May, 2024
Dear Friends,
In May we celebrate National Nurses Week which recognizes and celebrates the amazing efforts and energy of the millions of nurses in our country working tirelessly to provide care and support for patients, families, and colleagues. Nurses make up the largest group of health care professionals in the United States, with approximately five million nurses who are currently registered and an expectation that an additional 200,000 positions will be created between now and 2031. Our nursing program is thriving with nine projects, thanks to our dedicated community of nurses at work in Asia and Africa offering lectures, presentations, bedside teaching, consultations, and mentorship both in-person and online. I encourage you to read some of our recent stories about nurses committed to advancing global health on our blog, including our most recent post, a first-person account from HVO volunteer Patti Nicks, RN, MSN about her assignment at Sihanouk Hospital Center for HOPE in Kampot, Cambodia. To learn more about current volunteer opportunities for nurses, visit our website or contact Emily Dalton.
Sincerely,
April
April Pinner, MSPH, RD
Executive Director
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Dr. Ahlam Nasser has served as the on-site coordinator for HVO’s hematology project at Muhimbili University College of Health Sciences in Tanzania since 2018. Here, she shares some of her thoughts on the project:
Ever since I started coordinating HVO activities, I have witnessed an increasing number of volunteers visiting Tanzania with the aim of both training us and learning from us. Some of these HVOs have been supporting our training beyond their time in Tanzania. Apart from strengthening clinical training, ASH/HVO has helped us strengthen laboratory hematology, transfusion services, and research capacity through short- and long-term mentoring from experts in the field. Together, we have had many successes, such as long-term collaborations with HVOs and their home institutions. This has opened doors to various research and capacity building projects. Having some HVOs joining honorary faculty positions and establishing long lasting collaborations with them and their home institutions – like Professor Anna Schuh, Dr. Jared Block, and Dr. Neil Dunavin – has been an unexpected benefit. But there is still much to accomplish. Despite being able to increase the number of hematologists from one to 42, this number is still small when we take into consideration the recommended doctor to patient ratio. Additionally, we are currently trying to improve the existing care by integrating molecular diagnostics and advanced therapeutics such as stem cell transplant. Therefore, it is our hope that through our continued collaboration HVO will help us build this capacity.
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Volunteering Opportunities |
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Anesthesia, Cambodia is recruiting in-person volunteers with expertise in pain intervention for acute and chronic pain. Interested volunteers should contact Natalie Cary. |
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Nursing Oncology, Vietnam is recruiting oncology nurses to present at a nursing workshop at the 12 th Annual Scientific Conference on Cancer Control at Hue Central Hospital between August 21 – 23, 2024. Priority topics include common side effects of radiotherapy, palliative care, and management of common emergency symptoms in cancer treatment. In-person participation is preferred, but virtual participation is also possible. In-country participants are welcome to complete a 2-week assignment in conjunction with presenting at the annual conference. Interested volunteers should contact Lauren Franklin.
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Nutrition, Cambodia is recruiting nutritionists and nurses with expertise in diabetes, lactation, SLP feeding skills, nutrition oncology, gastroenterology, and more to complete both virtual and in-person assignments. Interested volunteers should contact Lauren Franklin. |
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Oncology, Nepal is recruiting radiation and medical oncologists with experience in pediatric topics to assist with reoccurring virtual tumor board discussions. Interested volunteers should contact Lauren Franklin. |
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Orthopaedics, Ghana is recruiting in-person volunteers with orthopaedic surgery experience, with a particular need for teaching in hand surgery, adult reconstruction, sports/arthroscopy, and pediatric orthopaedics. Interested volunteers should contact Natalie Cary. |
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Wound Care, Cambodia is recruiting virtual volunteers to submit brief 2-minute videos on various wound care tips. Submitted content will be combined into a 45-minute presentation titled “Wound to the Wise” and presented at Wound Con 2024. Interested volunteers should contact Emily Dalton. |
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