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Adventist Health Program (PROASA)

By Dilson Batista Cavalcanti Neto

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Dilson Batista Cavalcanti Neto

First Published: September 19, 2024

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The Adventist Health Program (Programa Adventista de Saúde or, in short, PROASA) is a non-profit Adventist company that aims to manage and operate health care and prevention plans for the servers of the Seventh-day Adventist Church in Brazil.1 The headquarters is located at: SGAS, quadra 611, Conj. D, part A, 70200-710, Av. L3 - Asa Sul, in the city of Brasilia, Federal District, Brazil.

PROASA has 36 employees and approximately 841 service providers among their hospitals, clinics, and self-employed professionals.2 Besides these, it is associated with Unimed health plan that provides additional procedures and medical specialties. The plan assists an average of 16,940 people a year. In 2019, the number of beneficiaries totaled 19,624 and 14,652 medical care were registered in the first semester alone.3 It is important to know that PROASA assistance coverage only serves the Brazilian territory, i.e., its services do not cover other countries served by the South America Division (SAD).4

Organization

PROASA was founded on August 17, 1998, and was created to meet two needs: the first was to assist the collaborators of the Adventist institutions in Brazil, including canvassers, retirees, and pensioners of the Retirement Adventist Institute (IAJA).5 The second need was to comply with Law No. 9656/98, which came into effect to rule the functioning of health plan institutions. Because of the latter, there was no need of a South America Division vote--there was only a meeting held in the city of Brasilia, Federal District, on the date of its foundation.6

As an institution of the Adventist Church, it is designated as a nonprofit legal entity. In addition, the PROASA self-management health plan provides both inpatient and outpatient care, and gives orientations regarding the individual’s health care and their emotional and physiological safety.7 Sérgio Reis is the current general director, and Marcos Enoch serves as the operating manager.8

The program also has professionals from various academic backgrounds, including administration, nursing, medicine, speech therapy, as well as other specialties, and they are distributed throughout many areas of Brazil. Their mission is to: “Promote physical, mental, social and spiritual well-being by following the example of the Lord Jesus, Physician of physicians”.9

History

PROASA has been operating since the 1980s, and although its name has changed twice, the acronym remained the same. First, it meant “Guidance and Health Care Program” and now is “Adventist Health Program”.10

In the 1980s, its head office was located on Street Almirante Barroso, in the city of Rio de Janeiro, RJ, next to the Health Guarantee program. This program was intended to make treatments and hospitalizations accessible to the Adventist Church members.11 Later, PROASA was transferred to the Copacabana neighborhood, having been operating at Street Constante Ramos. Its first director was Dr. Alípio Rosa (at the time the position was called executive secretary), and Onir Marquart was the operating manager. Dr. Alípio was replaced by Pastor Siloé João de Almeida at the end of that decade, and in 1995, Pastor João Lotze took over the office.

In 1990, Jacob Theodoro Rodrigues assumed the post of operating manager, replacing Onir Marquart. One year later, on April 1st, the SDA Church moved PROASA to the city of Brasilia, Federal District, where it began operating at the current address: Ql 5, Lago Sul. Its management team remained the same, however. Its structure and facilities have been improved, and nowadays it is a modern and practical environment to facilitate the accomplishment of its work.

PROASA has worked with hospitals to facilitate their accreditation throughout Brazil. Among them there were clinics, Adventist hospitals, Golden Cross International Health Care hospitals, and other institutions in cities where the Seventh-day Adventist Church (SDA) was present.

Until 1997, the reimbursement system was viable, and 100% of expenses spent were credited to its beneficiaries. However, the AMB (or Brazilian Medical Conference) redefined this regulation, and the restitution was no longer allowed. Under Law No. 9656/98, new regulations for health care plans, including self-management systems, came into force in Brazil. This change required the segmentation of the health care area of the then-Adventist Retirement Institute (IAJA), which was incorporated into the Guidance and Health Care Program on August 17, 1998, which in turn became known as the Adventist Health Program.

Between 2003 and 2004, Pastor Jair Bezerra replaced Pastor João Lotze. Jacob Theodoro Rodrigues, the operating manager, became accountant and later served as the benefits director. In 2007, they moved to the Silvestre Adventist Hospital (SAH), which was located in the city of Rio de Janeiro, RJ.

In addition to the provision of health services, there has always been a concern regarding knowledge of health information. For instance, PROASA offered a workshop for its insured, collaborators, and workers on April 27, 2012, in the city of Brasilia, Federal District, an event that presented methods to prevent cardiovascular problems.12

The Adventist Health Program also holds various missionary events. One of these actions was their participation in the Week of Harvest in the city of Gama, Federal District, in November 2018. The PROASA team got involved in a week-long schedule of various activities resulting in the baptism of three people. These actions facilitated the direct involvement of collaborators in the SDA Church’s mission through health care.13 Another of PROASA missionary actions was directed to highlight the eight natural remedies, and it was held in the administrative region of São Sebastião, in Federal District, in November 2018, 14 in addition to providing online articles that promote the sustainability.15

Throughout its existence, the institution has faced challenging situations, mainly in relation to its financial management. The major challenges faced occurred during the implementation of the National Health Agency (ANS) in Brazil, the government agency which determined new authorization procedures and new criteria to the beneficiaries, thus generating a considerable increase in costs for the Program.16

Among the milestones in the Program’s history, the hiring of Unimed - the largest cooperative health system in the world - has made it possible to pay for all types of procedures and medical specialties. Moreover, service providers were hired throughout Brazil, such as hospitals, clinics, and self-employed professionals, which in turn provided the stabilization of these bookings and, finally, developed considerable financial strength.17 PROASA is rated in the Supplementary Health Development Index (IDSS) and is considered one of the most recognized health plans.18 Indeed, the Beneficiary Satisfaction Survey held in 2017 was considered quite satisfactory.19

In four years, the growth in the number of beneficiaries of the Program was remarkable: in 2015, there were 17,899, and the following year, this number increased to 18,347. In 2017, it increased to 18,675. Finally, in 2018, there were 19,262 beneficiaries. As of 2019, the number reached 19.624. In relation to the number of people assisted by the Program: in 2014, there were 15,645 patients; in 2015, there were 16,604; in 2016, it increased to 17,805, followed by 18,294 in 2017, and 18,644 people in 2018. On average, 16.940 medical care are held per year. The largest growth rate in the number of medical care provided by the program occurred during these years. In the first half of 2019, the number of beneficiaries reached 19,624 and 14,652 calls were registered. This growth seems to underline the ease of finding specific medical specialties and treatments.

It is important to know that PROASA is also accessible through digital platforms at these app stores: Google Play and Apple Store.20 The app was designed with the intention of facilitating the use of health insurance for members and their dependents.21

Role and Position in the Country

PROASA administrators, staff, nursing professionals, technical assistants, physicians, physiotherapists, and speech therapists work to provide professional and reliable service. Its performance reached evaluative indexes22 earned recognition with the Brazilian government regulator (ANS), notably for the services provided under the health and prevention assistance plans of Adventist institutions' servers.23

List of Directors

Directors: Alípio Rosa (1985-1989); Siloé J. Almeida (1989 -1995); João Lotze (1995-2003); Jair Bezerra (2003-2007); Anete Neves (2008-2010); Pierre Damásio (2011-2012); Valcírio Alves (2012-2014); Sergio Reis (2015-).24

Operating Manager: Marcos Enoch (1998-).25

More information about PROASA can be found at http://www.proasa.org.br/ or on the Adventistas Brasil You Tube channel.

Sources

Adventist News Network. https://noticias.adventistas.org/pt.

PROASA website. https://www.proasa.org.br/.

“São Roque Adventist Clinic.” ARH 77, no. 5 (May 1982).

Seventh-day Adventist Church website. https://www.adventistas.org/pt/.

Notes

  1. PROASA website, “Quem Somos,” [“Who we are”], accessed January 22, 2019, https://bit.ly/2HIH59V.↩

  2. PROASA website, “Guia Médico,” [Medical Guide], accessed May 21, 2019, https://bit.ly/2EALU3l.↩

  3. Ana Paula (PROASA secretary), interviewed by the author, November 9, 2018.↩

  4. Ibid.↩

  5. Ibid.↩

  6. Ibid.↩

  7. Seventh-day Adventist Church website, “Instituições,” [Institutions], accessed on January 22, 2019, https://bit.ly/2KbnAIN.↩

  8. PROASA website, “Quem Somos,” [Who we are], accessed January 22, 2019, https://bit.ly/2HIH59V.↩

  9. PROASA website, “Missão e Valores,” [Mission and values], accessed January 23, 2019, https://bit.ly/2W5fSr5 .↩

  10. Ibid.↩

  11. "São Roque Adventist Clinic," ARH 77, no. 5 (May 1982): 35.↩

  12. Márcia Ebinger, “Programa Adventista de Saúde realiza workshop,” [Adventist Health Program conducts workshop] Adventist News Network, April 27, 2012, accessed January 21, 2019, https://bit.ly/30Qt6Xh.↩

  13. PROASA website, “PROASA participa de Feira de Saúde em Candangolândia-DF,” [PROASA participates in Health Fair in Candangolândia-DF], accessed January 22, 2019, http://twixar.me/1FP3.↩

  14. PROASA website, “PROASA faz programação no Distrito de São Sebastião – DF,” [PROASA does a program in the District of São Sebastião – DF], accessed January 22, 2019, http://twixar.me/1FP3.↩

  15. PROASA website, “Proasa em Movimento – Mês da Sustentabilidade,” [Proasa on the Move - Sustainability Month], accessed January 22, 2019, http://twixar.me/1FP3.↩

  16. Ana Paula (PROASA secretary), interviewed by the author, November 9, 2018.↩

  17. Ibid.↩

  18. Ibid.↩

  19. In compliance with ANS Normative Instruction, in the case DIDES Instruction 60/2015; PROASA website, “Pesquisa de Satisfação do Beneficiário 2017,” [Beneficiary Satisfaction Survey 2017], accessed January 21, 2019, https://bit.ly/2JQwlJd.↩

  20. Ibid.↩

  21. PROASA website, “Tutorial do App Proasa é lançado em concílio pastoral,” [App Proasa Tutorial Is Launched in Pastoral Council], accessed January 22, 2019, https://bit.ly/2EGq52l.↩

  22. Pesquisa de Satisfação do Beneficiário 2017 [Beneficiary Satisfaction Survey 2017]. http://twixar.me/zKP3.↩

  23. PROASA website, “Pesquisa de Satisfação do Beneficiário 2017,” [Beneficiary Satisfaction Survey 2017], accessed January 21, 2019, https://bit.ly/2JQwlJd.↩

  24. Ana Paula (PROASA secretary), interviewed by the author, November 9, 2018.↩

  25. Ibid.↩

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Neto, Dilson Batista Cavalcanti. "Adventist Health Program (PROASA)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. September 19, 2024. Accessed March 14, 2025. https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=6JOX.

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Neto, Dilson Batista Cavalcanti. "Adventist Health Program (PROASA)." Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. September 19, 2024. Date of access March 14, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=6JOX.

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Neto, Dilson Batista Cavalcanti (2024, September 19). Adventist Health Program (PROASA). Encyclopedia of Seventh-day Adventists. Retrieved March 14, 2025, https://encyclopedia.adventist.org/article?id=6JOX.

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