Bridging Hemispheres: Barrow Global’s Latin America Journey Begins

Byline: Barrow Media Relations
November 24, 2025

Written by Anthony Gross, Program Manager, Barrow Global

Barrow Global’s mission is rooted in connection—linking people, institutions, and ideas to improve neurosurgical care worldwide. As our global footprint expands, Latin America has become a key focus, following the success of our initiatives in Africa.

Franke Family Ties

A photo of Bill Franke signing a document to create the Franke Global Neuroscience Education Center. Dr. Robert Spetzler and Dr. Volker Sonntag are standing next to him. — In partnership with Barrow Neurological Foundation, Bill and Carolyn Franke established the Franke Global Neuroscience Education Center at Barrow Neurological Institute in 2021. Here, Bill Franke is signing the paperwork in the company of Barrow Emeritus Professor of Neurosurgery Volker K.H. Sonntag, MD, (left) and Barrow Emeritus Chair of Neurosurgery Robert F. Spetzler, MD.

Barrow Global’s strategic expansion into Latin America was significantly influenced by the Franke family, whose deep personal and professional ties to the region helped shape a shared vision for long-term collaboration. In 1948, at just 11 years old, Bill Franke boarded his first airplane to relocate with his family to Asunción, Paraguay, where his father served in the U.S. State Department’s USAID program. That formative experience sparked a lifelong connection to Latin America, which continues through the Franke family’s ongoing business and philanthropic work, as well as their support for Barrow Global. This support is ultimately helping to guide Barrow Global’s efforts to deliver its expertise where it can make the greatest impact.

With the encouragement of the Franke family, Barrow Global began formally evaluating Latin America as a potential site for sustained partnership. In collaboration with the Thunderbird School of Global Management at Arizona State University, we developed a comprehensive, academically rigorous site-selection framework.

This framework assessed countries using objective criteria, including health care and economic infrastructure, government and institutional support, training and research capacity, and geopolitical stability. This approach represents a shift from traditional global neurosurgery models, which often rely on personal relationships and are vulnerable to disruptions caused by political or economic instability.

Gary Gibbons, PhD, an adjunct professor of neurosurgery at Barrow and a clinical associate professor at Arizona State University’s Thunderbird School of Global Management, has been a key contributor in the site development and selection process for Barrow Global in Latin America.

By early 2023, Barrow Global initiated its evaluation process and thoroughly reviewed countries based on both general economic, political, and health care factors and neurosurgical-specific factors. These included interest from local neurosurgeons, presence of strong medical institutions, and travel logistics. In 2024, the Barrow Global team narrowed its selection of countries and kicked off site visits to assess each country’s readiness and alignment with Barrow Global’s mission. Ultimately, Paraguay and Panama were selected.

Paraguay’s selection was especially meaningful, due to Bill Franke’s early years in Asunción, creating a more personal connection. Although travel to Paraguay poses challenges with respect to generally higher travel costs and time, the strong institutional engagement and potential for meaningful impact made it a formidable candidate, proving the selection criteria were on target. Its selection serves as both a validation of the process and a powerful full-circle moment.

Panama: A Central American Gateway for Regional Impact

Out of the gates, Panama quickly stood out as a high-potential partner. Its strong health care infrastructure, strategic location, and neurosurgery leadership’s willingness to collaborate made it an ideal candidate. Ciudad de la Salud, the largest hospital in Latin America, and its advanced Simulation Center provide a strong foundation for education and training.

Barrow Global is now in ongoing discussions with local leaders to formalize a partnership that could support training programs, research collaboration, and regular in-person neurosurgical conferences. Panama has the potential to become a regional hub for Barrow Global’s work across Latin America.

Simulation Center at La Ciudad — Lic. Nadia G. Zuleta, head of the Advanced Simulation Center at Ciudad de la Salud (City of Health) hospital, leads Prof. Andrés Almendral, MD, of the University of Panama Medical School; Panama neurosurgeon Carlos Candanedo, MD; and Barrow Global visitors on a tour of the Center. Here, Dr. Candanedo tests out the dynamic endovascular simulator model.

Photo of neurosurgeons in an operating room in Panama — (From left): Panamanian neurosurgery leaders Drs. Carlos Candanedo and Ricardo Bermudez. Panama quickly stood out as a high-potential partner for Barrow Global’s growth into Latin America. Its strong health care infrastructure, strategic location, and neurosurgery leadership’s willingness to collaborate made it an ideal candidate.

Paraguay: Partnering Where the Need Is

In contrast, and in the heart of South America, Paraguay represents a higher-need environment, with deep potential for impact. Despite more limited accessibility (longer flight time and multiple connecting flights) and resources, Paraguay’s Ministry of Health and neurosurgical leadership have demonstrated clear enthusiasm and commitment to partnership.

Plans include supporting observerships and fellowships at Barrow, enabling distance education, and fostering co-authored research, with planned assistance from the Institute’s library and Neuroscience Publications resources. The relationship reflects Barrow Global’s values: sustainable partnerships rooted in mutual trust and aligned goals.

Photo of Paraguayan neurosurgery leaders — (From left:) Paraguayan neurosurgery leaders J.J. Jara, MD, and Elio Marin, MD; Barrow Global Co-Director Dilan Ellegala, MD; Paraguayan Vice-Minister of Health Santiago Garcia, MD; Attorney and Director of Institutional Relations at the Paraguayan Social Security Institute Bettina Albertini; and Vice-Minister of Health José Ortellado, MD.

Looking Ahead: A Growing Global Network

As our relationships with Panama and Paraguay evolve, Barrow Global is beginning to see more interest for cross-continental connections to form between sites, with potential to create new opportunities for shared learning and collaboration.

We are also exploring how to weave neurology into our Latin American initiatives, building on the already robust collaborative ties that exist between Barrow and neurology partners in South Africa.

Through these new relationships in Latin America, and thanks to the vision and generosity of the Franke family, Barrow Global continues to build a more connected, compassionate world of care.