Visits suspended in three Milan clinics

The money of those who pay for them allows free ones to those who cannot afford them.

di |
Screenshot 2026 04 01 at 10.56.10
In just one year, in 2025, three Milanese clinics, all part of the same social cooperative (Welcomed), managed to provide free visits, tests, and check-ups to 13.000 people in financial difficulty, referred locally by associations, parishes, social services, and schools. Giulia Di Donato, She is a 41-year-old Bocconi graduate (with a degree in Economics) who worked for many years as a healthcare consultant in various private companies, third sector organizations, and international organizations. She then made the leap to become CEO of WELCOMEDIA, a social enterprise based in Milan that has created an extraordinary healthcare network: free visits to those who can't afford them, paid for by those who can afford private healthcare.

The free visits are operated through a project called Visita Sospesa ( Suspended Visit ), inspired by the Neapolitan "suspended coffee" model. It's essentially a healthcare solidarity system that allows those who can afford a visit to contribute to offering a free service to those who can't.

Screenshot 2026 03 06 at 08.58.56
Giulia Di Donato (Source: Il Giorno)

The services are mainly aimed at:

  • low-income families
  • children and adolescents (about 70% of beneficiaries)
  • women or vulnerable people

And they also include:

  • specialist medical visits
  • psychological interviews
  • speech therapy or psychomotor skills
  • assessments for learning disabilities (DSA)
  • other diagnostic tests

Generally, the suspended visit is guaranteed for families with an income of less than €8. However, a partial version is also available for families with an ISEE between €8 and €15. In this case, patients are entitled to a discount of between 20 and 50 percent of the cost of the service.

But Welcomed's work extends far beyond the three clinics where free visits are provided. Every year, 40 public schools in the Milan area participate in multidisciplinary projects with training courses and workshops designed to develop skills and provide assistance for the health and well-being of children and their families. 

The suspended visits concept has been so successful that over 60 free services have been provided to date, in three clinics in different areas of Milan, involving 120 people, including doctors, psychologists, and rehabilitation specialists, and 150 local partner organizations (hospitals, schools, social services). The Welcomed social enterprise reinvests 100% of its profits to support these free services.

Cover image source: Welcomed Center/Facebook

Read also:

Want to see a selection of our news?

Don't Waste