PSU College Of Medicine On Mission To Ecuador
November 7, 2000
Hershey, Pa. -- A medical team of 21 people from the Penn State College of Medicine and the Penn State Milton S. Hershey Medical Center, consisting of physicians, nurses, and other staff members, are on a medical and educational mission trip to Ecuador from November 1-9.

While in Ecuador, the team is working all day and into the evening, evaluating patients and performing life-saving medical procedures and surgeries while forming health education programs in Ecuadorian public schools. The team is led by Dr. John Myers, department of surgery, who has organized several of these annual expeditions.

"We have now operated on 15 children, and will operate on two more (Wednesday)," said Dr. Myers. "We are all tired but happy with what we were able to accomplish this trip. We have nearly tripled the number of pump cases that we did last year, and we have taken advantage of some excellent opportunities for the development of telemedicine and medical education between the children’s hospital here in Guayaquil and the Penn State Children’s Hospital."

Joining Dr. Myers in Ecuador are: Dr. Stephen Cyran, department of pediatrics; Dr. Keith Verner, chief of developmental pediatrics and learning; PICU nurses Lda Abreu, Karla Carl, Kelly Conrad, Myra Popernack, Penny Porter, Beth Rohrer, Carroll Rottmund, Katrina Thoma, Dina Herman, Dolly Shepps, and Sandra York; Dr. Joe Gabriel and Dr. Tom Long, department of anesthesia; Dr. Kerry Rosen, department of pediatrics; Dr. Ted Stephenson, department of surgery; Bob Wise, perfusionist; David Henriquez, information technology; and Dr. Edwin Rodriquez, pediatrician with Children's Hospital of Michigan.

The mission is sponsored by Lifeline International and the Penn State Hershey Medical Center.