About Hospital da Baleia

Hospital da Baleia

For the past 70 years, the Benjamin Guimarães Foundation/ Hospital da Baleia had an important role in the state of Minas Gerais promoting public health. More than five hundred thousand patients per year are attended with quality and excellence. The hospital has 23 main medical specialties being a reference in Nephrology, Neurosurgery, Oncology, Orthopedics and in the treatment of cleft lip, palate and craniofacial deformities.

Currently, nearly 300 doctors and more than 1.300 employees compound the staff. The hospital is committed to the education and research. Every year, the hospital receive 70 doctors (trainee) in the boarding school of Medicine and internships in many specialties.

It is also important to mention the public and privates partnerships that propel the name of the Hospital da Baleia all over Brazil. One of these partnerships is with the Instituto de Nacional de Traumatologia e Ortopedia (INTO), reference in high complexities ortophedic diseases and trauma.

In addition, we have initiated a new partnership in dermatology with the Instituto Superior de Medicina e Dermatologia (ISMD), who chooses the Baleia to promote accessibility to dermatological treatment. The institute is reference in treatment of Skin Cancer, Vitiligo, Psoríase and others dermatologics diseases.

As a philanthropic institution, the Hospital da Baleia has the support of the local population to give continuity to its mission.

The legacy of the founder Benjamin Guimarães - a successful businessman - includes values like social responsibility and charity. A strong reputation was built with stakeholders. Using the “Rede de Amigos” (Online Friends – www.amigosdobaleia.org.br) the hospital select virtual volunteers to participate in solidarity actions, cooperation and fraternity consolidating the values of citizenship by stimulating social responsibility. The institution also has projects that encourage the hospital humanization integrating employees, partners, patients and their families, for a healthy and pleasant work environment.

LEARN ABOUT SOME OF THE OUR MEDICAL SPECIALITIES

CENTRARE – It is the center of treatment of cleft lip, palate and craniofacial deformities

The center is recognized for the brazilian Ministry of Health in 2006 as reference of high complexity treatment in patients with cleft lip and palate and craniofacial deformities. In november of 2014, the CENTRARE completed 10 years. The centre oversees patients from all Minas Gerais and also from other states. The CENTRARE has 4, 000 patients registered.

Lucia Nunes who coordinates the CENTRARE, explains that the staff is multidisciplinary including Plastic Surgery, Otorhinolaryngology, Nursing, Dentistry, Audiology, Psychology, Nutrition and Social Service.

"Our patients had received time consuming treatments but they are highly effective. Many of them come to the hospital as children and could receive treatment until their 18 birthday. The work is rewarding because we improve the quality of life and self-esteem”, she explains.

Recently, the Centre was internationally recognized in a competition sponsored by the Smile Train ONG. The video "Surprise”, produced by its sponsors and the Hospital describes the great impact experienced by a couple with a child having cleft lip and palate as a patient of the CENTRARE. The film was voted by the brazilians and won the first place. As a prize, the Baleia received the visit of the american artist Jason Hulfish.

Nephrology

The Nephrology is a specialty of the Hospital da Baleia also stands high. Every year, more than 34 thousand hemodialysis sessions are made with more than 300 registered patients. In the latest expansion, the Nephrology of Baleia won a large area with modern equipments more than 50 devices per shift. Also the Baggage of Reuse of Capillaries, Cup of Patients, Water Treatment System (OSMOSIS), Doctor's Office, Peritoneal Dialysis, and Reception.
An additional part of Nephrology at the Baleia Hospital includes kidney transplant. On average, annually 12 procedures of this nature are performed in coordination with the Unique Health System of Brazil.

Oncology

This specialty started in 1982 with the treatment of adult patients and, later (2003)extended to pediatric patients. The Hospital da Baleia provides whole oncology services as part of the Unique Health System of Brazil. Currently, the Baleia offers all services (the whole treatment) for cancer: Hematology, Oncology clinic adult and pediatric, Chemotherapy and Radiotherapy.
For the complete treatment of cancer patients, the Baleia opened, in 2013, the Center for Radiotherapy, the largest in the Metropolitan Area of Belo Horizonte, capital the state of Minas Gerais. About 100 patients are daily attended on the Center.
The unit operates two Linear Accelerators capable of destroying deeper tumors decreasing the side effects of medication. The Center offers also Brachytherapy, a form of Radiation Therapy in which the radiation source is in contact, or very close to the treated area, but protecting the healthy tissues. Chemotherapy is carried out in a total of two thousand sessions per month.
At the Baleia oncologic patients receive treatment performed by a multidisciplinary team including doctors, nurses, speech therapists, nutritionists, psychologists, social workers and physiotherapists. This allows professionals to perform a quick diagnosis with the aim of improving the quality of life of these patients, during and after the treatment.
For patients with outside possibility of remission, the Hospital offers palliative care, which not only help those who are in treatment, but also their companions and family members. They are evaluated for pain relief and by other physical symptoms, including social and psychological behavior.

Pediatrics

For a long time, the Baleia Hospital dedicated exclusivity to the treatment of children with Tuberculosis. More recently, the institution included adults. This medical medical specialty continues as a reference and nowadays the services offered is more efficient because encompass other subspecialties, such as Pediatric Surgery, Pediatric Neurology, Pediatric Oncology, Pediatric Nephrology, Intensive Treatment Center in Pediatrics, Pediatric Endocrinology, among others. At the hospital, children are treated differently from adults, taking into account their peculiarities and developmental stages including physical, psychological and social behavior.

Ortopedic

Back in the 1950s, the Baleia Hospital started to be a reference in Orthopaedics. One of its best known fetures is the treatment of Congenital Clubfoot, a deformity involving bones, muscles, tendons and blood vessels. The disease affects both genres, and in the 60% of cases, it is bilateral. Because it has a complex pathology, the treatment should be initiated in newborn, with exchanges of gypsum and post-manipulation, weekly or biweekly, depending on medical indication.

Home Page: www.hospitaldabaleia.org.br