Within the framework of interprofessional training and as part of the quality standards of a university hospital, an important initiative will be developed between the Medical College of Milwaukee (Wisconsin, United States), the E.S.E. University Hospital of Santander, the Industrial University of Santander, and the Government of Santander.
The purpose of this strategic alliance is to contribute to improving the quality of life of people with congenital malformations, both in the department of Santander and in other regions of the country, reaffirming the institutional commitment to academic, scientific, and social excellence.
“As a health faculty, we are very pleased to welcome Milwaukee – Wisconsin in Bucaramanga for 38 years to understand children and adolescents with craniofacial malformations and burn sequelae, and other related diseases that allow reconstructive plastic surgery to contribute and help us grow in our specialty, which has been progressing at the University and in the institution,” said Jürg Niederbacher Velásquez, Dean of the Faculty of Health.
The project will benefit nearly 100 people, including children and adults, diagnosed with cleft lip, cleft palate, nevus, neurofibromatosis, hand and craniofacial malformations, burn sequelae, and cancer sequelae, among other conditions. Patients will be evaluated free of charge and may undergo surgery during the binational mission to be carried out this February.
“I grew older during the mission. The initial contact was with Dr. Carlos Ramirez; they were key for us, the conversations. This is the largest group we have ever had, with 44 professionals, not only from Wisconsin, but also from California and different hospitals. The university has been crucial in this mission; the exchange has been invaluable,” said Sonia Dumit, coordinator of the medical mission.
The activity will take place in an academic, scientific, cultural, and socially responsible environment, aimed at strengthening interprofessional training and the exchange of knowledge between national and international teams. It will involve the participation of highly trained specialists in plastic surgery, anesthesiology, nursing, surgical instrumentation, and physical therapy, among other areas, as well as undergraduate and graduate students, who will form collaborative teams to enhance the quality of care, the transfer of knowledge, and institutional social commitment.
“This mission has been excellent. I am very grateful to the University because the child has made a lot of progress. We have already had two surgeries and now we are coming for a nose operation, so please help us,” said Jackeline Rodríguez Gómez, a relative of a pediatric patient.
The intensive medical evaluation session will begin on February 16, 2026, at 8:00 a.m., in the oncology offices of the E.S.E. HUS, in order to select patients who are candidates for surgery.
The surgical procedures will be performed in the rooms on the fifth floor of the E.S.E. HUS between February 17 and 27, 2026.
“We are surprised by all the euphoria and joy that foreign doctors bring; they always come with that vocation of service. For this version, we are offering our patients a remodeled burn unit, spaces that were previously in a precarious situation and are now comfortable and dignified, at the service of all,” said Colonel Ricardo Arturo Hoyos Lanziano, HUS manager.
This mission represents not only an opportunity for transformation for patients and their families, but also a scenario for academic and human growth that consolidates the Santander University Hospital and the Industrial University of Santander as benchmarks in comprehensive training, international cooperation, and social responsibility.
