ISDEN´s origin stems from the presence of the Hermanas Misioneras del Sagrado Corazón de Jesús (MSC) (Missionary Sisters of the Sacred Heart of Jesus) in Peru. They have been working in Peru for more than 70 years, principally in the fields of health, education, and in the church.

For more than 40 years they worked in Hospital Obrero in Lima, which is now Hospital Guillermo Almenara, and for 47 years they have been educating nurses in the Escuela del Seguro Social. This education is characterized by extensive ethical training and the cultivation of intellect and spirituality.

 Since their arrival, these missionaries have chosen to help the most vulnerable sectors of society, including the working class, the impoverished in both rural and urban areas, children, patients, and others. Since 1976, they have been helping tuberculosis patients, who are among the least favored in the country. Between 1990 and 1999, the Episcopal Conference of Peru gave the Sisters the responsibility of coordinating pastoral care at the national level and establishing and articulating pastoral care networks in different areas of the country. All of these experiences inspired the creation of ISDEN. We started from a Health Commission from the Congregation that eventually turned into a formal civil association, Instituto de Salud MSC “Cristóforis Deneke” (ISDEN). ISDEN was born with the goal of contributing to the humanization of health care and to providing training in ethics for those in the health care sector.