Global Health Efforts in Central America
Rural Primary Care and Resident Global Health Education
In collaboration with the Medical College of Wisconsin (MCW), Hillside Health Care International, established in 2004, operates as a faith-based facility providing health care to an underserved population. Several MCW staff physicians, nurses, and therapists return annually to provide rotating clinical care. MCW staff physicians also provide on-site global health resident education.
Pediatric Resident Global Health Education
Dr. Kaeppler supports the Pediatric Global Health Track which provides Pediatrics and Medicine/Pediatrics Residents with opportunities to develop and learn global health medicine at home and abroad. The partner in Belize is Hillside Health Care Clinic in Eldridgeville (near Punta Gorda).
Strengthening Emergency Care in Belize
Dr. Zosel is involved in strengthening medical toxicology at Karl Heusner Hospital.
Teledermatology in Belize
Dr. Wilson, and the dermatology department, provide faculty teledermatology consultations to Hillside Clinic in Belize.
Belize Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services Consultation
Dr. Weston worked with BERT (Belize Emergency Response Team) to enhance their emergency services and with local emergency departments on medical knowledge, system based practice, and leadership skills.
Belize Ministry of Health, Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital-MCW Affiliation Agreement
Dr. Hargarten is the faculty lead for the affiliation agreement between MCW, the Belize Ministry of Health, and Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital in Belize City, Belize. Signed in 2011, this agreement lays the groundwork for mutually beneficial educational opportunities and research partnerships between faculty, staff, physicians, residents, and students from all partners.
Strengthening Emergency Care in Belize
Dr. Sonnenberg and her team did didactic lectures with the physicians and nurses at Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital to help strengthen emergency care at the tertiary hospitals of Belize. The team also collected data about toxicology cases in Belize to allow toxicologists to provide future guidance on these cases.
M4 Elective in Belize
Dr. Hargarten leads an M4 elective in partnership with Hillside Health Care International. It includes outpatient clinic, mobile clinics into remote Garifuna, Creole, and Mayan villages, home visits, and community education programs.
Belize Teledermatology Project
Dr. Humphrey leads the store-and-forward teledermatology program between MCW Dermatology and Hillside Heath Care International.
Strengthening Trauma Care
Dr. Dodgion and Annette Bertelson, in collaboration with Dr. Hargarten and the Department of Emergency Medicine, have collaborated with Karl Heusner Hospital in Belize City to develop a plan to strengthen trauma care including implementing treatment protocols and increase ATLS training opportunities.
Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Non-communicable Diseases in Indigenous Populations
Dr. Egede and his team are focusing on the ways in which the social determinants of health have been shown to have an impact on the prevalence and management of a variety of non-communicable diseases. However, most of the research has been conducted in affluent populations, with very little done specifically in indigenous populations. Social determinants include conditions in which people are born, life, work, play, and age, and can be either protective or detrimental to health. As such, the goal of this project is to understand the role of culture, environment, social determinants, and genetics on the development, management, and care of non-communicable diseases in indigenous populations. This will be accomplished by collecting information from multiple indigenous populations to compare responses with minority groups in the United States, and to help understand the role of migration on health outcomes. Work will be conducted in Central America (Panama, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras) and East and Central Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda). The long-term goal of this research is to develop lifestyle interventions to improve health outcomes in indigenous populations.
Teletoxicology in Belize
Dr. Stanton is the pharmacy lead for the teletoxicology project in Belize. Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) is the referral hospital for the country of Belize. A collaboration between the KHMH Accident and Emergency (A&E) department and the Wisconsin Poison Center are in development to assist clinicians at KHMH in management of poisonings seen in Belize. KHMH has been collecting baseline data on poisoned patients including, but not limited to, alcohol, pesticides, and allergic reactions. Dr. Stanton's team gave lectures to the A&E and hospital staff on management of paraquat, salicylates, acetaminophen, and a general approach to a toxicology patient. The University of Belize is starting a baccalaureate program in pharmacy and Dr. Stanton's team met with administration from the school to discuss potential future research and education opportunities between KHMH and MCW.
Project Encuentro: Community-Based HIV Prevention and Intervention
Dr. Dickson-Gomez and her team have just finished a five year, multi-level HIV prevention intervention program for crack users in El Salvador. They have also conducted an evaluation of a combination prevention intervention program funded by the Global Fund for AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria. Finally, they finished a pilot project to integrate substance abuse screening and treatment into HIV prevention and treatment. They have submitted an R01 to NIH to fund a full trial that will evaluate integrating substance use and treatment on HIV risk behaviors and antiretroviral adherence.
Sexual Health Among Female Substance Users in El Salvador
Dr. Glasman is part of a team whose ultimate goal is to develop a multilevel community-based integrated sexual health intervention to address the sexual health challenges affecting female substance users in San Salvador, namely STIs/HIV risk behavior and reproductive decision-making in a broader context of female substance use and sexual stigmas. The proposed intervention has three components rolled out sequentially. Component 1 involves community events to increase awareness of the stigmas associated with substance use and sex among women, and how this influences women’s sexual health (e.g., by decreasing access to services and isolating women in need). Component 2 involves chain peer referrals to community-based integrated sexual health services to increase FSUs’ sexual health service use. Component 3 involves peer-facilitated counseling among ego-networks of FSUs to address the motivational and interpersonal factors that increase FSUs’ vulnerability to coercion and impair their decision-making.
Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Non-communicable Diseases in Indigenous Populations
Dr. Egede and his team are focusing on the ways in which the social determinants of health have been shown to have an impact on the prevalence and management of a variety of non-communicable diseases. However, most of the research has been conducted in affluent populations, with very little done specifically in indigenous populations. Social determinants include conditions in which people are born, life, work, play, and age, and can be either protective or detrimental to health. As such, the goal of this project is to understand the role of culture, environment, social determinants, and genetics on the development, management, and care of non-communicable diseases in indigenous populations. This will be accomplished by collecting information from multiple indigenous populations to compare responses with minority groups in the United States, and to help understand the role of migration on health outcomes. Work will be conducted in Central America (Panama, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras) and East and Central Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda). The long-term goal of this research is to develop lifestyle interventions to improve health outcomes in indigenous populations.
Cervical Cancer Prevention
Dr. Broekhuizen is a consultant and teacher in partnership with Faith in Practice for cervical cancer prevention.
Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Non-communicable Diseases in Indigenous Populations
Dr. Egede and his team are focusing on the ways in which the social determinants of health have been shown to have an impact on the prevalence and management of a variety of non-communicable diseases. However, most of the research has been conducted in affluent populations, with very little done specifically in indigenous populations. Social determinants include conditions in which people are born, life, work, play, and age, and can be either protective or detrimental to health. As such, the goal of this project is to understand the role of culture, environment, social determinants, and genetics on the development, management, and care of non-communicable diseases in indigenous populations. This will be accomplished by collecting information from multiple indigenous populations to compare responses with minority groups in the United States, and to help understand the role of migration on health outcomes. Work will be conducted in Central America (Panama, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras) and East and Central Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda). The long-term goal of this research is to develop lifestyle interventions to improve health outcomes in indigenous populations.
MCW M-4 Elective: International Medical and Surgical Care
In this elective the students learn to diagnosis and treat illness and disease in rural clinics and care for patients ranging in age from infants to elderly. While most of the diseases seem ""medical"" some minor surgical procedures are performed as an outpatient in the clinic. Students also have the opportunity to work for a day in a public hospital and are therefore exposed to the health care system in Nicaragua. The NGO partner in Nicaragua and Central America is the Missionary Ventures International (MVI) with headquarters in Orlando, FL.
Adult Urologic Surgery
Dr. Langenstroer evaluates, diagnoses, and surgically treats urology diseases (mostly BPH and stone disease) in Honduras, as well as hosts Honduran urology residents for observerships at Froedtert Hospital.
Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Non-communicable Diseases in Indigenous Populations
Dr. Egede and his team are focusing on the ways in which the social determinants of health have been shown to have an impact on the prevalence and management of a variety of non-communicable diseases. However, most of the research has been conducted in affluent populations, with very little done specifically in indigenous populations. Social determinants include conditions in which people are born, life, work, play, and age, and can be either protective or detrimental to health. As such, the goal of this project is to understand the role of culture, environment, social determinants, and genetics on the development, management, and care of non-communicable diseases in indigenous populations. This will be accomplished by collecting information from multiple indigenous populations to compare responses with minority groups in the United States, and to help understand the role of migration on health outcomes. Work will be conducted in Central America (Panama, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras) and East and Central Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda). The long-term goal of this research is to develop lifestyle interventions to improve health outcomes in indigenous populations.
Telemedicine extends orphaned patients
Dr. Lee is spearheading a project to provide medical support to a highly at-risk children in Puebla, Mexico. Esperanza Viva Rescue Orphanage: Living Hope International (LHI) is established for rescued orphans from abuses such as sex trafficking, sex abuse, violence, etc. there is a medical clinic that is operated by a RN who is trained in US. The clinic has full primary care set up as well as full dentistry. MCW-PM&R and LHI have worked together to purchase a full telemedicine unit it is now set up at the Living Hope Clinic.
Clinical Care in Rural Nicaragua
Annually and in collaboration with Nicaraguan physicians and their Ministry of Health officials, Dr. Tassone provides orthopedic surgery consultations and clinical care to children in rural areas of the country. He travels with a multidisciplinary team including nursing.
Military Provider Training
Dr. Ninomiya provides training to Nicaraguan military providers.
Nicaragua Bridges to Community
Dr. Meurer is a member of the group International Bridges to Communities in which every even year the Unitarian Universalist Church West in Brookfield, WI arranges 2 brigades of church members and others to visit Nicaragua and build houses for local farming families for 1 week. There are opportunities for health care service too.
Global Medical Brigades
Dr. Bear prepares Marquette University undergraduate students for a medical/public health mission trip to Nicaragua during the fall semester. She also participates in a week-long medical/public health trip in January.
Orthopaedic Surgery
Dr. Schwab works with local orthopaedists to evaluate and treat children with special needs and adults with treatable orthopaedic needs.
Universidad Nacional Nicaragua-MCW Institutional Affiliation Agreement
Dr. Schwab is the faculty lead for the institutional affiliation agreement between MCW and the Universidad Nacional Nicaragua in Managua, Nicaragua. Signed in 2012, this agreement lays the groundwork for mutually beneficial educational opportunities and research partnerships between faculty, residents, and students from both institutions.
Marquette Global Brigades
Dr. Bear is part of an 11 year project Marquette Global brigades in which Marquette students provide care in Honduran mountain villages focused on different aspects of public and community health. They serve 300-900 people per day. Dr. Bear focuses on maternal/women's health and in 2016 gave pap smears to 72 women.
Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Non-communicable Diseases in Indigenous Populations
Dr. Egede and his team are focusing on the ways in which the social determinants of health have been shown to have an impact on the prevalence and management of a variety of non-communicable diseases. However, most of the research has been conducted in affluent populations, with very little done specifically in indigenous populations. Social determinants include conditions in which people are born, life, work, play, and age, and can be either protective or detrimental to health. As such, the goal of this project is to understand the role of culture, environment, social determinants, and genetics on the development, management, and care of non-communicable diseases in indigenous populations. This will be accomplished by collecting information from multiple indigenous populations to compare responses with minority groups in the United States, and to help understand the role of migration on health outcomes. Work will be conducted in Central America (Panama, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras) and East and Central Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda). The long-term goal of this research is to develop lifestyle interventions to improve health outcomes in indigenous populations.
Impact of Social Determinants of Health on Non-communicable Diseases in Indigenous Populations
Dr. Egede and his team are focusing on the ways in which the social determinants of health have been shown to have an impact on the prevalence and management of a variety of non-communicable diseases. However, most of the research has been conducted in affluent populations, with very little done specifically in indigenous populations. Social determinants include conditions in which people are born, life, work, play, and age, and can be either protective or detrimental to health. As such, the goal of this project is to understand the role of culture, environment, social determinants, and genetics on the development, management, and care of non-communicable diseases in indigenous populations. This will be accomplished by collecting information from multiple indigenous populations to compare responses with minority groups in the United States, and to help understand the role of migration on health outcomes. Work will be conducted in Central America (Panama, Belize, Guatemala, Nicaragua, El Salvador, and Honduras) and East and Central Africa (Democratic Republic of Congo, Rwanda, Tanzania, Kenya, Ethiopia, and Uganda). The long-term goal of this research is to develop lifestyle interventions to improve health outcomes in indigenous populations.