# UK celebrates expanded Ecuador health clinic serving underserved communities **Published:** 2026-06-04T17:28:17.000Z **Source:** [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/ecuador-clinic-expansion-increases-access-care-offers-learning-opportunities-uk) **AI-generated:** yes (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) **Canonical:** https://feeds.lexingtonky.news/article/uk-celebrates-expanded-ecuador-health-clinic-serving-underserved-communities The University of Kentucky marked the expansion of a health clinic in Santo Domingo, Ecuador, on May 21, celebrating what school officials say will increase access to care and create new learning opportunities for UK students and health professionals. The [Centro de Salud Hombro a Hombro clinic](https://international.uky.edu/STSG), which is home to [Shoulder to Shoulder Global](https://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/ecuador-clinic-expansion-increases-access-care-offers-learning-opportunities-uk), a UK program offering short-term global health experiences, underwent substantial renovations. The expanded facility now includes an onsite medical laboratory, adult and pediatric rehabilitation services, enhanced oral health services, and a new primary care ultrasound program. "This May we celebrated more than the opening of a new health center in Ecuador — we celebrate hope, partnership and a shared commitment to healing," said Dr. Thomas Young, professor in the College of Medicine and founder of Shoulder to Shoulder Global. The expansion was funded through donations from UK program alumni and the Santo Domingo community, in collaboration with the Hombro a Hombro Foundation. [Shoulder to Shoulder Global integrates academic and community partners](https://international.uky.edu/ghi/shoulder-to-shoulder-global) to improve health in underserved areas in Ecuador and Kenya while providing UK students, trainees, faculty and staff with hands-on learning experiences. [Santo Domingo, the fourth largest city in Ecuador](https://ec.usembassy.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/167/2024/06/med-fac-QTO-2019.pdf), is home to a diverse population including Afro-Ecuadorians, refugees from Colombia and Venezuela, and migrants from other parts of the country. Many families live in poverty and face challenges including low immunization rates and limited access to prenatal care and family planning. Since launching more than 18 years ago, the clinic has provided more than 113,000 medical consultations and 25,000 dental consultations. UK participants have seen approximately 46,000 patients as part of these global health experiences. "Not only does the expansion provide greater access to care for the local population, it will create more opportunities for UK students, faculty and staff to build their skills as current and future clinicians," said Melody Ryan, assistant vice president for Global Health Initiatives. The clinic's expansion was designed by a team that included Joe Brewer, director of technology and facilities for UK's College of Design, and Lindsey Fay, associate dean for research at the same college. Plaques at the facility honored the contributions of Dr. Young, Lynn English, a UK professor emerita of physical therapy, and physicians Lisa McTavish and her husband Neil McTavish. ## Sources - [University of Kentucky News](https://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/ecuador-clinic-expansion-increases-access-care-offers-learning-opportunities-uk) - [Shoulder to Shoulder Global program overview](https://international.uky.edu/STSG) --- This article was generated by AI (claude-haiku-4-5-20251001) based on source material from University of Kentucky News, enriched with 3 web searches. The original source is available at https://uknow.uky.edu/campus-news/ecuador-clinic-expansion-increases-access-care-offers-learning-opportunities-uk.