RRIEM International Medicine Update
Here are some of our recent international activities:
India
The Reagan Institute is collaborating with partners in India to implement Post-graduate Fellowship in Emergency Medicine (PGFEM) training programs. The programs consist of a two-year curriculum, and faculty from the Reagan Institute travel each month to the training centers to provide direct supervision and teaching. In Kerala, the Kerala Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMS) (www.kimskerala.com) and the Malabar Institute of Medical Sciences (MIMS) (www.malabarinstitute.com) began the PGFEM in July 2007. Beginning in July 2008, the Rabindranath Tagore International Institute of Cardiac Sciences (RTIICS) (www.rtiics.org) in Kolkata and Max Healthcare (www.maxhealthcare.in) in New Delhi will launch the PGFEM program. The aim is to establish Centers of Excellence in Emergency Medicine and Disaster Preparedness at these institutions that will provide guidance for the South Asian Association for Regional Cooperation (SAARC) nations.
Turkey
The Reagan Institute is working on a three year project with the Emergency Medicine Association of Turkey (EMAT) (www.tatep.org) that is sponsored by AmeriCares (www.americares.org) to train General Practitioners working in government hospital emergency departments. The initial three phases of the project have been completed, and they include: a disaster training course, a Stakeholder's Meeting, and a Train-the-Trainers course. Currently, the lead trainers are conducting training courses in key emergency medicine topics for General Practitioners throughout Turkey.
China
In June 2005, the Reagan Institute started a three year project with Peking Union Medical College (PUMC) (www.pumch.ac.cn), one of the premier medical institutions in China and home of the China Medical Academy. The project is sponsored by the China Medical Board, (www.chinamedicalboard.org) which began as a division of the Rockefeller Foundation. The key project objectives are Emergency Medicine faculty development and Emergency Medicine residency program development. The project is also conducting IRB-approved research of the efficacy of the training projects. With the Summer Olympic Games being held in Beijing in 2008, this project has vital importance on multiple levels. In addition, faculty from PUMC are spending six months at GWU to develop training and research skills.
Ethiopia
Faculty from the Reagan Institute have been working with physicians and nurses in Ethiopia for many years. GWU and the Reagan Institute are currently working to develop an emergency medicine residency program at Black Lion Hospital in Addis Ababa. Faculty have been conducting ongoing training programs and additionally are working with GWU medical students who travel to Ethiopia. The Reagan Institute is collaborating with the Ethiopian North American Health Professionals Association (ENAHPA) (www.enahpa.org) as well as the Ministry of Health of Ethiopia and the Addis Ababa Health Bureau on projects to develop emergency services in Ethiopia. Additional projects focusing on childhood injury prevention are being carried out at orphanages in Addis Ababa.
Azerbaijan
The Reagan Institute is assisting Azerbaijan in a broad range of development activities within the field of emergency medicine: paramedic training, community education in emergency response to hospital-based emergency medical care, continuing medical education initiatives, and systems improvements. The Reagan Institute is finalizing an MOU with the Ministry of Health.
Peru
The Reagan Institute is in final stages of formalizing an MOU between the RRIEM and the Universidad de San Marcos in Lima, the site of the first emergency medicine residency in Peru. Faculty are working with university colleagues in Lima on Emergency Medicine residency development, and they have taught trauma and disaster training this past September at an international Emergency Medicine conference in Lima. These projects have received multi-year funding from the AMB Foundation. The department of emergency medicine is also providing ACLS training for industries within the country.
Columbia
The Reagan Institute has established a partnership with La Javeriana University (www.javeriana.edu.co/puj/english/) to develop an Emergency Medicine residency program. La Javeriana has sent three physicians to the department for four months of faculty development. The Reagan Institute also partnered with the American Medical Association (AMA) and translated the Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS) course into Spanish. The BDLS course was taught by the Reagan Institute in Bogota at an international conference, and this was the 1st time BDLS was taught outside the U.S and the 1st time it was taught in a language other than English.
Oman
The Reagan Institute has multiple projects with colleagues in Oman. Along with GWU's Emergency Health Services (EHS) program, the department helped develop the entire EMS system for the country of Oman. Currently, attendings and residents travel to Oman on a regular basis to conduct assessments of the EMS training program and to conduct testing of the trainees. In addition, two senior paramedics spent time at GWU for further training and development, and two Omani emergency medicine physicians recently completed a one year faculty development training program at GWU. The department is also anticipating the teaching of multiple short courses on EM topics within Oman in the next 12-24 months.
Liberia
The Reagan Institute is planning to help Liberia re-establish a system of continuing medical education. The program will begin with the physician's assistants and will eventually expand to physicians, nurses, and other health care providers.
Jordan
The Reagan Institute has been working with the government of Jordan to improve the EMS system within the country. The department has also been working with the Royal Medical Services on training programs. The Jordan Hospital, the largest private hospital in the country, has worked with the Reagan Institute on faculty development and residency program development.
Thailand
The Reagan Institute will be evaluating program options to implement training of healthcare workers in emergency medical topics in refugee areas on the Thai-Burma border. The department will also be developing injury prevention programs and disaster medicine training in Bangkok.
Kuwait
The Reagan Institute has been advising the government of Kuwait on Emergency Medicine residency development and will be providing training courses within Kuwait. In addition, the Department of Emergency Medicine has a physician from Kuwait within the residency program.
United Arab Emirates
The Reagan Institute has conducted multiple training programs within the UAE, and the department is currently working with the Ministry of Health (MOH) to implement training programs for physicians and nurses within MOH Hospitals.