The Adventist Hospital of Belém (HAB) provided medical support for sports delegations during a significant international event. The institution prioritized the health and well-being of athletes competing in the qualifying games for the AmeriCup 2025 basketball tournament, the premier competition in the Americas. To accomplish this, doctors, nurses, and nursing technicians collaborated as a multidisciplinary team, ensuring comprehensive care for all participants throughout the event.
On November 21 and 24, 2024, Belém do Pará, Brazil hosted the qualifying games, bringing intense excitement to the city. To provide essential support, HAB established a special structure on-site and enhanced its reputation with the international Qmentum Diamond accreditation. In February 2024, the hospital demonstrated its commitment to excellence by caring for athletes during the Women's Basketball Pre-Olympics.
At the games venue, a room was equipped to handle emergencies, including a stretcher bed, defibrillator, multiparameter monitor, mechanical ventilator, infusion pump, ultrasound, electrocardiogram (ECG), and materials for difficult airways. This advanced structure ensured an immediate response to any eventuality. During the event, the medical team initially treated a member of the Brazilian delegation in the emergency room. They then transferred the patient to the hospital with the support of an ICU ambulance, where additional tests were performed.
International Standard of Care
AmeriCup 2025 Health Coordinator Dr. Jean Clay Machado explained why HAB was chosen.
“International events require strict criteria when choosing reference hospitals, and one of the most important is the presence of a ‘seal of quality’, such as accreditation. For events of this magnitude, it is essential that the hospital has international accreditation. That is exactly why we chose Hospital Adventista, which has Qmentum accreditation, Diamond category, a Canadian certification. With this accreditation, we are much more at ease in having HAB as a backup hospital because we know that, if necessary, patients will receive top-quality care,” he said.
Strategic Planning Ensures Excellence
The Deputy Coordinator of the HAB Intensive Care Units, Dr. Cristiane Monte, highlighted the team's preparation for emergencies.
“We set up an emergency room in Mangueirinho and created a specific hospital flow to care for athletes. If emergency surgery was necessary, we would stabilize the patient in the red room and immediately transfer him/her to the ICU by ambulance. Everything was synchronized, ensuring fast and efficient care,” he explained.
Dr. Anderson Nascimento, doctor for the Brazilian men's basketball team, praised the HAB's infrastructure and compared it to European standards.
“At FIBA [International Basketball Federation] and CBB [Brazilian Basketball Confederation] events, we rarely find such comprehensive medical support as the Belém Adventist Hospital. Knowing that the athletes received excellent care gave us confidence and alleviated some of the stress during a competition. HAB pleasantly surprised us with its impeccable service,” he highlighted.
The original article was published on the South American Division Portuguese website.
