International Health Central American Institute

Programs

Who are we

Mission

News

Our location

Partnerships

IHCAI FOUNDATION presents the following awards

PRESENTED IN THE IHCAI FOUNDATION BI ANNUAL AWARD CEREMONY


The Humanitarian World Citizen Award 2007
is presented to:
Mary Dickey from Batesville Indiana USA and
Dr. Rae Schnuth from East Lansing Michigan USA and
Paulette Barrantes Villafranca from San Jose Costa Rica

- Distinguished women working for global health solidarity -
The award was presented on July 27th 2007 in San Jose Costa Rica, at a special Awards Ceremony during the Dr. Michael Errico MD Piano Concert given in the Costa Rica National Art Museum Gold Hall and with the sponsorship of the College of Physician of Costa Rica.
The award is presented to Mrs. Mary Dickey and Dr. Rae Schnuth because they were be able to demonstrate the success of humanitarian task they assumed with effective results , as well because they possess the ability, and expertise to share, inspire and extend the best humanitarian values.
The awardees received a Certificate and a Wood Sculpture “The Family” crafted by Antonio Castro an artist form San Jose Costa Rica. The sculpture is crafted in the precious wood mahogany which is used when referring to numerous varieties of dark-colored wood, originally the wood of the species Swietenia mahagoni, known as West Indian or Cuban Mahogany. It was later used also for the wood of Swietenia macrophylla, which is closely related, and known as Belize Mahogany. Today, all species of Swietenia are listed by CITES, and are therefore protected. Species of Swietenia cross readily when they grow in proximity, the hybrid between S. mahagoni and S. macrophylla is widely planted. Mahogany is also the national tree of Belize. The wood was forested with the new project of forest sustainable production program for preserving the primary forest in Costa Rica.
The third award was presented to Paulette Barrantes Villafranca as recognition to her strength and spirit after a long illness.
The Saginaw E-Newsletter from Michigan College of Human medicine wrote. “Paulette Barrantes Villafranca did live”. This was possible because of the support leaded by Mary Dickey and Rae Schnuth in the USA and James Stutz and Solangie Zuniga in Costa Rica. After many others join the enterprise and all contributed in different ways . However Paulette spirit strength was essential. It is necessary to mention that Paulette family union was other essential component, Josi, Paulette mother who is an extraordinary woman and devote mother, Paulette sister Valery and Paulette beloved grand mother Nubia Muñoz Lobo.
Paulette contracted meningitis. She developed a severe, often life-threatening complication called pupura fulminans. She was only 15, she was of a middle low income family, She survived the acute and more threaten part of her illness in the Hospital Calderon Guardia intensive care clinic. Jocelyn Paulette mother said “I will never be able to express my gratitude to doctors and nurses for their compassion and care while Paulette was in the intensive care unit”.
However Paulette rehabilitation was difficult. Her friends James Stutz and his wife Solangie Zuñiga contacted IHCAI Foundation. Dr. Schnuth, as Curriculum assistant dean of the College of Human Medicine of Michigan State, was in San Jose working with her medical students. We invited Dr. Schnuth to visiting Paulette in her house in Guadalupe a canton of San Jose located in the north west of the city.
Dr. Schnuth visit was a random but opportune event that changes Paulette life and rehabilitation. Since that moment she along with Mary Dickey from Batesville Indiana started leading the creation of a volunteer network for supporting Paulette. The Shriners Children Hospital in Cincinnati admitted her in November. In January 2007 they landed in the Santa Maria airport in a private jet liner supplied by Hill Rom a company from Batesville Indiana USA. Today Paulette is about to complete her rehabilitation and willing to have a productive life . Dr. Schnuth and Mrs. Dickey leaded this process but Paulette spirit and strength was as important as the entire volunteer network who has been accompanying her during this process. IHCAI FOUNDATION wants to give an award to Paulette for her inspiring spirit to face the adversity. Many people have being involved in this case. We want to express our gratitude to these three great women for their work but mainly for their inspiring solidarity and struggle for a better world.
_______________________________________________________________________________________

The IHCAI Award Dr. Hugo Behm Rosas 2005
is presented to:
M. Guillermo Herrera-Aceña, M.D.

- Distinguished Scholar of Harvard Medical School -
M. Guillermo Herrera-Aceña, M.D.
Distinguished Scholar
Lecturer on Ambulatory Care & Prevention
Brigham & Women’s Hospital

Dr. Herrera-Aceña graduated from Harvard College and Harvard Medical School and trained in medicine at Peter Bent Brigham Hospital. Since 1969 he has directed the HMS elective, Nutrition and Rural Medicine in Latin America, which has enrolled more than 600 Harvard students, who also complete an intensive medical Spanish course. The Spanish clinic he founded at BWH thirty years ago is now a site for bilingual students in the Primary Care Clerkship. He has received the Faculty Prize for Excellence in Teaching (Year IV), the Dean’s Community Service Award, and has served as Vice Chair of the Mass Medical Society Committee on Diversity.

_______________________________________________________________________________________



The IHCAI Award Dr. Hugo Behm Rosas 2003
is presented to:
Xavier Bonfill Cosp MD

- Director of Cochrane Iberoamerican Network -

_______________________________________________________________________________________




The IHCAI Award Dr. Hugo Behm Rosas 2001
is presented to:
Dorothy Granada RN

- Founder and Director of the Maria Luisa Ortiz Cooperative and Women’s Center and the Mulukuku Clinic in the North Atlantic Autonomous Region of Nicaragua -

Dorothy Granada receives this award for her continuous struggle to improve the situation of the poor and for giving them the hope of benefitting from access to modern Medicine and health, with her actions, committed devotion, and untiring work . The MULUKUKÚ Clinic is a good example for Health Professionals. The faith and compassion of this woman can inspire the mission of any health service and action.
The Committee gives this award to Dorothy Granada for her struggle against injustice and for her commitment to peace but peace with justice. The award Hugo Behm acknowledges those who have dedicated their life to fight for the poor and the excluded of basic and essential benefits of health care despite of many political, social, economical, and cultural barriers.


THE IHCAI FOUNDATION AWARD "DR. HUGO BEHM ROSAS": During the session number 25-2000 of December 14th 2000 the IHCAI Board of Directors created an award to be presented to a student, resident, faculty member, an institution or individual who represents a spirit of dedication to international health. Somebody who has demonstrated a strong interest in fostering affirmative action to contribute to the development of international health research and medical education, as well as equity in the access to health care and who has shown respectful and understanding actions to build partnerships based on the comprehension of transcultural and socio-economic differences between countries of the North and South. Those who have shown a spirit of knowledge and solidarity as a basis to improve the health and social conditions of the people, that are attempting to reduce the gap between the North and the South.

Dr. Hugo Behm Rosas is a Latin American epidemiologist and humanist who has dedicated his life to the struggle against Infant Mortality. Dr. Behm is Chilean and lives in Costa Rica since the dictator Pinochet came to power in 1973. Dr. Behm is a physician graduated in Chile and he received his Public Health degree from John Hopkins during the 1950´s.
Dr. Behm has been distinguished by Pan American Health Organization and by the Government of Costa Rica and other Latin American Governments for his work and struggle against Infant Mortality. This Award carries his name in order to honor his work and vocation for international health and solidarity .
San José, Costa Rica, June 2002.

"The Humanitarian World Citizen Award": is presented as an extraordinary award to celebrate and highlight the efforts of a health practitioner, academic and other professional, civilian or organization dedicated to improving the health of disadvantaged and disenfranchised populations, and to recognize the programs that effectively demonstrate the link between health, poverty and development. The person or organization selected for this award must be able to demonstrate the success of the program(s), measurable results in the field, as well as possess the ability, and expertise to share, inspire and extend best humanitarian values of respect to the cultural differences and understanding the structural components of poverty and the global responsibility beyond the governments decisions for improving global health.

“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”
- Margaret Mead -
(1901 – 1978) USA
Cultural Anthropologist

Others IHCAI FOUNDATION awards presented:
Best Research Project by International Medical Students 2002-2003
is presented to:
Sara Goldhabert-Fiebert & Jeremy Goldhabert-Fiebert

- USA students from Havard Medical School -

Best Central American Student doing an international clinical rotation 2002-2003
is presented to:
Luis Corrales Rodríguez MD

- Student graduated from University of Costa Rica -


Best Research Project by International Medical Students 2001-2002
Rituparna Pati and Jennifer Kirkland from the University of Connecticut Medical School and Anne-Marie Altherr a psychology student from the University of Geneva receive this award for their project: “The influence of psychosocial factors on the use of Folic Acid and Psychosocial stress as an influence on the use of prenatal care by pregnant women in San Pablo de Heredia”.
The committee considers that there is a large amount of evidence that psychosocial factors are important in the development of congenital malformations and the behavior of the woman during her pregnancy. The study, done scientifically rigorously, used quantitative and qualitative measures. These measures allowed important and relevant conclusions on a topic that, in the general medical practice, is often not considered determinant of the complications during pregnancy and of infant mortality. The project, because of its results and conclusions, calls for a revision of the medical practice according to the evidence, in accordance with other studies, which have used even more rigorous methods. This project also received recognition from the Medical Society of Connecticut, as well as one of five awards given at the Annual Conference of the International Health Medical Education Consortium (IHMEC) in March 2002 in Havana, Cuba. These five projects were chosen amongst more than 80 proposals of scientific studies done by students, residents, and professors of Medical Schools in the USA and Canada.

Best Research project by Central American Students 2001-2002
This award is presented to the students Jaime Ortiz, Anggie Ramirez and Jorge Benavides, and Doctor Jaime Fornaguera, professor at the Medical School of the University of Costa Rica for their project “Differences in relation to age in neuro-chemical parameters and behavior after injections of 6-OHDA in rats: A model of Parkinson’s Disease.” Laboratory proceedings were effectuated at the University of Düsseldorf, Germany, and the University of Edinburgh, Scotland. Their project also received recognition at the Annual IHMEC Conference in March 2002 in Havana, Cuba.

Best Central American Student doing an international clinical rotation 2001-2002
The IHCAI Foundation recognizes Dr. Juan Pablo Solis special achievements with this award. He studied medicine at the University of Costa Rica and completed his rotation in Internal Medicine at Harvard during the months of November and December 2001 and January 2002. He received the highest distinction awarded by the school. The IHCAI Foundation feels very honored to have had the privilege to offer him the opportunity to add an international experience to his training process. Juan Pablo has proven to be a responsible doctor who defends the rights of his patients.


Best Academic Tutor in the network of Hospitals and Clinics affiliated with IHCAI 2000-2001

Dr. Max Monge Pacheco, Chief of Internal Medicine at the Hospital San Francisco de Asis in Grecia.
Dr. Rosibel Arias, Director of the Clinic in San Pablo de Heredia.
Drs Monge and Arias receive this award for their commitment to the advancement of students working with them.

Best Academic Tutor in the network of Hospitals and Clinics affiliated with IHCAI 2001-2002
Dr. Carlos Morera, Chief of Pediatrics at the Hospital San Francisco de Asis in Grecia receives the award for the period of 2001-2002 for his dedication to his students.

International Health Central American Institute
Foundation

IHCAI Foundation has its headquartes in San José, Costa Rica, Central America.

IHCAI Foundation is an equal opportunity organization and do not make

any preference by gender, race, sexual orientation or political opinions

and rejects those openly racist, Nazi or Neo Nazi oriented.

IHCAI - Main Office

P.O. Box 1677-2100, San José, Costa Rica,
Barrio Escalante, San Jose, 7th Avenue, 35 and 37 Street, #3530

Tel: (506) 2234-6354 or (506) 2234-6347 // Fax: (506)2226-3047

Email: info@ihcai.org

http://www.ihcai.org