Ecuador Program Description
Health professional students, faculty, and staff from the University of Utah work in conjunction with the Tandana Foundation and Ecuadorian medical professionals to provide medical care for rural communities outside of Otavalo, Ecuador. Through the creation of provisional clinics in schools and community centers, volunteers provide medical evaluations and administer medication to patients. If a medical follow up is warranted, patients are given a written referral to a local provider. University of Utah students work under the supervision of both the U.S. and Ecuadorian staff and serve in the role defined by their field of study. Examples of specific activities include:
- measure vitals,
- assist in providing physical diagnosis,
- distribute medications, and
- precept informal health classes.
Many of the Utah volunteers speak Spanish as a second language, in order to communicate with the many non-English speaking Ecuadorian patients and counterparts.
First and second-year medical students wishing to apply for the Ecuador Medical Exchange Program can do so via the International Center's website.
Program Directors
Dr. Harry Rosado-Santos graduated from the University of Puerto Rico in 1979. He completed his MD degree at the University of Puerto Rico School of Medicine in 1983. He received Internal Medicine training at the University Hospital Puerto Rico Medical Center in San Juan, Puerto Rico in 1986. From 1994 to 1997, he completed his Infectious Diseases training at the University of Utah Medical Center in Salt Lake City, Utah.
Dr. Rosado-Santos has been a faculty member of the Division of Infectious Diseases (ID) at the University of Utah since 1997 and is currently an Associate Professor of Medicine, Clinical Track. He is also the director of the Infectious Diseases training program for the School of Medicine. Dr. Rosado-Santos’ primary practice interests are HIV and general infectious diseases. He is the principal provider for Spanish-speaking patients within the ID division. Dr. Rosado-Santos participates in industry-sponsored clinical trials involving the treatment of HIV.
Terri Sofarelli, PA-C, received her undergraduate degree from the University of Colorado at Boulder and completed her Master’s degree in Physician Assistant Studies at the University of Utah. Ms. Sofarelli is a certified physician assistant specializing in Infectious Diseases and sees patients seeking treatment for tropical and infectious diseases at the University of Utah. Ms. Sofarelli holds the Certificate of Knowledge, issued by the International Society of Travel Medicine. Ms. Sofarelli is on the board of directors of the University of Utah Global Health Alliance. She also serves as the co-director for both the GeoSentinel, a worldwide disease surveillance project based out of the Centers for Disease Control, and the International Travel Clinic at the University of Utah. Ms. Sofarelli is a returned Peace Corps volunteer from Costa Rica, and is fluent in English and Spanish.
