MCW Office of Global Health

Medical College of Wisconsin Global Health Efforts in South America

South-America
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Pediatric Sepsis
Dr. Kellie Snooks has currently 25 patients of preliminary data collection for collection for pediatric sepsis. She is waiting for a pending hiring or planning of research assistant on site to continue collection to further research.

Brazil

HPV genotypes
Dr. Nyitray collaborating with Centro de Investigação Translacional em Oncologia (CTO) in São Paulo for HPV genotype sequencing of anal canal exfoliated cell specimens collected from Milwaukeeans. The collaboration consists of co-authorship of articles dealing with the association between variants of high-risk HPV genotypes and persistence of infection.

Quantifying the Impact of Functional FESS in Brazil
Dr. Guilherme Garcia is collaborating with a local doctor at Universidade Federal de Minas Gerais on a project aimed at quantifying the impact of functional endoscopic sinus surgery (FESS) on the concentration of nitric oxide in the paranasal sinuses of patients with chronic rhinosinusitis.

Colombia

Teaching the Next Generation of Medical Students
Dr. Paul E. Barkhaus provided neurological care by teaching clinical neurophysiology techniques to medical students in February of 2023. Neurophysiology assess and measures the nervous system function. This was in collaboration with the Milwaukee Medical Mission, they provide surgical medical care to people living under-served areas of Central and South America.

Outreach Clinics – Gait and Human Motion Analysis (Cali, Colombia)
Dr. Harris is the faculty lead for this activity which to date, that has set up 3 outreach labs that are being actively maintained to: a) support better orthopaedic and rehabilitative care of children with orthopaedic disabilities and b) to provide support for collaborative clinical research. Labs have been established at the Club Noel Children's Hospital in Cali, Colombia, Philippine General Hospital (PGH) in Manila, and Shriners Hospital for Children in Mexico City. Each lab has a 3D motion analysis system that has been designed and validated for assessment of lower extremity kinematics during gait. This data is used for surgical and rehabilitative planning and follow up. Support for the labs is provided by the Orthopaedic and Rehabilitation Engineering Center (OREC) which is part of the new Joint Department of Biomedical Engineering (MU/MCW) and a long standing collaboration with the Department of Orthopaedic Surgery at MCW.

International Partnership
Dr. Sanger leads the annual combined Department of Plastic Surgery and Milwaukee Medical Mission exchange Bucaramanga, Colombia with the Plastic Surgery Service of the Universitad de Santander de Industrial medical school. Approximately 250 consultations and 100 -120 surgical procedures will be done. This is the 30th anniversary of the Milwaukee Medical Mission involvement in Colombia. Colombian plastic surgery resident formally rotated at the Medical College of Wisconsin and both Children's Wisconsin and Froedtert Hospital this year as part of an exchange program. Residents and fellows in plastic surgery, hand and microsurgery and medical students from MCW will participate in the 2017 trip.

University of Santander-MCW Institutional Affiliation Agreement
Dr. Sanger is the faculty lead for the institutional affiliation agreement between MCW and the Universidad Industrial de Santander in Bucaramanga, Colombia. Signed in 2013, this agreement lays the groundwork for mutually beneficial educational opportunities and research partnerships between faculty, residents, and students from both institutions. MCW's Department of Plastic Surgery has hosted 2 Colombian plastic surgery residents for formal rotations at MCW and MCW residents will rotate at the Universidad Industrial de Santander in the future. There are ongoing clinical research projects between the two institutions as well. Drs. Matloub and Sanger lead this M4 elective in partnership with the Milwaukee Medical Mission. It offers experiences in reconstructive plastic surgery, anesthesia, and basic science of burn healing and the clinical management of wounds.

Ecuador

Healing the Children
Dr. Ellinas is providing ophthalmology care in Guayaquil for “Healing the Children.”

Andean Health and Development
Dr. Hargarten leads M4 elective in partnership with these organizations it offers an experience in academic medicine clinical care in which students choose the services they wish to rotate.

Neurology Medical Mission in the Amazon Rainforest
Dr. Dominic Fee participates in an annual Neurology Medical Mission to Tena Ecuador. This collaboration is in Ecuadorian Amazon Rainforest to provide neurologic care, primarily related to epilepsy.

Decreasing the Epilepsy Treatment Gap in the Developing World
Dr. Fee provides neurologic care, primarily related to epilepsy, in the Ecuadorian Amazon rainforest.

Providing Cardiac Critical Care Support for Kids
Dr. Liedel's current project participation with the International Children's Heart Foundation includes providing cardiac critical care support for children undergoing cardiac surgery in Ecuador.

La Corporación Medica Monte Sinaí-MCW Affiliation Agreement Agreement
Dr. Dua provides advanced endoscopy training and clinical advising in Cuenca, Ecuador and trains their physicians, provides case discussions and lectures. He is the faculty lead for the affiliation agreement between MCW and La Corporación Medica Monte Sinaí in Cuenca, Ecuador. Signed in 2012, this agreement currently lays the groundwork for mutually beneficial educational opportunities between faculty, residents, and fellows of Gastroenterology and Hepatology; it may be extended to students in the future.

Consultant Pathologist
Dr. Suster is a consultant for problem or difficult cases in pathology for the departments of pathology at the National Cancer Institute in Guayaquil, the National Cancer Institute in Quito, the Luis Vernaza Municipal General Hospital in Guayaquil, and the Eugenio Espejo Government Hospital in Quito. Luis Vernaza and Eugenio Espejo are the two largest general hospitals in Ecuador.

Universidad Católica de Santiago de Guayaquil-MCW Affiliation Agreement
Dr. Suster is the faculty lead for the institutional affiliation agreement between MCW and the Universidad Católica de Sanitago de Guayaquil in Guayaquil, Ecuador. Signed in 2015, this agreement lays the groundwork for mutually beneficial educational opportunities and research partnerships between faculty, residents, and students from both institutions.

M4 Elective in Ecuador
Dr. Gaus leads this M4 elective in partnership with the Andean Health and Development organization. It is a rural clinical experience in providing primary medical care to local Ecuadorians, giving lectures to family practice residents, and making rounds.

Andean Health and Development-MCW Affiliation Agreement
Dr. Hargarten is the faculty lead for the affiliation agreement between MCW and Andean Health and Development in Pedro Vicente Maldonado, Ecuador. Signed in 2011, this agreement lays the groundwork for observations through the rural hospitals clinical wards.

Peru

Anesthesia service for hernia repair
Dr. Kaslow is providing outpatient anesthesia service for hernia repair performed by MCW surgeon Dr. Otterson and other WI surgeons.

Surgical Care Education
Drs. Mitchell, Calkins, Densmore, and Otterson, team of surgeons have initiated a multi-year training collaboration to improve complex cardiac surgery in public hospitals, annual surgical care education symposium for pediatric services, inguinal hernias and lipomas.

Pediatric Cardiac Surgery Training at the National Institute of Child Health in Lima
Drs. Mitchell (Surgery) and Ruiz (Anesthesiology) have initiated a multi-year training initiative to improve complex cardiac surgery in a public hospital setting, working in partnership with motivated and excellent pediatric surgical professionals in Lima at their children’s hospital.

Clinical Care in Peru
Dr. Klehm has been working with the Alto Cayma community in Arequipa, Peru, a city of 1 million people in Southern Peru. Coordinated through Father Alex of the and local support, his efforts include providing routine health care, maternity health and well-women care to a very underserved population. Situated in extreme poverty, this area has a large need for increased access to basic health services.

Pediatric Surgical Humanitarian Mission
Dr. Densmore provides elective Pediatric Surgery and Pediatric Urology interventions in Yantalo, Peru.

Outpatient Surgery
Dr. Otterson performs outpatient surgery on groin and inguinal hernias and lipomas.

Advancing physician capacity
Dr. Thakar works with Health Volunteers Overseas (HVO) and is working 2 BMT programs in Lima, Peru.

Yantalo Foundation-MCW Institutional Affiliation Agreement
Dr. North is the faculty lead for the institutional affiliation agreement between MCW and the Yanatalo Foundation in Yantalo, Peru. Signed in 2012, this agreement lays the groundwork for mutually beneficial educational opportunities and research partnerships between faculty, residents, and students from both institutions. Dr. North is also the faculty lead for the institutional affiliation with the Instituto Nacional de Salud in Lima, Peru.

Instituto Nacional de Salud-MCW Institutional Affiliation Agreement
Dr. North is the faculty lead for the institutional affiliation agreement between MCW and the Instituto Nacional de Salud in Lima, Peru. Signed in 2013, this agreement lays the groundwork for mutually beneficial educational opportunities and research partnerships between faculty, residents, and students from both institutions in the areas of tropical disease and microbiological and pathological diagnostics. Dr. North is also the faculty lead for the institutional affiliation with the Yanatalo Foundation in Yantalo, Peru.

Pediatric Surgery and Anesthesia in Rural Peru
Dr. Ellinas is part of a team of faculty from Children's Wisconsin, and faculty from Lima, Peru and Lyon, France that collaborate during a one week annual trip to Moyobamba, Peru to evaluate and perform general/urological surgeries.

Facial Cleft Lip and Palate Surgery
Dr. Loveland Baptist is part of a time providing comprehensive cleft lip and palate repair and revision to a profoundly underserved population. Over the course of 6 operative days approximately 50 children underwent a range of surgical procedures from infants receiving primary repair of cleft lip to adolescents undergoing complex revision of lip, palate and nose with bone grafting. Highly specialized surgeons, anesthesiologists, speech therapists and nurses from all over the US combine efforts to take exceptional care of these patients with significant support from the local Lioness Club in Lambayeque, Peru and the Medical School in Chiclayo, Peru.