Author Archives: Jessica Evert, MD

A Spark Was Struck Again in Ann Arbor -Celebrating 50 Years of Peace Corps and Launch of ServiceWorld

As people gathered from different parts of our country and our world last week at the University of Michigan to commemorate the fiftieth anniversary of the spark that started the Peace Corps, at least some of us experienced a new spark.

It is a rich and storied history of how presidential candidate John F. Kennedy , weary from the long day and the long campaign, reached the University of Michigan campus at about 2:00 AM on October 14, 1960. Despite nothing being scheduled to mark his arrival, Kennedy was amazed to find a growing crowd of thousands of students who had gathered to show their support. Moved by this spontaneous crowd, Kennedy went to the front steps of the student union to address them extemporaneously. The young senator was in a very tight race against then Vice President Richard Nixon, and with only three weeks until the election, no plan had been made for speaking to the students perhaps because the vast majority of them were under 21, the voting age in 1960. But there they were. In a cold drizzle, there they were in the wee hours of the morning; there they were. . The press had gone to bed; none of these kids could influence the election. It should have been a throw away moment -a simple expression of kindness and cordiality, but it was not.

We were so fortunate last week that many of those who stood in that drizzle fifty years ago came back. They remember it as a special moment, a moment when they felt a challenge, an invitation, a call …a spark! The history is now recorded, thanks in large part to the University of Michigan, and a wonderful recounting of it is now available in a documentary called A Passing of the Torch. Do yourself a favor and find a way to see it. (It will air on public television in the coming months.)

It was cold and wet in the wee hours this past Thursday, much as it reportedly was at that moment fifty years earlier. While this was anything but a spontaneous gathering, it was a purposeful gathering. There was a sense of anticipation which felt strange because we were merely commemorating a historical event. I’m not sure what we were expecting to see …a ghost… I don’t know, but we were drawn there for something. Thomas Hayden, the editor of the student newspaper in 1960, and now 70 years old, said later at a speaking event on Thursday night that he had not planned on attending the 2 AM commemoration because he had an early meeting that morning. As the night approached, however, he said he could not help but go, even if only to see if one can really relive a moment of their life –he said he was not disappointed. He also asked rhetorically and jokingly, “Where is that damn torch any way? Can someone find me that torch?”

As I sat listening to Tom Hayden in a hall filled to overflowing, I realized that was it –the torch. That is what we were looking for last week. Whatever the torch is, it has inspired many over the years, and I think we saw it many times last week in Ann Arbor. And as I listened to Tom Hayden that night, I realized that his words, his memories, his passion for service and fairness, dedication to participatory government and global understanding, -these are the torch. They are the torch that Kennedy took up and ran with, inviting all to join him. They are the torch that was passed to that crowd of students fifty years ago by an impromptu speech. A torch taken up by Al and Judy Guskin (part of the audience for Kennedy’s speech who responded by starting a student movement that led to the Peace Corps –again, wonderful history that you will love) and by every Peace Corps volunteer who has walked in their steps since. A torch taken up by many of us who have volunteered internationally through a myriad of other organizations.

I think that is what we were drawn to see last week in the early hours of October 14^th –the torch. And see it we did, in the nostalgic eyes of hundreds of returned Peace Corps Volunteers, in the wide eyes of U of M Students eager to make a difference, in the stories of fifty years ago that felt like they could happen again. And indeed they were happening. We were given a renewed challenge and invitation. We were invited to join a new initiative called Service World (www.ourserviceworld.org) with the aim of achieving JFK’s goal of having 100,000 U. S. citizens doing international service annually. Just as a petition was drawn up by Al and Judy Guskin in 1960, signed by over a thousand U of M students, and led to the establishment of the Peace Corps, Service World has a declaration that is now being circulated globally. Fifty years later, international service has become a global ideal. Thanks in large part to the model and the success of the Peace Corps.

It only makes sense in today’s world that a call to globalize Kennedy’s great challenge would arise. Those of us who were in Ann Arbor this time felt a quiver deep inside us that was something other than just a reaction to the damp and cold around us. Was it a spark? Was there a torch that was being offered to be taken up? I know that no torch can be seen in any of the photos or video that everyone recorded, but I also know that it will be seen in all the renewed efforts for international service, and in the hearts of all those who go to the Service World website to virtually sign the scroll in support of the ideals that have spanned many years and lives and are still alive inside us today. Anyone can participate. Here is the text of the Service World Delcaration:

We envision a world in which volunteer service is a common strategy by people of all nations in meeting pressing challenges in education, health, the environment, agriculture, and more. We seek to foster an international culture of service and a heightened sense of compassion across borders that will bring volunteers of different countries, cultures, races, ethnicities and religious beliefs together for common purpose. We encourage individuals and organizations to engage in volunteer service in order to increase prosperity, strengthen economies, implement more informed foreign policies in all nations, and lay a foundation on which governments and civil society can build a more peaceful, healthy and secure world.

We stand ready to serve and support Service World’s bold agenda to expand volunteer opportunities for individuals internationally — at every age and among all socio-economic groups — to learn about global problems and help find more effective ways to solve them.

If these words resonate deep inside you, then please add your name to the scroll and pledge your support for a renewed call to international service that can transform all who are touched by it. If you know others who share this vision, invite them to add their name. Every supporter we can get will help us convince policy makers that international service is important, needs to be nurtured, and will pay dividends for us all.

CFHI Joins in Support of Service World

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CFHI is very excited to support the launch of OurServiceWorld.org and the ServiceWorld International Service Declaration. Those of us involved in Global Health are deeply committed to international service. The ServiceWorld Initiative is an effort to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the Peace Corps by realizing President Kennedy’s original vision of sending 100,000 volunteers to serve abroad each year. Please join us in supporting the future of international service by signing the ServiceWorld International Service Declaration and endorsing ServiceWorld.

As a proud member of the Building Bridges Coalition and the International Volunteer Programs Association, CFHI is happy to join a groundswell of international organizations in support of this effort. Please join with us.

Open Education Resources for Global Health Education

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Here is a follow-up By Dr. Jessica Evert, CFHI Medical Director, from the CUGH Conference, see earlier posts from Sept 20th and Sept 21st.

I am excited about the open access movement, in publishing, medical education, and in global health. The prospect of Open Educational Resources (OER) in addressing workforce issues and the education drought in many low resource countries is quite promising. Tufts and University of Michigan presented there work in this area at the recent CUGH meeting in Seattle, Washington. Erica Frank, who recently moved from Emory to UBC, also presented on her Health Sciences Online project which provides over 50,000 educational resources in over 40 languages (it is powered by Google Translator), that are not only free, but ad-free. Perhaps the most inspiring presentation was by Richard Adanu, from University of Ghana, who presented on OERAfrica. His step-by-step instruction for a cesarean section can be found at this link. He commented on a unique issue at teaching hospitals in Ghana, and many places in Africa. Unlike in the US where there are one or two students in each surgical procedure trying to learn, in Ghana there may be ten or even more. Thus, it is almost impossible for the students to see the procedure. These videos help immensely so students can actually see the procedure. One of my concerns about exporting US medical school curriculum to Africa or other places is that it might not be applicable. I asked Dr. Adanu about this issue. He said that while there may be certain things that are different (the brand of medication available, or specific cultural acceptance of interventions), generally these online resources are viewed before class by students, and then serve as the focal point of a conversation in the classroom setting, where instructors can discuss the local variations and context. Interestingly, Tufts is using their open source software called TUSK to allow medical schools abroad to customize curriculum and utilize smart phone technology to tele-consult and have other collaborative discussions. One faculty member in the audiences commented that in ten years this may put teaching faculty out of business. A panelist replied that it will require that teaches become facilitators of discussions and critical thinking, rather than merely deliverers of information. Half joking, but maybe actually not, moderator David Stern commented, “in the future we may get promoted based on the number of hits we get.” This is a real possibility- any maybe hits from sub-Saharan Africa and low resource countries should carry extra weight in the promotional review. Have you utilized Open Educational Resources (OER)? Feel free to share your experience.

CFHI Convenes UN Forum on MDG 3 Empowerment of Women

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Earlier this month on September 15, 2010, CFHI convened a Forum on the Empowerment of Women, at the United Nations in New York. The purpose of the event was to increase awareness of the United Nations Millennium Development Goal #3, to Promote Gender Equality and Empower Women.

Ambassador Anwarul K. Chowdhury, former Under-Secretary General and High Representative for the Least Developed Countries, moderated a panel of women representing a cross section of leadership roles. As world leaders met this past week to discuss the MDGs, this Forum, held a week in advance, provided an opportunity for the voices of women from everyday life t be heard. Co-sponsoring NGOs included the NGO Committee on Spirituality, Values and Global Concerns, The International Center for Good Business, The Institute of International Social Development, and The Spiritual United Nations. Panelists included M. Christine MacMillan, Commissioner, Director of the International Social Justice Commission of the Salvation Army, Monika Mitchell, Executive Director, Good Business International, Hema Pandey, India Coordinator, Child Family Health International, and Jessica Evert, MD, Medical Director, Child Family Health International.

The Title of the Forum was Successes and Challenges of Women in Leadership Roles in Traditionally Male-Dominated Environments. As women are increasingly taking on leadership roles, it becomes important for them to share their experience. The panelists spoke with examples from their own lives and the audience was invited to share their comments and life experience as well.

We were especially happy to welcome our India Coordinator, Ms. Hema Pandey who was visiting from New Delhi. Hema is responsible for coordinating six CFHI Global Health Immersion Programs taking place in Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Dehradun, and Rishikesh, as well as multiple ongoing community health projects. In the course of this work, she manages a group of five local CFHI Medical Directors, all of whom are men. Ms. Pandey spoke of using a cooperative style of working that invites the participation of those she works with thus creating a joint feeling of ownership. This being her first trip outside of India, Ms Pandey said she was surprised to find that women in the United States also felt that they were still struggling to achieve gender equality.

As the Forum drew to a close, there was a common expression of the panelists and the audience that this Forum should become and annual event until 2015, the target year for the Millennium Development Goals.

CFHI Medical Director Blogs on Day 2 of CUGH Conference

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This is the second of two guest blogs by Jessica Evert, MD, CFHI Medical Director, blogging from the CUGH Annual Meeting in Seattle. Be sure to leave a comment.

Ann Dower of University of Washington’s I-TECH Center said today “we must practice the art of partnership” in order to be successful in global health. Additionally, I was struck when Kevin De Cock MD, Director of the Center for Global Health at CDC, candidly reflected on his early career immersion experience in Nairobi, Kenya, saying, “I wish I was more humble.” I think this humility and the ability to form meaningful partnerships go hand-in-hand.

This idea of ‘partnership’ has come up countless times at the CUGH meeting over the last 2 days. Many seasoned global health experts have lamented over the lack of partnerships and failures of global health attempts due to this shortcoming. How can we learn from this history? How can we build training and educational programs that prioritize partnership? It seems that many times our process (the process of US based individuals, universities, and organizations) of global engagement is not necessarily the best approach to foster partnership or humility. We often have our own ideas of how to solve problems based on our views and our skills, rather than based on the voice of communities abroad. In academia, there is the nagging issue of faculty, and sometimes students, having to demonstrate personal accomplishments and quick outcomes which often trump the empowerment of communities to own the accomplishments and guide the outcomes. To find the answer to these important questions we need to look at how we frame introductory global health experiences for health science trainees (pre-health, medical, nursing, public health, allied health, dental, and other students) and how our academic institutions approach global engagement. The first experience abroad (a stepping stone experience) or first visit to a region or country is pivotal to frame how future global engagement occurs. If individuals go abroad and set-up a tent clinic outside the local healthcare infrastructure, an appreciation for local capacity, systems, and workforce is not realized. If students go to a hospital with faculty from their US institution who displace local physicians and assumes US clinical expertise translates immediately into similar expertise in an international setting, the student sees the glorification of US faculty, rather than the appreciation of unique practices, language, and expertise of local, native practitioners. It is time we recognize that the skills necessary for partnership need to be fostered from early levels of engagement and need to be modeled by our US teaching institutions and mentors.

How do we teach health science students and trainees about partnerships? What skills does partnership require? To delve into these questions, we must define partnership. The Partnering Initiative, an NGO that specializes in partnership training, defines partnership as follows: “a cross-sector collaboration in which organisations work together in a transparent, equitable and mutually beneficial way towards a sustainable development goal and where those defined as partners agree to commit resources and share the risks as well as the benefits associated with the partnership.” This is no simple task. They also define the partnering principles as follows- equity, transparency, mutual benefit. If partnership is fundamental to the success of global health activities, then we must judge global health activities in part based on these fundamental principles. The need for trust, mutual respect, and communication are presupposed in the process of building partnerships.

We can teach the principles and precursors to partnership through thoughtful global health immersion programs. I am proud to be a part of CFHI. I think CFHI is setting a standard for both academic and NGO based immersion programs. I liken CFHI immersion programs to participant-observation techniques I utilized during my thesis work. In anthropology the mechanism of understanding a culture, community, and executing research is participant-observation. Participant observation involves gaining an understanding of another social group or community, by inserting yourself into that community in a way that is agreeable to the community, while observing the practices and learning about the culture, social structure, systems, and other behaviors. CFHI immersion experiences provide an opportunity for participant-observation. I would argue that such participant-observation, done in the context of long-term CFHI partnerships, lay the groundwork and start fostering skills necessary to form meaningful partnerships with individuals and organizations abroad. The local health care providers are the experts who teach CFHI participants what their communities are facing. We have received feedback from partners that patients consider their local providers more capable because they are teaching western health science students (rather than Western physicians or students providing the expertise in patient care at the international setting). This dynamic is very important and very powerful. The first step in the cycle of partnership, as defined by The Partnering Institute, is “scoping.” In essence we are teaching our students and trainees how to scope, which includes listening, observing, and appreciating a local reality before trying to change it.

If partnerships are key to the success of global health programs and interventions, it is time we look at what it takes to impart the skills necessary to foster partnerships. These skills include observation, humility, and restraint so we can give voice to the local community and engage in truly mutually beneficial ways. By providing stepping stone global health immersion programs that prioritize the “scoping” necessary to form partnerships, we can engender a new generation of globally-active professionals who understand from early in their exposure and interaction with global communities the fundamentals of partnership and humility that Dr. De Cook and others wish they knew from the start. It reminds me of a quote by Nietzche, “When one has finished building one’s house, one suddenly realizes that in the process one has learned something that one really needed to know in the worst way – before one began.” We can provide these lessons before students build their proverbial global health houses through conscientious global health immersion.

Observations From CUGH’s Annual Meeting

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What follows is a Guest Blog by Jessica Evert, MD, CFHI Medical Director, who is attending the CUGH Annual Meeting in Seattle. Previous entries with Jessica are here and here

The opening plenary of CUGH’s Second Annual Meeting (Consortium of Universities in Global Health) was marked by discussion of the great successes and challenges in global health. A live feed from TEDxChange, a non-profit dedicated to the exploring ideas and giving space to innovative thinkers, opened the morning with inspirational data presented by Hans Rosling and commentary by Melinda Gates. The conclusion by Rosling was that there is no “developing” and “developed” world; he cited the fact that countries with some of the best indicators of child survival and birthrate are still considered “developing.” He also gave a very positive report on the progress toward MDGs, specifically reduction of poverty. He emphasized that we cannot consider Africa to be homogeneous, whereas, places such as the Congo have been stagnant on indicators such as child mortality, countries like Kenya have made great strides. Interestingly, Rosling overlaid a graph of the progress by Sweden over the last 200 years, which demonstrated their slow progress in the area of child mortality (400/1000 in 1800) in the first 100 of those years. This was powerful to give a long-term view of the progress that has only been started in the context of the last 10 years of the MDG campaign.

Melinda Gates utilized the model of Coca-Cola in their ability to penetrate far-reaching communities in the world (over 1.5 billion cokes are consumed a day) and promote their product in a positive light (a current marketing slogan being “Open Happiness”). One of the components of this success is the appreciation of and capitalization on local entrepreneurs. I liken this to the importance of local health professionals in global health goals and programs. Gates pointed out that our health improvement or preservation messages are often in a negative light- ‘avoid disease,’ ‘combat germs,’ ‘control infection.’ Rather, she purports, that if we utilize positive messages that draw on popular culture methods (hip hop, fashion, celebrations) it will be more effective. She encourages us to “look at what people want” and market health interventions to those aspirations.

Subsequently a panel of speakers made comments about global health and the role of universities. A common theme is the role of “collaboration” and “developing relationships.” They universally endorsed the importance of international experiences for trainees. During the Q & A session I brought to the attention of the audience and panel that US medical schools, almost universally, do not require global health education for medical students. In addition, global health is not a topic on the medical school boards. In my opinion, a catalyst for the adoption of global health topics as part of the required medical school curriculum in the US is the inclusion of global health topics in the medical school board exams. We can draw on the experience of preventive medicine/public health, which were recent categorical additions to the medical school boards. This proposition begs a question, which is not an easy one, and was put to me by King Holmes after the session, “what do we add?” Yes, global health is a broad field, and yes, narrowing that down to curriculum that is digestible by US medical schools is a challenge. However, there are multiple organizations and individuals who are grappling with these questions- including the Global Health Education Consortium (GHEC). To let the broad scope of ‘global health’ be our barrier or excuse for not integrating it into US medical school education is to succumb to the most basic cop-out that deters many from working toward the most basic, yet overwhelming, challenges to health at home and abroad- including equity, access, compliance, and the like.

I encourage the global health education community, and the larger global health university movement, which is embodied by CUGH, to look in their own backyards, medical/nursing/allied health schools and wider university programs to embrace global health curriculum in a real way. In many US medical schools, students are begging for global health education, exposure, and experiences. To adopt required global health topics into the medical school curriculums is a basic step which these universities have control over. A manageable curriculum could include: basic lessons on the global burden of disease (including infectious disease, mental health, maternal/child mortality, and chronic disease), overview of global health initiatives (such as MDGs, PEPFAR, Global Fund), and discussions of inequities (as evidenced by the 10/90 gap, health disparities). The next question is who teaches these issues- at many of the larger, well-funded universities, experts may be internal and easily accessible. However, there is a challenge at many, even large, medical schools, who lack faculty with expertise in global health. This is where the role of non-profits and global health educational organizations is essential. Schools can utilize resources such as the global health education modules created by Global Health Education Consortium which bring experts to the classroom through PowerPoint presentations with evaluation. Also, many communities have non-profits or church-based organizations who are active globally. Engaging in global health activities does not necessarily correlate with the ability to teach basic global health education, however, we must start somewhere.Unlike cardiology, endocrinology, and other themes taught in medical school, global health is not a cookie-cutter experience or topic. However, if CUGH and organizations, such as the AAMC, require US medical schools to teach basic global health lessons to all medical students, and elevate the importance of these topics, medical schools will be given a tangible requirement that they can respond to with curriculum and faculty development.

Finally, I was struck by the university leaders’ agreement that ‘relationship building’ and ‘collaboration’ are necessary for any global health endeavor to be successful. Our medical schools have great challenges in building these relationships because of unreliable funding streams, focus on outcomes and accomplishments (often at the expense of an appreciation of process and community involvement), and staff/faculty turnover. There is also an inflexibility that is prominent in medical schools and institutions where state department advisories can lead to the complete withdrawal from a country, leaving partners to consider us ‘fair weather friends,’ and there is a tendency for wanting partnerships to fit into a programmatic mold. I hope the university community will see the benefit of partnerships with non-profit organizations, such as CFHI, who have the flexibility, continuity of staff/mission, and reliable funding streams to help facilitate international experiences for trainees in a fashion that is ethically, fiscally, and culturally sound.

CUGH is making their debut in many ways over the coming couple of days. I hope that their ability to leverage universities in the US will lead to increased global health exposure of our health science trainees, so that we are truly training the globally minded professionals that the future requires. In addition, I hope that momentum at the university level recognizes the role of non-governmental (and often not primarily academic) organizations who are setting standards in community engagement and training future health care providers in a way that elevates international communities as the ‘experts’ of their own environment that they are.

CFHI Alum: “It Made Me Want To Be A Doctor A Lot More…”

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“It made me want to be a doctor a lot more, for sure,” she said. “Seeing doctors in action, they were really fantastic role models. It’s hard to get exposure shadowing doctors here (in the Bay Area). I’ve had a few opportunities at Stanford. The more time I got… the more inspired I am to become a doctor.” These are the words of Christina O’Neal, as reported in the Contra Costa Times by Correspondent Doug Mead. Christina, a Stanford University premedical student, spent part of her summer in the Cultural Crossroads in Health Program in Oaxaca, Mexico.

Christina told the Contra Costa Times in the article that her month on the CFHI program in Oaxaca, “was pretty life-changing. Everybody gets pretty much free health care there,” she said. “It’s interesting to see how things are run. There’s a lot of poverty, and the government, in terms of health care, has a lot of problems. But the infrastructure was good. I was impressed with how smooth it ran and how dedicated the doctors were. It was an awesome experience.”

The experience really improved Christina’s Spanish and Medical Spanish skills. “I’d say, before I got there, I was conversational (in Spanish),” she said. “Now, I’m borderline fluent. My comprehension, especially, skyrocketed. I’ve always had a pretty standard ability to speak. Now, I understand everything that’s happening. Even though my vocabulary didn’t grow as much, I can express myself better. Once you understand people better, it helps you to speak more correctly. We went over grammar and medical vocabulary every day (in class).”

We are very glad for Christina that her experience was so impactful and we greatly appreciate her kind words about the CFHI program as she ended her interview with the newspaper saying, “Everything was fantastic. It surpassed all my expectations. It was a phenomenal experience.”

CFHI Board Member Appointed by White House to Bi-National Board

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The Chair of the Board of Directors of Child Family Health International (CFHI), Mr. Gunjan Sinha, was appointed this summer to the US Endowment Board on Science and Technology during the US-India joint commission meeting of the White House Office of Science and Technology.

The Volunteer Board of Directors of CFHI functions far from the limelight but plays an essential role in the success of CFHI. We congratulate Gunjan on this accomplishment! Gunjan’s expertise as an entrepreneur has been indispensable to CFHI over the years, and we are sure he will be viewed the same way in his new role.

The Governments of the United States and India held the meeting of the Joint Commission on Science and Technology cooperation in Washington, D.C. on June 24-25 at the Smithsonian Institution’s National Museum of Natural History. CFHI’s Board Chair, Gunjan Sinha joined the meeting as part of the U.S. delegation lead by Dr. John Holdren, Assistant to the President Barak Obama for Science and Technology and Director of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy. The Indian delegation was lead by Sri Prithviraj Chavan, Minister of State for Science and Technology and Earth Sciences. As part of the overall focus on science and technology policy, Mr. Sinha was appointed on the US Endowment Board, set forth between US and India to foster Science and Technology cooperation between the two largest democracies in the world.

The meeting follows the June 3rd discussion between US Secretary of State Hilary Clinton and India’s External Affairs Minister Shri Krishna that focused on the importance of facilitating cooperation in strategic and high technology sectors as a key instrument to achieve the full potential of the strategic partnership between the two largest democracies in the world.

Mr. Sinha is also Chairman of MetricStream, a market leader in Enterprise-wide Governance, Risk, Compliance (GRC) and Quality Solutions for global corporations, based in Palo Alto, California.

The delegates at the commission include senior officials from various US federal agencies and departments including the Office of the Chief Technical Officer, Office of International and Tribal Affairs, US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), US National Institutes of Health (NIH), US Department of Energy (DoE), National Science Foundation and Bureau of Oceans, Environment and Science.

The joint commission between the two countries and the US-India Endowment Board will look to inspire public good and economic prosperity in US and India, through science and technology cooperation, greater public-private partnerships, promoting innovations and entrepreneurship and creating appropriate policy environment for greater bilateral co-operation. Areas of focus of the Endowment Board will include such significant areas like Food Security, Climate Change, Energy Policy and Healthcare among others.

In line with the mission of the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy, the commission’s aims to ensure that Federal investments make the greatest possible contribution to economic prosperity, public health, environmental quality and national security, and to foster professional and scientific relationships with government officials, academics and industry representatives for providing policy-relevant advice, analysis and judgment for the President on major policies, plans and programs of the Federal government

An Accessible Resource and Network for Premedical Students

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Premed Network

Special Post for Premeds

At last, an accessible resource and network for premedical students. Do yourself a favor and join Premed Network. This website, the brainchild of Omar Baig, is a breath of fresh air. Just in time for the start of school, Premed Network has updated features and is home to a host of resources that every premed student should know about.

Premed Network Website Image

As I travel to conferences and meetings with campus groups, I find that like medical and nursing and public health students, premeds have a number of issues that are pertinent to their point in their academic career. Their questions and decisions are important and shared across campuses and across the country. There is nothing pretentious here, students can be themselves and are allowed to have all the normal questions that everyone has. For young people taking a real serious look at medicine as a career, and for those who are deeply engaged in preparing themselves for medical school, this is a great network to join. CFHI has joined Premed Network and we are happy to provide any support or advice to premeds interested in Global Health.

CFHI Convenes Forum on the Empowerment of Women

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CFHI is proud to convene a Forum on the Empowerment of Women to be held at the United Nations Church Center on September 15, 2010, in conjunction with the opening of the 65^th Session of the United Nations General Assembly.

The Forum, entitled Successes and Challenges of Women in Leadership Roles in Traditionally Male-Dominated Environments, is an effort to shed light on the global effort to achieve Millennium Development Goal Number Three.

In government and NGO organizations worldwide, women are increasingly taking on leadership roles. What are women finding as they assume these roles? From the grassroots level to the executive level, women are succeeding in roles heretofore held only by men. Are there common experiences across these different levels? Are there common challenges? What cultural issues need to be considered? What strategies are most successful?

Join the audience along with a distinguished panel including CFHI Medical Director, Jessica Evert, MD, and direct from New Delhi, CFHI India Coordinator, Hema Pandey, as these topics and others are discussed in this lively forum. Gain insights and share your own story. Join us September 15^th at 1:00 PM at 777 UN Plaza (44th Street between 1st and 2nd Avenues) 8^th floor, Boss Room. The forum is free and open to the general public but we do ask that you RSVP. Please click here to see more information here and the email address to RSVP.

CFHI Students make Local Press in Ecuador

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CFHI students made the local press in Ecuador this summer. La Prensa, a local publication in the town of Puyo in the Pastaza Province of Southern Ecuador, carried a full page story of CFHI Students on the Amazon Indigenous Health Program, one of CFHI’s Global Health Immersion Programs.

CFHI Students Make New in Ecuador Summer 2010

Puyo, a city of about 25,000 people, with its close proximity to the Amazon Jungle, functions as the base for this program that allows students to see the interplay between the government Ministry of Health and the traditional medicine of indigenous populations living in the jungle much as they have for many hundreds of years. Dr. Wilfrido Torres, a local physician and the Medical Director of several CFHI programs, reports that international students coming to Puyo and to the Jungle Region, “help the local population see that local doctors and community health workers have important knowledge to share with the world.” CFHI is honored to have local experts like Dr. Torres who are eager to interact with international students.

This summer, the CFHI students were able to participate in a medical conference that CFHI helped support. The conference, a multidisciplinary conference on the latest treatments and testing for diabetes and hypertension, was part of a series of conferences to educate health professionals and paraprofessionals on these chronic diseases that are relatively new to the local population.

Compassion Across Borders -Letter to Huffington Post

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John Bridgeland, CEO of Civic Enterprises, sent a letter that has been published in the Huffington Post about the benefits of the Service World Initiative –an effort to increase the international volunteering on all levels. John explains, “Volunteer service by people of all nations should become a common strategy in meeting pressing challenges in education, health, the environment, agriculture and more.” You can read John’s article at this link. See also the June 30th post on this Blog about Service World. CFHI is part of a broader coalition of over 300 NGOs and Universities, and other organizations supporting Service World. More information about Service World will be coming soon.

Global Health Down Under -A students’ Conference- Hobart, Tasmania

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Australia site of Global Health Conference

CFHI is very happy to be at the Global Health Conference in Hobart, Tasmania that is being put on by the Australian Medical Students’ Association (AMSA). The conference running 1-4 July has a full academic program with impressive topics and excellent speakers. The entire conference is organized by and for students and the level of professionalism is truly outstanding. CFHI is very happy to be an NGO sponsor here and we find the interest and engagement of the students to be at a very high level. A CFHI alum from Perth, Samantha Mulholland (2009, Pediatric Health, La Paz), has been present and giving her first-hand descriptions of her CFHI experience.

UTAS Site of Global Health Conference Tasmania

The University of Tasmania in Hobart is the site for the conference as some 500 students gather from across Australia and New Zealand, and even from Asia and Africa.

Indeed students all over the world have a growing interest in Global Health. What is refreshing here is that so many of them are deeply informed on world issues, social determinants of health and many other areas. Panels of leading experts, student questions and discussions have all been engaging and enlightening.

Panel discussion at the Global Health Conference Hobart Tasmania July 2010

Expectations –When Helping is Complicated

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Kim McLennan, an accomplished physical therapist, and long-time CFHI volunteer, is now in Haiti and has been communicating to us some of the complexities of just trying to help. A veteran of many humanitarian missions, Kim knows that to lend a helping hand is not always as easy as it looks on the surface. The crisis in Haiti, and the

Some of the many peopel who have volunteered their time going to Haiti in the aftermath of the 7.1 earthquake

This is a U.S. Navy photo of some of the many vounteers who have gone to Haiti to help after the great earthquake

outpouring of volunteers to give assistance has amplified the Grey Areas of coordinating and managing international aid. The questions of culture, ethics, passion, compassion, and the realities of unexpected complexities are raised in her moving, first-hand account. Dr. Evaleen Jones, CFHI’s Founder and President, asked Kim if we could share her writings through this Blog. Kim gives us her experience alongside her on-the-spot reflections which are informed by her years of cross-cultural work in some very challenging situations.

We are grateful to Kim for her permission to present her observations and thoughts here. Unfinished and raw, they give us an unvarnished view of reality with no easy answers –much as the real situations in Haiti, and elsewhere in the world. You are welcome to click on the “Read More” button to leave a comment.

“Expectations

Here in Haiti, 5 months after the devastation of a 7.1 earthquake, volunteers are coming in droves. I am one of them. By the end of my stay, I will have been here 7 weeks. Most of my fellow volunteers come for one week or two if they’re lucky. Professionally, the greatest number are doctors, nurses, emergency room specialists, pediatric and wound care specialists, prosthetists and physical therapists. The majority have never been to a developing country or to Haiti before they arrive.

They come with the expectation of being welcomed for their concern and service, everyone paying their own expenses and hoping their week of selflessness will do some lasting good. Most leave, probably feeling that their mission was accomplished, even if in some small isolated way. This morning, at the hospital I’m working in, there are 20 American doctors, nurses and other hopeful people wanting to do something useful. They’re surprised when they realize how different the system is here, how charts and notes and procedures that are standard in the US are hardly used here. They are surprised that the Haitian nurses don’t speak English or seem happy to share their small desk or coveted stash of medical supplies. Many come with their own supplies of state of the art medical technology and toys and blankets and shoes. Most of it is very useful and appreciated by the patients. The Haitian staff seems to disappear when the volunteers arrive to see the rare and unusual patient injuries that have occurred here.

There have been many surgeries and interventions that would have never occurred without the volunteers being here. External fixators and wound vacs are found throughout the hospital, and the meticulous care given to the patient’s wounds is without parallel. But this is precisely the problem. The nurses here do not have the training to change the dressings or change the wound vacs and no one is training them. There will be no physical therapy or discharge planning when the NGOs pull out for good. For all their good intentions, the volunteers seem to ‘take over’ when they arrive and then complain that the Haitian staff doesn’t seem interested. Cultural differences aside, who likes it when someone new arrives on the scene, walks in, starts to do your job and then leaves, making you feel less than adequate after witnessing such expertise.

As you know, this is a touchy subject. Everyone who comes here has the best intentions, simply wanting to help. The problem is when they come, they come in groups with their own comfortable systems in place, just in a new setting. Most of the Haitian hospitals are not equipped to house or feed these additional visitors and the plumbing in Haiti already is barely serviceable. They often don’t seem to try to learn a few words of Creole, or go outside the compound to meet the Haitians and share a local meal. It probably feels like a vacation except that the food is scarce and the air-conditioning doesn’t work.

The first time I went overseas to volunteer 12 years ago in South Africa, I stayed for one month and it took me almost three weeks to feel I was accepted a little by the local staff and they still did not seem keen to have me in their midst. I have been looking ever since for better ways to interact and contribute to poor people in need of basic healthcare. I believe the answer is recognizing the potential of the local people….

It truly does no good to ‘do your thing” as a volunteer, no matter how much it is needed if you don’t teach someone else how to do it also. Volunteering in Haiti can contribute to the Haitian infrastructure only if we volunteers think about the consequences of us being here. Are we willing to be patient and work alongside someone whose future may improve from our training? Are we willing to trust that they may know a better way than the way we’ve been taught? We are influencing an entire system by our presence and we should be including them every step of the way…..”

Service World -A Bold New Initiative in International Volunteering and Service

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On June 23, 2010, the Brookings Institute hosted a forum on international volunteering and service and the launch of Service World: Strategies for the Future of International Volunteer Service.

Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley at Brookings 23 June 2010

Ambassador Bagley at Launch of Service World Effort

CFHI is proud to be one of the organizations endorsing this effort that is a call for increased international cooperation at all levels. We know that as the world effectively grows smaller, the health of the world’s population will depend more and more on our ability to share knowledge, understanding and efforts across boarders and continents. Improved understanding of how culture impacts health and the global sharing of current best practices along with traditional proven interventions will benefit all of our efforts at improved health for all populations. This is the intersection of modern medicine, that builds on science and technology, and the cumulative wisdom of ancient cultures that builds on a deeper knowledge of the earth and the human mind, body, and spirit. CFHI students experience this today in the Amazon jungle and the foothills of Himalayas. To increase the ability of future health professionals to to have these transformational experiences in a manner that is socially responsible to the host communities, can only improve the health of the world community, and our progress as people toward global citizenship.

Ambassador Elizabeth Frawley Bagley, Special Representative for Global Partnerships in the Office of the Secretary of State, gave the keynote, inspiring those present to work collectively toward the goal of increased opportunities for people of all ages and walks of life to volunteer service internationally. 2010 marks the 50th anniversary of the birth of the idea of the Peace Corps. As the celebratory events for this anniversary happen this coming October, our nation will have the opportunity to reflect on this great idea and the great accomplishments that have come from it. Service World recognizes that the positive impacts have come not only from the government sponsored Peace Corps but also from the many private and nonprofit organizations that have taken up this global vision and provided opportunities for so many people from the United States and many other countries.

CFHI’s Founder and President, Dr. Evaleen Jones, has often recounted that the Peace Corps was an inspiration for her as a young medical student at Stanford University,when she began the creation of CFHI . More information on Service World will be posted on the Blog over the coming months.

University of Oregon Students Receive Awards for CFHI Programs in Bolivia and South Africa

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Ann Oluloro and Stella Chiu, both students at the University of Oregon have received scholarships awarded by the IE3 Global Internships Program. Many other students from participating IE3 Schools will attend CFHI programs this year and will receive credit from their home institutions. Oluloro and Chiu, “…stood out among their peers…” according to the IE3 Field Blog Website.

Ann Oluloro Bound for Bolivia

Ann Oluloro will be participating in CFHI programs in Bolivia starting in July 2010. In her CFHI application she identified several reasons for seeking entrance to a CFHI program in Bolivia. Becoming a fluent Spanish speaker is important for her professional goals. “Being fluent in Spanish is an important part of my future career because I plan on working in public clinics. Currently, as a volunteer at White Bird Community Clinic, I often see the doctor communicate with patients in Spanish. By being able to speak another language, the doctor is able to break down a communication barrier that would have otherwise existed and is therefore able to provide the patient with the best care she possible can.” She dreams one day of working with Doctors Without Borders and she believes that her CFHI experience, “…will give me a deeper insight into international medicine…” and help her “…learn about a culture and a way of life that books and textbooks cannot provide.” She hopes that her time in Bolivia, “…will give me a glimpse and understanding of a culture that I may otherwise not have a chance to learn about first hand. In addition, the internship will teach me about the structure of public health systems and how such systems are implemented in under developed nations both in rural and urban settings. Ann has done her homework, reading about the challenges faced by many countries to provide healthcare to their populations. “I am highly interested in how some under developed nations are still able to find ways and means in which to implement effective public health systems.”

Stella Chiu will be participating in CFHI programs in South Africa. Stella’s goal is to become a doctor and also to have an impact on underserved populations. She sees being part of a CFHI program as, “…a perfect match for what I want to do with my future. I want to become a physician and gain clinical experience, but I also want to help underdeveloped countries with public health efforts.” For Stella, it is important to be immersed in another culture, “I hope to gain clinical experience in a setting that is different from that of the United States. I believe this would make me a better physician in the future because it will help me see beyond the privileged population and be more competent in serving the less privileged. I hope CFHI will provide me with opportunities to learn and experience things first-hand.”

Both Ann and Stella will be reporting on their experiences so we look forward to more in their own words. We wish these students well as they embark on a summer that they will surely remember forever, and good luck with the tremendous potential of career opportunities that await them in the future.

Interview with CFHI’s Medical Director –Audio Post

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I had the chance to sit down with CFHI’s Medical Director, Dr. Jessica Evert, at our offices in San Francisco, just before she was honored with an award from the Global Heath Education Consortium (GHEC) at their annual conference in Cuernavaca, Mexico. Dr. Evert began her role as CFHI Medical Director in January. Her education career includes studies at Emory University, The Ohio State University College of Medicine, and the University of California at San Francisco, where she continues to serve as a clinical faculty member of the Department of Family and Community Medicine.

We spoke about her introduction to Global Health, how she integrates her work as a physician in the San Francisco Bay Area with her Global Health Activities, and what attracted her to CFHI. She talks about how CFHI’s model is one that changes the dynamic by empowering local communities through actively building on their strengths in ways that lead to sustainable solutions.

Please click on the links to listen to our conversation and you are invited to join the conversation through adding your comments below.

CFHI Makes List of Trusted Charities in National Press

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The Editors of the national newspaper, USA TODAY added a special section to the paper on April 13, 2010, devoted to how people can help and give to others in need. One full page of the section contained a list of the only charities in the United States that meet the highest requirements of the Better Business Bureau of Nonprofits.

CFHI listed as Trusted Charity in USA TODAY

CFHI is very happy and proud, once again, to make this list. This is the third consecutive time that CFHI has made the list and we extend congratulations to all the members of the CFHI global family for this important achievement.

Under the banner headline “Start With Trust” came the list of Seal Holders of the Wise Giving Alliance, a group of nonprofit organizations in the United States that meet all 20 of the best practice standards set by the Better Business Bureau for nonprofits. These are rigorous standards that cover areas like governance, effectiveness, finances, and fund-raising. CFHI has worked very hard to meet and maintain these standards.

CFHI Medical Director Receives Special Award -Final Report From Curenavaca

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Dr. Jessica Evert, the Medical Director of Child Family Health International, received the Christopher Krogh Award at the GHEC – INSP Conference today.

Dr Jessica Evert Receiving Special Award at Global Health Conference in Mexico

Dr Jessica Evert Receiving Special Award from Dr Anvar Velji GHEC Co-Founder and Dr Richard Deckelbaum GHEC President at Global Health Conference in Mexico

The award, honoring the memory of Dr. Krogh, a founding member of GHEC, who died in 1994 in a plane crash while traveling as a physician for the Indian Heath Service, is given to an individual who shows dedication to serving the undersered both domestically and internationally.

Dr. Evert has worked in various places around the world, and also works on a daily basis treating patients in several underserved communities in the San Francisco Bay Area. Prior to becoming the organization’s global Medical Director, she volunteered with CFHI for several years so we are well aware of her talents and her dedication. CFHI extends a hearty congratulations to our new Medical Director as she receives this distinguished honor!

South-South Collaboration -Second Report From Cuernavaca

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This is my second report from the Global Health Conference happening in Cuernavaca, Mexico. The conference is the joint effort of the Global Health Education Consortium (GHEC), based in San Francisco, California, and the Instituto Nacional de Salud Publica (INSP), here in Curenavaca. I spoke with Lisa DeMaria, Investigadora en Ciencias Medicas of INSP and she told me about a perhaps lesser known part of the Global Health field. “There is a sophisticated network in Latin America of middle income countries with similar health issues that are working closely together to address common challenges.” “The face of Global Health is changing,” she told me as we discussed that there is much more happening today in Global Health than just the very wealthy countries attempting to help the very poor countries.

The conference this weekend is a good manifestation of this with at least 22 countries represented. It is also the First Latin American Caribbean Conference on Global Health and so the extensive regional network of health professionals is strongly represented. INSP and GHEC have championed the effort to establish this first of a kind conference without knowing for sure if there would be a second conference but the momentum that has been created here seems to be sufficient to ensure continuation with countries like Brazil, Chile, and others stepping up to carry on the tradition.