HITA Foundation Supports Jameel Poverty Action Lab at MIT  [ READ ABOUT IT HERE ]

The HITA Foundation, Inc. is a 501 (c)-3 Nonprofit Corporation established in 2001. HITA is an ancient Sanskirt word which means "doing good for others".

In 2000, several medical professionals and businessmen traveled to Chile and met with the neurosurgery team in Concepcion as well as the hospital administration, and plans for an exchange program between the two countries were established. Since that time, two neurosurgeons from Chile have traveled to the United States and trained at the Saint Alphonsus Regional Medical Center Idaho Neurological Institute in Boise. More than fifty volunteer trips by neurosurgeons, nurses, and students from the United States have been made to Chile in the last six years. At this point, the neurosurgery department at the Regional Hospital in Concepcion is totally self-sufficient, well-staffed, and has established programs in:

• neurovascular surgery

• stereotactic surgery

• neuroendoscopy

• pediatrics

• neuro-oncology including awake craniotomy

• complex spine surgery

The primary focus of the HITA Foundation is to provide medical education. The Foundation has assisted the Chilean neurosurgeons with major educational symposiums. The Regional Hospital in Concepcion is the largest in southern Chile and one of the largest on the western coast of South America. There are over 1,000 beds, and all the major medical specialties are represented.

Concepcion, Chile is an urban center of approximately 1 million people. Situated along the pacific coast, it is 45 minutes from spectacular beaches, is home to two professional football (soccer) teams, and is a vibrant working community with many healthcare needs. The HITA Foundation provides a four bedroom, three bath, condominium three blocks from the medical center. Pool and gymnasium facilities are available at the complex. Safety in Chile is excellent.