The Clínica Escola da Faculdade Adventista da Bahia (FADBA) completed 20 years of existence in 2022. The construction of the Clínica Adventista da Bahia began in 2001, being inaugurated on April 23, 2002 as an internship site for the then Adventist College of Physiotherapy (FAFIS). It was created by the director at the time, Dr. Claudia Bahia, and the deputy director, Professor Silvio Bernardes.
The first activities offered in 2002 were physiotherapeutic rehabilitation in the areas of orthopedics and adult neurology, extending to courses in nursing, psychology, and pedagogy. In 2014, a satellite Family Health Unit was incorporated, in partnership with the municipality, entitled “Esmeraldo Damasceno.” The name is a tribute to the first carpenter of the institution, who was especially relevant in the evangelization of the community.
In the beginning, the place offered medical clinics, dentistry, and preventive and vaccination services to the population neighboring the college. Later, expanded dental options and nutrition services were started.
![The dental clinic was attached to the original space and today serves the entire Recôncavo of Bahia [Photo Credit: Alonso Dávila]](https://images.hopeplatform.org/resize/L3c6MTkyMCxxOjc1L2hvcGUtaW1hZ2VzLzY1ZTcxMzAxZjY1NTI4MWE1MzhlZDM3My9qdVYxNzEzODgxOTkyNzk3LmpwZWc/w:1920,q:75/hope-images/65e71301f655281a538ed373/juV1713881992797.jpeg)
Experience
Stories of life and transformation have passed through the clinic's doors and continue to be shared over the years, such as that of Diego Patrício, who began his internships at Clínica Escola as a student 14 years ago. Today, he coordinates FADBA's physiotherapy course and works directly in this stage of student training.
He states that stages are one of the most important steps in this process. “I have been supervising clinical internships for at least six years, and it has been a wonderful experience. I say that the internships at Clínica Escola are the 'last stage' of cutting these diamonds that we are taking to the job market.”
Extension and Research Projects
In 2004, the social extension and research project called “A smile for you” was started, which offers multidisciplinary care to children with special needs and their mothers. The program began with the participation of professors and students from the physiotherapy, pedagogy, and theology courses. Then, the wives of theology students, who offer craft courses, joined. Afterwards, the professors and students of the nursing course came together to assist the participants. Professors of the administration course offered courses in household finance for mothers, and professors and students of the psychology and dentistry courses taught prevention and oral care.
Treatment of Special Children
The clinic has become a benchmark in Recôncavo Baiano for the treatment and care of children with special needs because it is the only place where this service is provided free of charge, in a multidisciplinary way. All of this has attracted the attention of mothers in the region who are benefited to invite other families to participate.
Alana Santos, mother of Thiago, explains that when the project started, she was in love with it because in addition to helping children, it also helps families with food baskets and other necessities. It is one of the best moments of the week for mothers and children, who share experiences and support each other.
“The teachers develop very good learning activities. Thiago is learning a lot, and when he is at home, sometimes I notice the things he learns in the project, and he ends up passing it on at home, even to his brother, who can understand it, too,” details Alana.
Other activities and research projects are also developed by teachers and students. Every month, the Clínica Escola da FADBA performs, on average, 250 consultations in the area of nursing, 1,000 in physiotherapy, 480 in psychology, 750 in dentistry, and 100 in nutrition, in addition to vaccinating about 2,000 people, applying 80 dressings, and providing 250 medicines.
![The first activities offered in 2002 were physiotherapeutic rehabilitation [Photo Credit: Alonso Dávila]](https://images.hopeplatform.org/resize/L3c6MTkyMCxxOjc1L2hvcGUtaW1hZ2VzLzY1ZTcxMzAxZjY1NTI4MWE1MzhlZDM3My9FelMxNzEzODgyMDA3OTcxLmpwZWc/w:1920,q:75/hope-images/65e71301f655281a538ed373/EzS1713882007971.jpeg)
Other Projects
There are also other initiatives, such as: the “Stork Network,” which assists pregnant women in the community; “Temporomandibular Disorders,” which offers specific physiotherapeutic and dental care for the various diagnoses in this area of expertise; “Cardiovascular Rehabilitation,” which aims to provide rehabilitation for patients with heart disease, hypertension, and metabolic diseases; “Chronic Pain,” which offers rehabilitation for patients with low back pain and fibromyalgia based on the Posture School model, with the participation of physiotherapy and psychology students; and “Quality of life for the worker,” which provides multidisciplinary care for FADBA employees, with the participation of physiotherapy, psychology, nursing, and dentistry students, among others.
Today, Luiz Aquino, a physiotherapist and the administrative manager of Clínica Escola, is a graduate of the institution and explains, “Thanks to the multidisciplinary team, the patient is fully evaluated, from his physical, mental, intellectual, and spiritual state. The services are carried out by the students and supervised by professionals trained in their areas.”
The next steps of the clinic accompany the growth of the institution, which, by inserting new courses, increases the possibility of care and services always being added to the purpose of supporting the community and presenting the love of God in each approach.
This article was originally published on the South American Division’s news site