UTEP CHS Goes Global – Public Health Professor Shares Best Practices with Panamanian Health Administrators
Dr. Thenral Mangadu, Assistant Professor of Public Health, visited Panama in early July as part of her work for the College of Health Sciences’ MHIRT (Minority Health International Research Training) program. While there, she served as a co-mentor to nursing major Claritsa Perez Estrada, together with Dr. Amador Goodridge, research professor at the INDICASAT Center for Molecular Biology and Cell Disease. Claritsa spent her summer internship in Panama at the INDICASAT partner site.
In addition to her MHIRT activities, Dr. Mangadu was invited by Dr. Idalina Cubilla, research coordinator for the Dr. Rafael Estevez Hospital in Panama’s Cocle Province, to conduct a seminar for hospital administrators and public health officials including law enforcement on how to establish multidisciplinary collaborations to address health disparities related to communicable and non-communicable diseases.. Founded in 2001, The Dr. Rafael Estevez Hospital is a Level 2 hospital that offers services for more than 10 specialties, and serves people from three provinces, with over 300 health care workers being part of the workforce. In the seminar, entitled “Synergistically Addressing Trauma and Nutrition in Chronic and Infectious Diseases for Special Populations: Why, How and Whom?” Dr. Mangadu shared strategies based on her work in the U.S. Paso del Norte region including the “Mujer Saludable, Familia Feliz” and “Hasta La Vista” initiatives for addressing syndemics/biosocial contexts that shape HIV related health disparities . A Spanish translation of the workshop was provided to participants by Dr. Goodridge.
