Monday, February 6, 2012

Forum Overview

The purpose of this Forum is provide a means for CoBGRTE members to discuss travel overseas and international respiratory therapy education and missionary work.

10 comments:

  1. Dr. Barnes,

    Thanks for setting up this forum for international respiratory therapy education and mission work.

    I am excited to share that I will be traveling to Ghana in a few weeks to work on my doctoral internship project which consists of evaluating the possibility of developing a respiratory care program within a large (1500 bed) government hospital. My visit will consist of meeting with the hospital medical board, doctors and other stakeholders, and beginning discussions about what a program would look like and the possibility of initially cross-training physiotherapists that currently work in the hospital toward taking on some respiratory duties. Eventually, it is hoped that the affiliated University of Ghana (that houses a medical school) could incorporate a respiratory therapy degree program within their curriculum.

    In a developing nation with minimal resources, many challenges lie ahead. I currently have a handful of Ghanaians who are respiratory therapists trained in the U.S. that will be assisting me with this project. I am excited to see how it develops and how the Ghanaian medical community receives the idea of this 'new' profession.

    Later, in April/May, my colleague Janelle Gardiner will join me in taking a team of respiratory therapy students, faculty and practitioners (approx 20) to Ghana for a 25 day medical mission trip that where we will provide community health education, free health clinics and lectures on various subjects in nursing and midwifery schools. We will also perform research on newborn resuscitation practices in Ghana.

    Thanks for letting me share,

    Lisa Trujillo

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  2. Lisa, your trip to Ghana is exciting to hear about. What a great idea to establish an RT education program at the hospital. Dan Rowland is working in Haiti trying to establish an RT program and may wish to comment on his progress.

    Taking a contigent of 20 to Ghana just logistically must have taken a lot of planning. When you have a free moment I would be interested in a post from you or Janelle on the protocol for the research project on newborn resuscitation.

    Thanks for all your doing in Ghana.

    Tom Barnes

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    1. Lisa. Your efforts to provide the peoples of Ghana access to qualified respiratory therapists is wonderful. I have enjoyed keeping up with your progress, and I'm proud of the committment you and your colleauge have exhibited as your vision for expanding RT globally continues.

      Natalie Napolitano and I recently returned from Milot, Haiti where we spent a week at Hôpital Sacré Coeur (HSC). HSC is the largest private hospital in the North of Haiti, and we performed a needs assessment after the hospital's CEO expressed an interest to Sam about starting a formal RT training program at HSC. During our week at HSC, we observed and participated in clinical practice, delivered didactic and laboratory instruction, and met with the hospital's CEO and CFO to inquire about what they envisioned in terms of a RT training program. Our formal needs assessment report has been forwarded to AARC President Karen Stewart, accompanied with letters of support to start a RT training program at HSC from the hosptial's CEO, the International Council for Respiratory Care, and the President of CRUDEM foundation. We are now soliciting AARC endorsement and support for our vision to bring RT Haiti.

      Natalie and I have a highly skilled list of RRTs, both adult and neo/peds, who will provide monthly education training lectures and clinical instruction beginning late this Spring. We will be sending groups of two RTs, one adult and one neo/peds, for the first year. Meanwhile, we'll be structuring a formal RT training program that HSC administration has committed to supporting so that properly trained RTs may become part of their healthcare team. This is very exciting news! I'm anticipating a Haitian International Fellow this year too; Cross your fingers!

      Please feel free to visit the CRUDEM web site: http://www.crudem.org

      Cyndi White and I will be leaving for Hangzhou, China, in three weeks. We will be providing lectures and clinical instruction to RTs at Sir Run Run Shaw Hospital. Lisa, I'm aware of the work you have done in China, and I believe that your first graduating class of RTs will be this year. Is this correct?

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  3. I may have an opportunity to go to China to lecture on Mechanical Ventilation as well as provide some general advice about developing an respiratory care program. Has anyone reading this list worked in China in the past or plan to in the future?

    Bob J.

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    1. Hi Bob,

      I am interested to hear more about your opportunity in China. Did you accept the offer to lecture?

      Having been to China on several occasions for a similar purpose, I am familiar with the wonderful opportunity this presents and the challenges, mostly language barriers and some related to equipment availability, that exist.

      At Weber State University, we have been fortunate to have developed a strong working relationship with Xi'an Medical University and the Affiliate Hospital of Xi'an Medical University. Through this partnership, we have hosted approximately 10 professors and physicians over the past few years for the purpose of mentoring them and sharing respiratory care experiences that will give them the foundation on which to develop their own respiratory program and respiratory care department respectively. They often stay with us for 3-6 months at a time, which allows us a great deal of time to provide a broad experience in respiratory care education and clinical practice.

      This has been a wonderfully rewarding experience for our department, our students and our university. I believe it has also been a beneficial for the university and hospital in Xi'an with which we have worked so closely.

      This summer the first respiratory therapy class of 70 students at Xi'an Medical University completed coursework and clinical. We look forward to hearing how these graduates are integrated into the hospital setting as health care team members and we also look forward to meeting the next group of students.

      Currently Dr. Paul Eberle is representing WSU in Xi'an at the 4th International Respiratory Conference in Xi'an. This conference began when our relationship started with our dear friends in Xi'an.

      My best wishes to you and I hope you are able to take advantage of any opportunity to share your knowledge and expertise in China. It is a life changing experience!!

      Sincerely,

      Lisa Trujillo, MS RRT

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  4. Bob--
    I was invited to speak in April 2011 in China at the medical conference in Chongqing. It was an amazing experience and they are hungry to replicate and build on western research. However, in the western part of China there are no respiratory care programs so the research lecture was directed toward physicians. You may wish to become "vegan" while you are there!!

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  6. Traveling to Xian, China mid June 2012 in conjunction with the 4th International Respiratory Therapy conference speaking on HFOV startegies. I'll be joined by two of China's International fellows along with AARC's Sam Giordano, John Heiser, and Jerome Sullivan. This effort is in conjunction the Weber State University's on-going effort to integrate RT education in China through the assistance of colleagues, Lisa Trujillo and Janelle Gardiner. I'll take Gregg's advise and watch what I eat!

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  7. Paul--
    All the best to you on your trip--hope you will share the details and outcomes. Sounds like quite a delegation representing the profession in a fine way!

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  8. Greetings all--
    One of the ideas I've been kicking around that has potential benefits for present RT faculty and soon-to-be graduates is the idea of an "internship" or "externship" to another university. What I envisioned is a "Faculty Matching Program" or a "Graduate Matching Program" where CoBGRTE could assist with matching the special interests faculty/graduates with institutions and faculty within that particular area of expertise. I began looking around the country for something similar for university faculty, but there is none that I can find. Think....matching program for medical school students.

    Does anyone see value in this kind of effort or opportunity? I am open to comments, concerns, and questions.

    Thanks for you thoughts--
    Gregg

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