The Santos Dumont Institute (ISD) participated this Tuesday and Wednesday (08 and 09) in the Meeting of Specialized Rehabilitation Centers of Rio Grande do Norte (CER/RN), an event with the objective of evaluating the actions carried out by the nine CERs in the state authorized by the Ministry of Health and, based on this “retrospective”, planning activities for the next year. This was the first in-person meeting of the Centers since March 2020, when the social isolation protocol began due to the Covid-19 pandemic. 

The Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center, at ISD, has been accredited as CER III since 2016, specializing in Physical, Auditory and Intellectual rehabilitation and, at the meeting, presented an overview of the actions developed in response to the pandemic. The unit is based in the municipality of Macaíba. 

The presentation of Anita’s CER was made via videoconference by the physical rehabilitation coordinator, physiotherapist and multidisciplinary preceptor Camila Simão. “The content of the presentation focused on our actions in the area of maternal and child health, for example, the adaptation of some services for telecare, the creation of several informative booklets to help our patients and the general public to better understand the crisis and take care of themselves. In addition, we reported on our return to in-person activities and care that were suspended, the safety protocols adopted and the return of actions such as the training of health professionals in the municipality”, said Camila.  

The event, promoted by the Coordination of Health Promotion and the Health Care Network for People with Disabilities, of the State Secretariat of Public Health, takes place in São José de Mipibu and has the participation of CERs from Areia Branca, Guamaré, Pau dos Ferros, Natal, Parnamirim, São Gonçalo do Amarante, São José de Mipibu and Macaíba. 

Also present at the event, the speech therapist and auditory rehabilitation coordinator at CER do Anita, Rogeria Dias says that the ISD's teaching activities are being highlighted at the meeting. “The Institute is in the spotlight due to the organization and planning of activities even in the face of the pandemic, especially with regard to the involvement of teaching and research in actions related to the CER, integrating residents and preceptors in the health care of people with disabilities,” he said. 

The Anita Garibaldi Health Education and Research Center, at ISD, is accredited by the Ministry of Health as CER-III and the main internship site for the ISD Multiprofessional Residency in Health Care for People with Disabilities. It is the first CER in the Northeast with operations integrated into a research and innovation system, through joint work with the Edmond and Lily Safra International Institute of Neurosciences, also at ISD, where researchers and students of the Master's degree in Neuroengineering also develop research and technologies aimed at this population.

Anita's CER-III is a reference in the SUS and serves people with Refractory Epilepsy; Parkinson's; Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD); Spinal Cord Injury; Microcephaly; Hearing Impairment; Prematurity and Neurogenic Bladder.