a few months have passed, the ideas, relationships, and collaboration built during those four days continue to shape the work ahead.
The summit brought together leaders from public, private, academic, and community sectors to explore how to strengthen equitable healthcare access while advancing accessibility and inclusivity across systems of care. Through collaborative sessions, site visits, and open dialogue, universities, healthcare providers, interpreters, researchers, and local leaders examined real challenges and identified opportunities that will carry into 2026 and beyond.
"What makes the summit meaningful is not the presentations, but the relationships built in this space. When universities, healthcare providers, interpreters, and local institutions come together to strengthen coordination and accessibility across systems of care, that alignment moves our communities forward." — Eurel Gonzalez, Country Director
We extend our sincere gratitude to the many partners who helped make this summit possible, including Georgia State University; University of Tennessee; Jacksonville University; Rochester Institute of Technology; Atlanta Spine Center; the National School for the Deaf; the Global Institute for Deaf Research; Santa Rosa Institute for the Deaf; the National Association for the Deaf; MEPS Interpreters; the City Hall of Puerto Plata; Provincial Hospital Ricardo Limardo; ENAPSOR; and the communities of Nuevo Renacer and San Marcos Arriba.
As we move into 2026, the collaboration sparked at the summit continues. Planning is underway for this year's conference in Puerto Plata, and we welcome partners interested in participating in the 2026 Health Summit to contact our team to learn more.