South-South Exchange in Honduras for Improved Neuro Rehabilitation Care

By Mary McCann Sanchez

For 25 years, Solidarity Bridge has been dedicated to expanding access to safe, essential, and timely surgical care through international partnerships. Year-round medical missions to Bolivia and Paraguay have fostered meaningful collaborations and established sustainable programs that continue to benefit thousands of patients.

This week, Solidarity Bridge, in partnership with Puente de Solidaridad, took another step in expanding these connections. Bolivian physician Dr. Ines Vilelo and physical therapist Rafael Ramirez traveled from the Santa Barbara Hospital in Sucre, Bolivia, to the Teleton Center for Rehabilitation in Tegucigalpa, Honduras. This program was initiated by neuro-rehabilitation specialist Victoria Harding Weaver, a participant in Solidarity Bridge’s neurosurgery missions to Bolivia, and provided an invaluable opportunity for medical professionals to share goals, achievements, and best practices. It was partially funded by a grant from Penn State Health.

This South-South exchange highlights a shifting focus in global health, where low-and-middle income countries share expertise and collaborate to solve common healthcare challenges without always relying on traditional Western aid models. Dr. Vilelo and Mr. Ramirez observed a range of rehabilitation training and care methods for neuro trauma patients at Teleton Honduras, with the goal of applying similar approaches at their Santa Barbara Hospital in Bolivia.

Led by Dr. Ivette Zelaya, national medical director, and Dr. Elizabeth Vinelli, chief executive officer of Teleton Honduras, the week focused on integrating family caregivers into post-surgical and post-trauma rehabilitation, aiming to promote patient independence and well-being. The Bolivian team witnessed firsthand the impressive organization of Teleton, where the integration of physical space and interdisciplinary teamwork created an environment of compassion and quality care. Dr. Zelaya emphasized the center’s dedication to supporting individuals who are adapting to “new capacities” as a result of brain and spinal cord injuries, fractures, or strokes.

At Teleton, the Bolivian team explored therapy rooms, hydrotherapy pools, multisensory pediatric spaces, and outdoor garden areas designed for patients to practice walking on various surfaces, replicating the conditions they would encounter in their own neighborhoods. Physical therapist Rafael Ramirez actively participated in crafting hand braces and adjusting wheelchairs, noting that many of the occupational therapy tools used in Honduras were affordable, low-tech innovations that could be easily replicated in Bolivia.

The team also noted Teleton’s use of comprehensive digital medical records, complemented by paper files that patients carry and safeguard. Dr. Vilelo saw these systems as not only practical tools but as a reflection of Teleton’s commitment to shared responsibility in the healing process, divided between doctors, rehabilitation staff, patients, and their families. One of Teleton’s key principles is ensuring that families are actively involved in the rehabilitation process so that exercises and strategies can be continued at home. The center operates on a daily schedule of 40-minute therapy sessions, combining individual and group learning. Locally produced videos provide each patient and care provider with relevant information on key topics such as nutrition, self-care, prevention of falls, body positioning for skin integrity, and a basic understanding of the causes of strokes and other neurological injuries.  

Throughout the week, the Bolivian team reflected on the need for medical practitioners and patients alike to perceive, process and adapt to new healthcare challenges. The team is deeply grateful to the Honduran hosts at Teleton, and Solidarity Bridge donors, Penn State Health and Victoria Harding Weaver, for making this journey possible. They are committed to applying these important lessons upon their return home to Bolivia to improve patient care and strengthen healthcare systems.