Cuba's Family Doctor-and-Nurse Teams: A Day in the Life.

Nurse Sarait Guarat has Felipe's clinical history out of the file cabinet and on Dr Martha Diaz's desk before he's even through the door. Not that Dr Díaz needs it: Having served 26 years at Consultorio (Family Doctor-and-Nurse Office) #17 on a leafy street in Havana's Vedado neighborhood, she knows each of her patients by name and their health status essentially by heart. After greeting 91-year old Felipe with the customary kiss on the cheek, Dr Díaz gets down to business, asking after his family, checking up on his diabetes and inquiring about the reason for his visit. "He's had an upset stomach and some diarrhea, doctora," his wife says from across the room. "That's not good. Let's find out what's going on," responds Dr Díaz, glancing at Felipe with a smile while donning her stethoscope to listen to his heart. After Felipe is weighed by Sarait, a nurse with 25 years' experience in Cuban primary care, Dr Díaz takes his blood pressure and commends him for his healthy 110/70.