Shoulder to Shoulder opens its newest medical facility in Honduras
On February 20th, Shoulder to Shoulder, Inc. announced the opening of its newest facility, Roy & Melanie Sanders Regional Medical Center, to much excitement and fanfare.
The medical center, which boasts state-of-the-art digital radiology and telemedicine technology, will extend primary, emergency, and maternal care to 30,000 inhabitants in rural Honduras.
The inauguration ceremony provided a perfect setting to celebrate past and present Shoulder to Shoulder partners, including the day’s guest of honor, Minister of Health Dr. Arturo Bendaña.
In his keynote speech, Dr. Bendaña affirmed the Ministry of Health’s continued partnership with STS and its steadfast commitment to STS and Honduras’ shared goals in the region.
Also in attendance at the celebration was Concepcion’s current mayor Wilmer Santos, former Minister of Health Dr. Plutarco Castellanos, and local community members, who turned out in droves to celebrate what they described as a giant step forward for the region’s healthcare system and a dream finally realized.
Plaques were presented to key donors and collaborators, including Dr. Roy & Melanie Sanders, Dr. Arthur Ranz, and SNC-Lavalin Thermal Power. Capping off the day’s entertainment was Concepcion’s local dance troupe, which performed a number of traditional Honduran folk dances.
Following a ribbon cutting by Dr. and Mrs. Sanders and their daughter, Nicole, attendees were treated to a live demonstration of the clinic’s cutting-edge capabilities given by representatives from Global Media, MedWeb, and MinXray, the generous donors of the equipment and technical support.
In just under five minutes, an STS physician was able to send an x-ray to a pediatric radiologist in Bloomington, Indiana, and an ultrasound from a volunteer “patient” was sent to a US-based specialist who was “standing by” for a consult thousands of miles away.
During the demonstration, attendees wondered aloud at what the technology would do for the clinic’s patients and expressed admiration for the companies behind the equipment’s donation.
As one of the technicians participating in the demonstration remarked, “When you think about being able to have this level of sophistication in such a remote site, it is really quite remarkable.” Attendees agreed. “I’m not even sure my local doctor in the States can get his hands on one of these!” exclaimed one guest, running his hands over the new equipment.
As the day wound down, Shoulder to Shoulder’s founder, Dr. Jeffery E. Heck, summed up the day’s importance to a group of visitors, explaining, “Shoulder to Shoulder strives to ensure that the quality of care that our patients in Honduras receive is on par with the care they would receive in the United States. We still have much to achieve, but I am incredibly proud to say that we’ve come one step closer to that goal today.”
