SUCN hosts Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center for Educational Tour and Cultural Immersion 2025

The Silliman University College of Nursing (SUCN) hosted the 2025 Educational Tour and Cultural Immersion of the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center (TTUHSC) in Dumaguete City from September 29 to October 3, 2025, reaffirming its commitment to fostering global learning partnerships and advancing intercultural understanding in nursing education.

In collaboration with TTUHSC, SUCN designed a week-long program that blended academic lectures, community health engagements, and cultural activities. The tour provided TTUHSC students with firsthand experience in Philippine healthcare systems, community-based health practices, and the country’s cultural richness. Activities were held at the SUCN campus, Barangays Candau-ay and Bajumpandan, and key health facilities, including the Silliman University Medical Center (SUMC), Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital (NOPH), and the Dumaguete City Health Office.

Leading the program for Silliman were Dean Dr. Theorose June Q. Bustillo and Asst. Prof. Rochie C. Cagara, RLE Community Coordinator, with faculty and student nurses serving as facilitators.

Dr. Mae Brigitt Bernadel L. Villordon represented University President Dr. Betty Cernol McCann during the group’s courtesy call.

Dr. Mae Brigitt Bernadel L. Villordon, assistant to the President for Internal Affairs, welcomes the group from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center.

The collaboration was also supported by Dr. Jin Genove, coordinator of the Master of Public Health program, and staff from partner health institutions.

The TTUHSC delegation was composed of nine faculty and staff members, including Dr. Wendy Thal, Dr. Tara Hilliard, Dr. Rubini Pasupathy, Dr. Elizabeth Hutson, Dr. Maria Christina Esperat, Dr. Monica Garcia, Michelle Ensminger, Matt Hernandez, and Injing Gitalan. They accompanied 17 of their students from the BSN, MPH, and APRN programs.

The delegates from the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center join the activities at the SUCN Community Simulation Hut Area.

The program featured a variety of activities that included an orientation and hospital tours at the Silliman University Medical Center and the Negros Oriental Provincial Hospital, followed by a Senior Citizens Health Fair in Barangay Candau-ay that drew more than a hundred participants. The visitors also joined workshops on complementary and alternative medicine, which introduced ear acupuncture and herbal laboratory practices, and took part in health facility immersions and lectures on barangay health emergency response. The week concluded with seminars on trauma-informed care and barangay health work, culminating in a debriefing session that celebrated the success of the educational exchange.

Students from Texas Tech expressed their appreciation for the warmth and hospitality of the Silliman community, noting how the experience expanded their understanding of global nursing practice.

Another batch of TTUHSC students is expected to visit next year for an enhanced round of lectures, community immersions, and cultural exchanges, continuing a partnership that bridges learning and service beyond borders.