July 19, 2013

GHLI Hosts U.K. Visitors for Training Conference

In July the Global Health Leadership Institute hosted the International Health and Social Care Leadership Programme, a partnership between GHLI and the South Essex Partnership University NHS Foundation Trust (SEPT).  SEPT provides health care services to U.K. communities and has a partnership with GHLI to strengthen the capacity of health and social care leaders.  The 18 delegates worked with GHLI on  field assignments tackling public health issues, and presented their final assignments at the conference.  Delegates also heard lectures from Yale faculty and visited health care facilities in and around New Haven.

GHLI faculty director, Elizabeth Bradley, Ph.D., provided a history on health care systems in the U.S. including community health care centers and health maintenance organizations.  Dr. Bradley highlighted the physician-led Geisinger Health System in Pennsylvania as a model of high quality integrated health care services.  She ended her presentation with a charge to delegates to continue brainstorming ways in which health care systems can be improved.

Site visits to health care facilities are a key part of this program.  Delegates visited the Smilow Cancer Hospital, Yale-New Haven Psychiatric Hospital, Connecticut Valley Hospital and the Cornell Scott Hill-Health Center.  Following the site visits, delegates shared their experiences.  They were impressed by the investment several of the facilities made in their employees, from their interview stage to ongoing reinforcement for employees throughout their careers.  “We struggle to get staff feedback and retain employees for any length of time,” said one delegate.  “The investment in employees we observed set up a strong system for employee engagement and long-term retention and that is something we can do better.”  Delegates also noted that the U.K. seemed to be better at long-term follow-up with patients after they left a hospital.  This type of follow-up helps them rate the quality of care, which is something they felt could be improved in U.S. hospitals.

The SEPT delegates said they felt re-energized to tackle challenges they face as health care leaders and plan to continue working together.

July 16, 2013

Yale Hosts 2013 Global Health Corps Training

GHLI executive director Michael Skonieczny and GHC co-founder Barbara Bush
For the third year in a row, the latest class of Global Health Corps (GHC) fellows came to Yale University for a two-week training program preparing them for year-long placements with health organizations around the globe. The GHC was co-founded by Barbara Bush (Yale ’04) and provides fellowships for young professionals who tackle health issues across the globe. This year’s class of 106 fellows hails from 16 countries, and will serve with 44 health organizations in in Burundi, Malawi, Rwanda, Uganda, Zambia, and select cities in the U.S. During the two week training, GHC fellows had the opportunity to hear presentations from global health leaders, participate in group discussions and attend professional development workshops.

During the training, the fellows listened to Yale lecturer Mark Schoofs, a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist and senior editor at ProPublica. In his talk, “Journalism and Global Health: How to Make Your Voice Heard,” Schoofs discussed the relationship between journalists and activists and explained how journalism can help spread important global health messages. He relayed his own experience reporting on AIDS in Africa and noted the power investigative journalism can have in the field of global health. Schoofs encouraged GHC fellows to, “find ways in which you can advocate for resources to supplement health systems and global health programs.”

In Barbara Bush’s introduction of GHLI executive director, Michael Skonieczny, she thanked him and the GHLI for providing a home for the GHC training and the GHLI’s ongoing partnership and support of their efforts. The fellows were welcomed by Mike and heard a presentation on leadership from GHLI faculty director Elizabeth Bradley, Ph D.  Bradley explained how leadership is “the process of engaging others to achieve group objectives,” and encouraged GHC fellows to think about the relationship between the leadership role and the followership role, and how they complement each other. GHLI hopes to continue working closely with GHC as a partner in the fight for global health equity.   

July 9, 2013

Bom Dia, Brasil!

Mary Weng, 2013 GHLI Fellow

I arrived in São Paulo amidst the wave of protests where hundreds of thousands of people took to the streets of Brazil each night. The protests started out as a small movement against transportation fare hikes, but have spiraled into a nation coming together to fight for better health, education, and public services. The energy among the people is contagious, and I have no doubt that I am witnessing the making of Brazilian history.

My work here focuses on improving the vast inequity of access to early child development programs, and I think this issue is especially meaningful in light of all the people demanding a better quality of life. Support in early childhood has been associated with higher school attainment, lower crime rates, and higher incomes. The delegation I am working with consists of key players from many different sectors: academia, municipal and state governments, and the NGO sector. One of my most interesting roles in this project is to serve as the middle person to improve coordination between the different sectors. I am grateful to have the opportunity, early in my public health career, to learn about the widespread challenge of translating health policy and research into effective delivery of services.

I have to mention all the FUN I’ve been having as well! I arrived in time to attend a “Festa Junina” (June Festival), a celebration with great food and “quadrilha” (square dancing). Last weekend, I spent time in the beautiful city of Campos de Jordão. While I was there, I was fortunate to catch an amazing concert by the São Paulo Symphony Orchestra, conducted by Marin Alsop (Yale ’77).  I’m so excited to see where this project goes, and plan on making the most of the precious weeks I have left. Tchau!

NCDs in Uganda

Hilary Rogers, 2013 GHLI Fellow

Two weeks ago, I arrived in Uganda to assist with their efforts to improve the management of non-communicable diseases (NCDs). Our main objectives are to create a model for integrated care of NCDs in a clinic in Mulago National Referral Hospital, train health workers in NCD prevention and control, and promote research and advocacy of NCDs.

There are complex issues that hinder Ugandans from receiving good health care. The capacity of the hospital, including space and number of doctors and nurses, cannot meet the needs of the people and their illnesses. Doctors can see 50 patients in a day, and family members are often the caretakers of the patients, feeding them and changing the bed sheets. Another obstacle is the fact that Uganda’s health care has been based on fighting infectious disease, while NCDs have different methods of prevention and control. I have been working on our project narrative, the resources we have and do not have, and how we will achieve all of these objectives in specific steps and action tasks. I am excited by the freshness and potential of this project. We are setting the foundation for what could be an excellent framework for the prevention and control of NCDs in Uganda, one that could cascade from the capital city and country’s biggest hospital, to rural areas and smaller district hospitals and clinics.

I have felt extremely welcome and cared for in Uganda. I even have a Ugandan name – Nambalirwa! Errinya lyange nze Nambalirwa (Luganda for “My name is Nambalirwa”). It comes from the Buganda clan, and is the word for a certain type of plant. On my hunt for this plant, I’ve gotten to see a lot of Kampala, and have been able to spend time with the friends and family of the Ugandan delegates, as well the surprisingly large Yale community that is here.




Arriving in Ghana

Perri Kasen, 2013 GHLI Fellow


Within hours of arriving in Ghana, I witnessed the widespread stigma that exists towards individuals with mental health disorders in this country.  I was immediately struck by how difficult it will be to achieve the delegation’s objective of improving access to and the quality of mental health care for the Ghanaian population. However, my hesitations were quickly eased after my first day of work at Accra Psychiatric Hospital. Despite the numerous obstacles and an extreme dearth of resources, the tenacity of the mental health professionals championing this cause is truly inspirational. The fervor and passion of the community psychiatric nurses (CPNs), the front line mental health practitioners in Ghanaian communities, is infectious - literally. We just received reports from the field that former members of Psych Corps, a recently launched cadre of psychology graduates providing community-level psychosocial support in conjunction with CPNs, are applying to clinical psychology graduate programs in droves. This program holds great promise for expanding the number of mental health professionals and significantly improving the reality of mental health care on the ground. Part of my work this summer will be to construct monitoring and evaluation mechanisms in addition to formalized management protocols to ensure the sustainability of this program.

My first two weeks in Ghana have been a whirlwind of colorful fabrics, new foods, cultural differences, and local languages – and I’ve been loving every second. Ghanaians are such a welcoming people, eager to introduce me to their traditions as I begin to settle into life in Accra. I’m excited to master the tro-tro “system,” the public transportation that leaves all of Accra at my fingertips, and I have a growing affection for the Accra Black Stars, the local soccer team.  I learned that responding to the constant yells of “obruni,” meaning “white person” in Twi, with “obibini,” meaning “black person,” ensures a friendship is swiftly formed. I have so much to learn and experience from Ghana and the Ghanaian people, and am looking forward to much more exploration in the coming weeks.

Welcome to Trinidad

Monica Jordan, 2013 GHLI Fellow   

On my second day in Trinidad I took a maxi taxi (public transport van) with the help of a friend, to get a local cell phone.  Having fractured my ankle 6 weeks earlier, navigating public transport and a foreign mall with crutches was daunting, to say the least. A few locals approached me and immediately seemed relieved that my accident didn’t happen here, least I have an unfavorable view of their country. They proceeded to tell me that if I can get around a foreign country on crutches, then I can do anything. Their positive attitude has been infectious, filling me with a resolve to assist my delegation in getting their project off the ground.

The project I am working on here stems from the growing burden of non-communicable chronic disease (NCDs) in Trinidad and Tobago.  While my work this summer will be based in Trinidad and Tobago, it is part of a regional collaboration to address NCDs in the entire Eastern Caribbean. I am focusing on the implementation of a pilot project of the electronic medical records system in the Southwest province of Trinidad.  Using software to capture data on chronic disease in the country, the Ministry of Health can then integrate the data into planning for strengthening primary health care for chronic disease. If the pilot project is successful, it will be implemented in the entire country, giving Trinidad and Tobago a comprehensive view of the burden of NCDs here.

Eventually I will make it to the more tourist destinations of this 2-island paradise such as the crystal waters of Tobago and the hatching turtles in Trinidad. But for now I am content in meeting new people and finding beauty in their warmth and hospitality.

July 8, 2013

Master in Hospital and Healthcare Administration Program Launched in Rwanda


Rex Wong,
GHLI Director of Hospital Strengthening

As part of the Human Resources for Health (HRH) program in Rwanda, GHLI and the National University of Rwanda School of Public Health (NURSPH) officially launched the country’s first Master in Hospital and Healthcare Administration (MHA) program earlier this year to address a severe shortage of trained hospital managers across Rwanda’s health system. The MHA is a 2-year executive program for hospital senior managers. After over 3 years of planning and curriculum development, the first teaching block began on the 27th May 2013 and finished on 21st June 2013. GHLI faculty and staff teamed up with NURSPH faculty to teach a total of six courses, included strategic problem solving, leadership, governance and strategic management.  

Our students included 30 district hospital administrators, one director of nursing and one accountant. The feedback and course evaluation results from students were extremely positive. Despite some language challenges, the students were very engaged and participatory. They were willing to share their hospital stories – successes and challenges, efforts and struggles. Some students even volunteered their time after class to provide tutorial to others who were struggling with English. It was a very encouraging teaching experience.  “It has been very exciting to witness the evolution of this MHA program and to work with these ambitious students whose aim is to lead and govern high quality healthcare institutions,” said Zahirah McNatt, GHLI program director.  “The MHA doesn’t only offer students an additional degree, it offers them a place to discuss, analyze, and problem solve with their peers.” 

All students now have returned to their own hospitals to apply what they have learned in the first teaching block.  They will identify a current problem currently in their own hospitals, set a clear objective, conduct a robust and systematic root cause analysis and create implementation strategy. We are all looking forward to hearing about their field work during mentoring site visits and in the next teaching session in October.