Pan American Health Care Exchanges (PAHCE)
Conference, Workshops, and Exhibits
Cooperation/linkages

Health Care Engineering
(Applied biomedical and clinical eng.)
Medical Information Technologies
Medicine (patient care)
 

 

      PAHCE 2008:  January 28 - February 1, 2008

     Where:  Long Beach - Los Angeles, California, USA

 
   

See "Country Profiles" here.

The strive and need for new developments in and broader accessibility to Medicine (patient care), Medical Information Technologies, Health Care Engineering (biomedical, clinical and hospital  engineering)  is  common to all the linguistic regions of the American continent. Overall, health care engineering as a field combining medical and technical advances parallels and merges  the most technologically demanding specialties of engineering. The use of medical devices increases almost 10 percent per year worldwide and the Americas share common challenges in health care and technological support of the solutions.
 
The conference provides a forum and a linkage for the  personnel of health care delivery institutions such as hospitals and clinics, academic institutions encompassing education and training in related areas, and medical device and equipment industry within the Americas.
 
The conference, in addition to regular sessions, will include a training workshop for the personnel involved in the direct engineering and technical support of patient care, hospitals, and clinics. In particular, the conference  will focus on the status of medical technology, its maintenance and acquisition throughout the Latin American sphere and linkage to North American models of support and manufacturing of medical technology as well as academic training.
  
  
Health care and related industry facts
  
The medical device industry in the U.S., with sales of approaching $60 billion,  which became bigger than the steel industry is one of  the most dynamic sectors of U.S. high technology. The medical device industry is represented by 13,000 manufacturers. California alone represents about 19 percent of nation’s medical industry which is equivalent to industrial activities of the  next three states combined. The needs for medical technology are increasing worldwide and this includes the Americas from Alaska to Tierra del Fuego.
 
In the U.S. approximately 65 % of patient care depends on technology. It is estimated that 4,800 legislative codes and standards relate to the health care environment. Further, it is estimated that spending for health care in the U.S. will reach $2.1 trillion by 2007 or about $7,100 per person. Hospitals alone will account for about 30% of health care expenditures.
 
In general, the percent of bachelor’s degrees awarded in engineering disciplines ranged from 6.9% in the U.S. and 7.5% in Canada to 13.5% in Mexico. It placed Mexico as 12th, Canada as 21st, and United States as 22nd country globally. “The number of biomedical engineering jobs will increase by 31.4 percent through 2010 -- double the rate for all other jobs combined, according to the U.S. Department of Labor.”
 
As America’s population is exceeding 870 million and its largest population centers with Sao Paulo, Brazil (19,245,000); Mexico City, Mexico (18,755,000);  New York City, USA (17,062,000);  Los Angeles, U.S. (13,652,000); Buenos Aires, Argentina (12,354,000); Rio de Janeiro, Brazil (11,063,000) are among largest - health care engineering support continues to be a continental challenge. The strive for new developments and broader accessibility of biomedical, clinical, and hospital engineering, or health care engineering in general is common for all these linguistic regions of the American continent.
 

Organizing Committee     
  

 (Note: Country Profile editors:  see below)  
 

Country and Health Care related profile

Note: Selected countries are listed in geographical order.
 
Country: Canada

Top
  
1. Population
  • Population: 32,000,000
  • Multicultural with French and English the founding cultures
2. Major urban centers
  • Toronto (5,200,000); Montreal (3,600,000); Vancouver (2,200,000); 
  • Ottawa-Gatineau (1,100,000); Calgary (1,000,000); Edmonton (1,000,000)
3. Selected data.
  • Healthcare system is publicly funded and administered on a provincial or territorial basis with guidelines set by the federal government.
  • Healthcare statistics: 61,000 physicians and surgeon, 247,000 nurses, 4.1 hospital beds per 1,000.
  • Major universities: McGill University, McMaster University, University of Alberta, University of British Columbia, University of Toronto, University of Western Ontario
  • Universities offering degrees in  Biomedical Engineering: Dalhousie University, McGill University, McMaster University, University of Alberta, University of Calgary, University of Toronto, University of Western Ontario
  • National Healthcare Research Funding Agency: Canadian Institutes of Health Research
4. Other Information.
  • In 1950 Dr. John A. Hopps, a Canadian electrical engineer, developed the world’s first artificial cardiac pacemaker. Later Dr. Hopps founded the Canadian Medical and Biological Engineering Society.

Dr. Richard Snyder     

  
Country: United States

Top
  
1. Population
  • U.S. = 296,283,000; California = 36,810,000 (2005)
  • U.S. Population groups (in millions): Whites = 240.0; Hispanics = 41.3; Blacks = 39.2; Asians = 14; Native Americans = 4.4; Native Islanders = 1.0.   Total = 294 millions.    Source: US Census Bureau (2004)
2. Major urban centers
  •  New York City (8,143,197);  Los Angeles (3,844,829); Chicago (2,842,518); Houston (2,016,582); Philadelphia (1,463,281). (2005)
  • Southern California’s Orange County population is 3,057,000 (2005)
3. Selected data.
  • More than  5,000 hospitals; 575,000 Physicians and Surgeons; 157,000 Dentists; 3.25 Million Nurses; 12,500 Hospitals and Clinics; 53,100 Pharmacies; 55,100 Chiropractors; 36,300 Optometrists; 24,400 Physical Therapists.
  • Major universities (California)
    • California’s educational system on the university level includes University of California system with eight campuses including  Berkeley, Irvine, Los Angeles, San Diego, and other; California State University with 23 campuses including Long Beach, Los Angeles, San Diego, San Luis Obispo, Fullerton, and other; private universities including Stanford, University of Souther California, University of San Francisco, and many other.
    • Among ten worlds’ best universities seven are located in the United States and out of those three of them located in California  although the Universidad Autonoma de Santo Domingo, in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic founded in 1538; National University of San Marcos in Lima, Peru founded in 1551, and the Colegio de San Nicolas Hidalgo in Morelia, Michoacan get a distinction of being among the oldest universities within the Americas.
4. Other Information.
  • California home to 36 million people embodies worlds’ 7th economy, and alone represents about 19 percent of nation’s medical industry.  The state is home to 400 hospitals and has 93,000 doctors and 202,000 nurses.

Christopher Druzgalski, Ph.D.     

Luis Castro Pou, MSc      

  
Country: México

Top
  

1. Population

  • Country Total = 108,576,411 ( male 53,955,452/ female 54,620,959)

Age Structure:

  • 0-14 years:            31,104,531 (male 15,877,417/female 15,227,114)

  • 15-64 years:          71,418,481 (male 35,342,307/female 36,076,174)

  • 65 years and over:   6,053,399 (male 2,735,728 /female 3,317,671)
2. Major Urban Centers
 
  • Distrito Federal (D.F. 8,815,694); Guadalajara (1,600,894); Monterrey (1,133,070); Puebla (1,485,941);  Tijuana (1,410,000) 

 
3. Selected Data
 
  • Mexico has more than 47,719 hospitals, 123,522 Doctors, 7,042 odontologists;189,747 nurses;12,000 pharmacies; 2,723 operating rooms; 1,795 radiology rooms; 2,024 units for clinical analysis .
  • The Mexican healthcare system is run by the offices of public health of each state and by the private sector, under the supervision of the offices for public health.  Instituto Mexicano de Seguro Social  (IMSS) and Instituto de Seguridad y Servicios Sociales de los Trabajadores del Estado (ISSSSTE) are the main institutions providing medical and hospital coverage to the Mexican population. There are also other social security funds to complement the health and social security programs such as those maintained by Petroleos Mexicanos  (Pemex) and Secretaria de Defensa Nacional  (Sedena); other funds for people lacking  medical insurance are SSA, IMSS and DDF.  According to recent estimates all these National Health System institutions provide coverage to 95% of the population.
  • In Mexico, the main universities are: 
    • Universidad Autónoma de Mexico: With 27,000 bachelor students and postgraduates; approximately 28,000 professors, and 19.000 researchers.
    • Universidad Autónoma Metropolitana: Total student population: 54,008; Undergraduate population 53,011; graduate population; 997 total number of students 129,242; and 13,685 faculty. This is the only school that offers bachelor degree, master, and doctorate degree in biomedical engineering. 
    • Benemerita Universidad Autónoma de Puebla: Student population total: 40,566. Undergraduate population: 28,184. Graduate population: 1,674. Total faculty: 3,260. Total full time faculty: 1,946. 
    • Universidad de Colima: Student population: 21,166. Undergraduate population: 9,958. Graduate population: 607. Total faculty: 1,251. Full time faculty: 456. 
    • Universidad Autónoma de Baja California: Student population: 21,726. Undergraduate: 21,143. Graduate: 583. Total faculty: 3,082. Full time faculty: 667. 
    • Universidad Veracruzana: Student population: 57,276 (includes informal education). Undergraduate: 42,845. Graduate: 1,655. Total faculty: 5,417. Full time faculty: 1,391.

Dr. Marco Antonio Reyna   

M. Sc. Héctor Gerardo Arriola   

Dra. Martha Lorena Nava Martínez.  

  
Country: El Salvador

Top
  

1. Population

Data source:  Ministry of Health and Public Assistance. 
  

  • Country Total = 6,276.000
2. Major Urban Centers
  
  • San Salvador (Capital: 2,143,000); Santa Ana (606,000); San Miguel (534,000).
  
3. Selected Data
  
  • Public hospitals: 25
  • Private hospitals: 14
  • Private clinics: 7,000
  • Medical Doctors: Approx. 10,600
  • Pharmacies:
    • In the Capital city, no less than 200.
    • Out of the Capital city, between 10 and 50, depending on the city size.
  • Universities:

    • National University (Public)

    • “José Simeon Cañas” University, UCA ( Private - Catholic University )

    •  Don Bosco University ( Private - Catholic University )

    • "Dr. José Matias Delgado" University (Private)

    • Universidad Evangélica (Private)

    • Universidad Alberto Masferrer (Private)

Juan Carlos Ponce, BSCSE  

Dr. Gaston Gonzalez  

Dra. Karina Navarro de Gonzalez  
  
Country: Costa Rica

Top
  

1. Population

Data source:  Programa Estado de la Nación – Costa Rica (2001 – 2003), www.estadonacion.or.cr  
  

  • Country Total = 4,169.730
Other Data of Interest
Masculine population 2,120,706
Feminine population 2, 048,987
Population Density 81,6 hab/km2

Life expectancy: (years)

       Men: 76,24

Women:  80,65
Infants mortality rate 10,1 for each 1,000 born alive
Population with basic healthcare programs 3,599,939
Population with healthcare insurance 4,129,099
Hospital beds for each 1,000 habitants 1,42
  
2. Major Urban Centers

Data source: Distribución Político-Administrativa de Costa Rica, UCR, www.odd.ucr.ac.cr   
  
  • San José (1,345,750); Alajuela (716,286); Cartago (432,395); Heredia (354,732)
3. Selected Data 
  
  • The Costa Rica Ministry of Health, warrants the efficiency and effectiveness of the healthcare system.  This is done by the Minister, with the full participation of many social entities that contribute to maintain and improve the quality of life of the population and the country development, under the principles of equality, solidarity, and universality.
  • The Costa Rica Social Security Institute (CCSS), is the executive of the national healthcare plans, politics, and strategies; also, it helps establishing the integration of community in the preventive national healthcare programs.
  • The healthcare system has 33 hospitals distributed as follows:
    • 7 national hospitals:  These are the country's most advanced healthcare centers, and consequently the most complex.
    • 7 regional hospitals:  These work as general hospitals with 4 basic specialties: internal medicine, surgery, OB-GYN, and pediatrics; also, providing the sub-specialties of higher demand for each region.
    • 14 peripheral hospitals:  These type of hospital, constitute a backup for the hospitals of less capacity in the semi-urban or rural zones, outpatient clinics, and other small public clinics/centers in the area.
    • 4 private hospitals.
  • Costa Rica has, in the different healthcare medical centers: 8,608 physicians and 6,400 nurses.
  • Costa Rica is the only country in Central America where Engineering in Electro-medicine is studied since 1997, at the Universidad Latina de Costa Rica. Until now, there are in excess of 75 professionals graduated there.

José Raúl Pino Alea   
  
Country: COLOMBIA

Top
 

1. Population

  •  42.500.000; Official language: Spanish; Multicultural society

2. Major Urban Centers

  • Bogotá: 7.884000, Medellín: 2.223.000, Cali: 2.068.000, Barranquilla: 1.112.000
3. Selected Data

  • Population distribution: Urban population percentage 76%, Rural population percentage   24%
    Life expectancy: Total 72 years; Women 76 years, Men 68.2 years; Infant mortality rate: 20 deceases for each 1.000 babies born alive 1 doctor per 741 inhabitants; 1 nurse per 2325 inhabitants; 1 auxiliary nursing per 549 inhabitants; 1 dentist per 2278 inhabitants National expenditure on health per year like a proportion of the GDP: Public   4.5%, Private 3.7% = Total     8.2%; Mostly of the industrial workers have a system of Social Security that provides services of maternity assistance and dental assistance, accident insurances, compensation payments and incapacity payments to the workers and retirement benefit. The system is financed through contributions from bosses, workers and government.

  • Main universities: CES University (www.ces.edu.co): recognized university in the health area, and first accredited medicine and dentistry careers in the country. Andes University (www.uniandes.edu.co): prestigious national university. University of Antioquia (www.udea.edu.co): First University of the country, offers diverse undergraduate programs and postgraduate programs.
4. Other Information:

  Dr. José María Maya – Rector, CES University                          

Dr. Juan Esteban Valencia – Extension Director, CES University
  
Country: Peru

Top
 

1. Population

  • Country Total = 27,947,000 

  • Peru has the fourth largest population in South America with an urban population of 72.6% and a rural population of 27.4%

2. Major Urban Centers

  • Lima (Capital) = 8,011,820; Piura (1,710,790); La Libertad (1,573,106); Cajamarca (1,532,878); Puno (1,313,571); Junín (1,288,792)  

3. Selected Data
  • The medical system in Peru is managed by the Ministry of Health (Minsa), social security (EsSalud) and the armed forces. In the Ministry of Health there are 11389 medics, 10608 nurses, 1681 dental surgeons, 4723 obstetricians, 462 psychologists, 369 nutritionists, 416 pharmaceutical chemists, and 290 other professionals.
  • The higher education system in Peru includes state universities such as Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos founded in 1551, Universidad Federico Villareal, Universidad Nacional de Ingeniería, Universidad Nacional de San Agustín and others; among the private universities are Pontificia Universidad Católica del Perú which is the only one that has biomedical engineering, Universidad Ricardo Palma, Universidad de Lima, Universidad del Pacifico and others.
4. Other Information:
  • Peru is characterized as a country with a great variety of natural wonders, a diverse climate, and historical past that includes MachuPicchu (Cusco) as the greatest treasure.

Dr. Rosa Isabel Alvarado  

M.en IB Rocío Callupe   

M. en Ing. Carlos Lara Alvarado  
  
Country: Bolivia

Top
 

1. Population

Source: INE Bolivia Census 2001

  • Country Total = 8,274,325; Urban Areas: 5,165,230; Rural Areas: 3,109,095 

  • Population Groups: Aymará (28.03%), Quechua (27.71%), Chiquitano (1.27%), Guaraní (0.32%), Mojeño (0.32%), Others (0.96%), Mixed (23.57%), y No Natives (17.83%) (Source: Bolivia’s Health Situation 2004).

2. Major Urban Centers

Source: INE Bolivia Census 2001

  • La Paz: 2,350,466 habitants; Santa Cruz: 2,029,471 habitants; Cochabamba: 1,455,711 habitants

3. Selected Data
  • Health Care Infrastructure (2004): Total (2,706), Health Care Community Centers (1,369), Regional Health Care Centers (1,144), Basic Hospitals (142), General Hospitals (26), Specialized Institutes (25) (Source: Bolivia’s Health Situation 2004)
  • Professional Categories Distribution (including public, private, and social security sectors): 
    • Total (54.181 – 100%);
    • Medical Doctors (10.905 - 24.1%), Dentists (1.661 - 3.7%), Registered Nurses (4.751 - 10.5%): Professionals (17.317 - 40.7%), Technicians (4.77 - 10.6%), Nurse Assistants (10.044 - 22.2%): Ancillary services (10.643 - 23.6%), Administration (4.527 - 10.02%), Other (6.88 - 15.2%) (Source: Bolivia’s Health Situation 2004. SNIS 2002. INASES. Survey MECOVI 2.001. Dirección de recursos humanos. Ministerio de Salud y Deportes. 2004)
4. Other Information:
  • Health Care: In summary the health care conditions in Bolivia are characterized, in general, by high levels of infant and maternal mortality, and this is a high priority of the health care system; and, also high levels of transmissible diseases: endemic and epidemic diseases. Among endemics there are: Malaria, Chagas disease, tuberculosis and other; and among epidemic diseases, dengue and rabies (in 2004).