New Oscar de la Renta Pediatric Center Brings Free Healthcare to Children of Punta Cana

Pediatric Center continues iconic designer's legacy of compassion in the community he called home

News provided by

Apr 26, 2017, 13:59 ET

PUNTA CANA, Dominican Republic, April 26, 2017 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Oscar de la Renta Pediatric Center, built in Mr. de la Renta's memory by Grupo Puntacana Foundation, opened in the Veron Punta Cana region of La Altagracia. The event was attended by Dominican Republic's President, Danilo Medina, as well as Annette de la Renta. The facility will provide professional health services of the highest quality to the population of more than 15,000 children now living in the underserved communities in and around Veron Punta Cana.

Frank Rainieri, Annette de la Renta, Danilo Medina, Cándida Montilla de Medina, Haydée Kuret de Rainieri and Altagracia Guzmán at the opening of the Oscar de la Renta Pediatric Center

The facility will be managed in partnership with the Edward Via College of Osteopathic Medicine (VCOM), Dominican Republic Ministry of Public Health, Servicio Nacional de Salud, Akron Children's Hospital and Grupo Puntacana Foundation. It will treat 50-60 children per day, ranging in age from newborns to fifteen years old. The Oscar de la Renta Pediatric Center's services will be rendered free of charge, with a modest fee for laboratory services. The facility will diagnose and treat common illnesses, offer regular checkups and immunizations, take x-rays and scans, and track children's growth progress.

"We are very pleased to open the Oscar de la Renta Pediatric Center and bring high-caliber medical care to the children of Punta Cana," said Frank Rainieri, CEO, Grupo Puntacana. "This facility means a great deal to us. It is the result of a shared mission with Oscar de la Renta to ensure that the children in our region will thrive for generations to come."

"Akron Children's Hospital is very happy to be part of a project that allows us to bring our pediatric health care expertise to the children of the Dominican Republic," said Dr. Norman Christopher, Chairman of the Department of Pediatrics at Akron Children's Hospital. "This is a wonderful new venture for our Office of Pediatric Global Health and our doctors, nurses and residents. We will gain as much from the affiliation as we will give to it."

"VCOM is pleased to partner with the Grupo Puntacana Foundation, the Ministry of Health in the Dominican Republic, and others in order to advance medical care for the children of Veron, said John G. Rocovich Jr., JD, LLM, VCOM Chairman. "We look forward to long-term progressive improvement in medical services through this important and innovative collaboration."

The facility was inspired by Mr. de la Renta's longtime passion for Altagracia, where he was an investor and homeowner at Puntacana Resort & Club. During his time as a homeowner, Mr. de la Renta dedicated himself to improving the resort and the surrounding community. Among many initiatives, he worked with Tennis Pro Felix de Los Santos to develop Puntacana Resort & Club's Ballboy Program, benefitting the young men of Altagracia and encouraging them to further their educations. He designed Tortuga Bay at Puntacana Resort & Club in 2005, the only hotel project that he ever worked on. He spent the final twenty years of his life in the region.

About Grupo Puntacana

The development of Grupo Puntacana dates back to 1969 when Dominican businessman and hotelier Frank R. Rainieri and Theodore W. Kheel, the prominent New York attorney and labor mediator, created a partnership to construct a resort and real estate community that respects the natural habitat of Punta Cana while offering a world-class vacation experience. Maintaining a dedication to sustainable tourism, Puntacana Resort & Club has since grown to encompass over 26 square miles and now includes Tortuga Bay; Six Senses Spa; the Grupo Puntacana Foundation; four residential communities (Corales, Serena, Hacienda, Marina and Arrecife); a full-service marina; nine restaurants; a shopping village; two 18-hole golf courses; and Punta Cana International Airport, a modern facility that incorporates innovative and eco-friendly design. In 1997, Julio Iglesias and Oscar de la Renta joined the Group as co-investors and have made Puntacana Resort & Club their home. Currently, Punta Cana is the most highly visited Caribbean destination and is easily accessible from all over the globe.