Project Advocate: Robert Bach MD, Patricia Ballesteros MD, Dr. Manuel Silas, and Jill Grant
Outline of Project: Improve on the Hospital Nuevo Amanecer facilities to meet the needs of
the population.
Accomplishments of Project August 2007-2008:
• Creation of an Endoscopy suite with a complete set of endoscopes
• Creation of a separate room to store orthopedic equipment
• Ongoing shipment of equipment and supplies (Hospital Nuevo Amanecer received a
large part of the shipment that arrived in December of 2007.)
Goals for the next year:
• Equip the new Intensive Care Unit with ventilators, monitors, and suction machines.
• Shipping of a container of equipment, probably in mid-November 2008.
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• Completion of a separate ambulatory surgical unit next to the recovery room.
• Repair of equipment by biomedical team. This remains an ongoing issue as local
expertise for equipment maintenance and repair does not exist. Biotech engineers from the
US have sporadically provided these critical services and we hope to continue this.
• Cancer registry: There is a new surgeon at the Hospital Nuevo Amanecer who was
recruited, in part, because of exposure to the area and PIH while a resident. Dr. Manual Silas
was given a computer with the understanding of helping to establish a surgical registry that will
improve patient follow up and help us to focus on areas of greatest need. This project will be
an offshoot of the Cervical Cancer database.
Funding: PIH General Fund; College of American Pathology Foundation Grant
Volunteer Visits: October 2007; April 2008; June 2008
Next Visit: October 2008; December 2008