Sinto America, Inc. Donates $100,000 to Andean Health & Development

One of the highlights of the 2025 Sinto America, Inc. Shareholders meeting was the retirement of its Chairman, Jim Hesburgh, who had served as a Director since 1991 and in the role as Chairman since 2014. To honor Jim’s contributions to the business and its employees, the Board of Directors decided to make a contribution to a certain organization in Jim Hesburgh’s name. Jim passionately expressed that this contribution be made to Andean Health & Development for its incredible impact on the people in rural Ecuador. Please read below the incredible story and achievements of Andean Heath & Development by one of its founders and Chief Executive Officer.

By Dr. David Gauss

Andean Health & Development (AHD) is fundamentally modernizing rural health care in Ecuador by providing sustainable, quality medical care today and training the rural health care leaders of tomorrow. Our Andean Health Institute conducts meaningful research that measures impact and helps influence local and global policy. By sharing our lessons learned with the global health community, AHD serves communities who need care most, today and in the future.

Founded in 1997 by Dr. David Gaus and Rev. Theodore Hesburgh, president emeritus at the University of Notre Dame, Andean Health and Development currently operates two hospitals in Ecuador, while looking to expand its outreach in the region. Hospital Pedro Vicente Maldonado opened in 2000 as a clinic which has since grown its offerings to include comprehensive healthcare services for over 130,000 patients in the small town of Pedro Vicente Maldonado. In 2014, Andean Health and Development expanded its reach by opening Hesburgh Hospital in the larger town of Santo Domingo. While Santo Domingo’s growing population numbers over 600,000, over a quarter of the population lives on less than $4 per day. Both of our AHD hospitals have also implemented residency training programs, graduating over 75 Ecuadorian doctors, with several of them remaining within our network.

Andean Health and Development has a bold vision to grow the Ecuadorian healthcare infrastructure and residency programs to full operation and financial self-sufficiency, ultimately, with the goal to cover indigent care until surpluses are high enough to cover our poorest patients. A unique model, that works with and for the communities served, Andean Health and Development is on a mission to improve medical outcomes around the world, one region at a time.