eMagazine February 2023

February 2023 Volume 50 

OUR PEOPLE, 

OUR MISSION 

Global Health 

eMagazine 

February 2023 

NUVANCE HEALTH 

Global Health Program 

LARNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE 

NUVANCE HEALTH AND THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT LARNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE 

Global Health eMagazine 

Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 

Voice of Uganda 

Voices of Hispanic/Latinx 

Global Local 

Innovation and Technology 

Art to Remind Us of 

Who We Can Be 

Our Beautiful Planet 

Nursing Division 

Womens Health 

News 

Among the Letters 

Article of the Month 

Congratulations 

Photo Gallery 

Calendar 

“We carry inside us the wonders 

we seek outside us” -Rumi 

Resources 

Previous Issues of 

the eMagazine 

Editor; Majid Sadigh, MD 

Contributing Editor; Mitra Sadigh 

Creative Director; Amanda Wallace

OUR PEOPLE, 

OUR MISSION 

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Reflections 



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Written by Mitra Sadigh 

Commentary 

Writer/Editor/Researcher at the NVH/UVMLCOM Global Health Program 

A Sense of Togetherness 

The demands of our own everyday lives can 

make it almost impossible to be aware of, 

let alone understand, the weight that others 

carry. We are often caught in the storm of 

questions sounding in our own minds. Yet we 

can imagine, to some extent, the scope of 

internal experiences within our global health 

family over the last few years in response to 

the pandemic, international conflict, and 

climate change. 

We have felt terror. What happens when the world is on lockdown and hospitals 

are overrun? We have felt indignation. How can we justify privileged nations 

declaring the end of a pandemic while others are still losing lives? We have 

felt shame. Who are we if we continue “business as usual” after witnessing how 

money, power, and privilege dictate the extent of devastation? We have felt 

anger. The loud trope of the world banding together to fight the COVID-19 

pandemic juxtaposes distastefully against the realities of inequity. We have felt 

helpless. What can we do to help ease the suffering in situations over which we 

have so little control? 

How can we as a global health community stay true to our mission and fortify 

our connections in the face of so many forces that could tear us apart? 

Despite these complex circumstances, our global health family has done 

something remarkable: we have created a sense of togetherness. The same 

chaos rippling through varying layers of human life could have rippled through 

our program. Who is to say that we are immune to the divisions we are so 

pained to see around us? Our differences in color, culture, experience, ideas, 

and perspectives could be viewed as justification to divide and subdivide. 

We instead choose to form a kaleidoscope of colors, shapes, and ideas tied 

together by a thread of love, respect, and volition. We choose to set ego aside 

and create space for understanding others and even for questioning our own 

ideas. Each year of partnership teaches us that our differences make us better. 

The fact that we truly know and celebrate that is what makes our program 

what it is. 

As global citizens, we are banded together with a force that cannot be 

separated by land or ocean or government. We stand by one another fighting 

for the world that we all hope is possible. 

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Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



Highlights 

Written by Elina Mukhametshina, MD 

The MoU with Armenia NIH has been signed and 

finalized. 

There was an introductory Zoom meeting on January 

23rd at 11:00 AM EST with representatives of Armenia 

NIH and the leadership of NVH to discuss objectives, 

general requirements, participant selection, and 

site-specific safety guides in preparation for 

execution of the Memorandum of Understanding. We 

expect significant interest among U.S. students, residents, and faculty toward 

this collaboration. Many faculty at NIH are fluent in English. 

Representatives of the Armenia site will visit the U.S. in near the future. The 

exact dates will be determined soon. Dr. Elina Mukhametshina will be the 

representative from the NVH Global Health Program to facilitate this partnership. 

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Highlights continued on next page >>

OUR PEOPLE, 

OUR MISSION 

Global Health 



Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



Global Local 


Written by 

Hossein Akbarialiabad, MD, M.Sc. 

NVH Global Health Academy Faculty and eMagazine 

Columnist 

The program’s eMagazine is a platform for our 

global health family to hear from its members, from 

Zimbabwe to Vietnam, central America to Uganda. I 

read it in full, with appreciation for its broad scope. 

Stories of individuals and their communities, told 

through poems and reflections conveying complex 

feelings that become simple when shared with vulnerability, move me to notice 

the subtleties in our lives and interactions. Discussions of global concerns, their 

impact on people worldwide, and ideas for mutual solutions move me toward 

hope that together, we can fight for the things we care about. 

The production’s beauty is in depicting the nature of health and humanity 

through art, photography, and beautiful graphic design—a true thinking outside 

the box to both celebrate and constructively critique our field without p-values, 

confidence intervals, or objective metrics. 

I look forward to another year of reading, learning, and sharing. 



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Bobcat napping (Rose Schwartz) 

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Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



Global Local 


Summer Tutoring Program for First Year 

High School Student 

Written by Elvis Novas 

Advisor for the Dominican Community Center and member 

of the Board of Directors of Housatonic Habitat for 

Humanity, Danbury, CT 

Nuvance Health Global Health Program and the 

Latinx committee at Danbury has decided to provide 

a four-week summer program hosted from mid-July 

through mid-August. Each week, the committee will 

solicit instructors to cover themes such as Leadership, 

Finance, Health & Wellness, and Civic Engagement. These lessons will include 

a lecture and/or workshop concluding with a practicum experience with local 

organizations and businesses tied to the theme. We believe this will provide 

optimal engagement for the students. 

Recruitment processes will be conducted in coordination with third-party 

organizations that are associated with Latinx communities. Ten incoming 

Latino/a and academically promising high school students will continue 

engagement throughout their high school careers via mentor-to-mentee 

relationships, check-ins, chat groups, internship opportunities, and community 

service programs. This will provide them with the eligibility to earn up to $1,000 

in scholarships for attendance and participation in the program. 


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Cuenca, Ecuador (Kreg Wallace) 

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Dominican Republic Site Visit 

Global Health 



Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



Global Local 



Who We Can Be 

After a productive site visit, Drs. Beth West and Andrea Green have arrived back 

to their respective states safe and sound. Dr. Sadigh has been in communication 

with the leadership at UNIBE and has received a brief report from Dean Nunez, 

Dean Amell, and from site visitors. The final detailed report will be available 

soon. 

Global Health Bridge at UVMLCOM 



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The last week of January, third-year medical students at UVMLCOM attended 

the Global Health Bridge course under the leadership of course director Dr. 

Katie Wells. 

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OUR MISSION 

Global Health 



Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 


Global Health Narrative Medicine 

Class 

Written by Andrea Green, MD 

Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Global Health 

in Department of Pediatrics at UVMLCOM 

In December 2021, I offered a four-week reading 

elective on the topic of Global Health Narrative 

Medicine. Themes of the course were explored 

through a mixture of fiction and memoir 

complemented with journal articles. At the end of 

each reading, students wrote a short reflection on the assigned reading and its 

accompanying articles. A range of topics was made available to students who 

had the option of choosing six core readings and their accompanying journal 

articles. 

On the next page is a reflection from Brittany L Gilmore’ 2023, one of the 

students who participated in this course in 2022. 


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African Serengeti (Robert Wallace) 

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Never Underestimate the Power and 

Strength of Women 

Brittany L Gilmore ’2023 

Today, a girl in Afghanistan learned her dreams 

of going to university to become an engineer 

are an act of defiance. 

A girl in France is taught that boys will like her 

more if she makes herself seem less intelligent, 

less intimidating. 

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A girl in Somalia endures the agony of female genital cutting without anesthetic 

in the hopes of being deemed suitable for marriage. 

A girl in Mexico sets off for America, for a new life, unaware of the tragedy the 

journey will bring her way. 

A girl in the United States of America learns that she is pregnant. It doesn’t 

matter that she is only twelve, that she did not, could not, consent when her 

mother’s new boyfriend came into her room those nights. She will be forced to 

carry the pregnancy to term unless she travels two states away to receive an 

abortion. 

A girl in Ukraine learns that her father is not coming home, not that they have a 

home left standing for him to come back to anyway. 

And yet 

Today, a woman in Ethiopia reaches the hospital after journeying for three days 

to get her child life-saving treatment. 

A girl in Peru trains to be a nurse, where she will touch the lives of countless 

people in honor of those who saved her mother. 

A woman in England gives birth to her first child after years of infertility struggles. 

A girl in Vietnam dreams of taking over her family business and becoming just 

like her grandmother: strong, respected, and kind. 

A woman in the Netherlands operates an international organization which 

provides medication abortions to women in countries where it is illegal. 

Thousands of women in Iran are protesting for their rights, for the rights of their 

daughters, and for the rights of all the women and girls to come. 

Never underestimate the power and strength of women. For when we are 

determined, we are unstoppable. 

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OUR MISSION 

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Preparedness and Survival Through 

the COVID-19 Pandemic 

Written by 

Sister Jane Frances Nakafeero 

Director of St. Francis Naggalama Hospital 

As the year comes to an end at St Francis 

Naggalama Hospital, the desk of the administrator 

reflects on the experience of preparedness and 

survival through the COVID-19 pandemic for the 

years 2020 - 2022. Marred with fear and anxiety, 

our initial response was to set up a task force, carry out several trainings for 

staff, and ensure adherence to Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs). An 

existing block of garages and stores was remodeled into an isolation area with 

ten beds. 

Despite training, adherence to WHO Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs), 

and available space, we were barely equipped to handle patients with 

COVID-19. We lacked ventilators, intensive care unit beds, patient monitors, 

infusion pumps, and movable ultrasound machines. Without needed support in 

acquiring Personal Protective Equipment (PPE), test kits, or bleach and sanitizers, 

we resorted to spending the little we had to survive by purchasing these 

supplies at escalated prices while PCR tests had a several-day turnaround 

time. We joined long queues during the day to purchase oxygen while resorting 

to shorter lines at night. 

Patients were dying on arrival to the outpatient department as general 

patients pulled back in fear of contracting the disease. The lockdown versus 

the need for continuity of services worsened outcomes. Our fear of in-facility 

risk points including tea rooms, shared work-desks, and triage points led to 

high consumption of PPE and disinfectant supplies. Indeed, the thin staff body 

became even thinner as members’ increasing infection and isolation called for 

a part-time technical team. 

Much later when the government sent us testing kits, we had just purchased a 

large stock that we could not financially compensate for because we had to 

offer tests for free. Expenditure increased while income from user fees reduced 

by 32%. The pandemic spread so quickly that none of us could keep up. We 

were all either infected or affected. Luckily, regular meetings and sensitization 

helped dispel fears and staff were encouraged to be vaccinated, but no funds 

were received to facilitate smooth operation of response activities and curb 

the losses incurred. 

A ray of hope dawned at the start of 2022 when the economy was opened 

after two years, thereby lifting restrictions. Nevertheless, the situation did not 

improve. Patient numbers remained low due to poverty juxtaposed against 

mushrooming private clinics and drug shops at every corner. This strain on our 

hospital administration has resulted in stress, anxiety, and fatigue. 

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As I conclude, many lessons have been learned for improved leadership in 

the coming year, including resource mobilization and income diversification, 

specialization and improved health investment, and the urgent need to develop 

partnerships for improved sustainability. May God bless everyone who helped 

us, inspired us, and made us smile. 

We continue to pray for guidance, good health, and renewal of our collaboration 

in 2023. 


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Owl (Rose Schwartz) 

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Reflections 

Written by Nahal Torabi 

Senior Medical Student at AUC 

January 20, 2023 – Week 2 

Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



Global Local 

This week, medical students of the University of 

Zimbabwe returned from the holiday and started 

their clinical rotations again. We had a larger 

team, but it was great to understand what they 

expected of medical students and what our role 

should look like. There were a lot more teachings 

to learn from. I noticed there is a perception that 

Georgina and I, coming from North America, 

would know more than the medical students here. I sometimes feel the 

pressure from the expectation of knowing every answer which, most of the 

time, I do not. I like to remind the medical students and doctors-in-training 

that I have become friends with that they are better trained and know a lot 

more than us. 



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I truly believe the doctors here are better physicians, have more knowledge, 

and practice in more detail than what I have seen in the U.S. This is because 

they rely on their clinical examinations to determine the diagnosis rather than 

on laboratory tests that are so readily available to us but not to them. I have 

observed many thorough physical exams looking for clinical signs that I have 

not learned about. In the United States, we learn not to assume what our 

patient’s diagnosis is because it creates a bias to confirm that diagnosis, so we 

do a full investigation. In Zimbabwe, we are told to confirm the most common 

diagnosis in the differential by doing specific physical examinations and 

treating patients. If they do not get better, they will do further investigations. 

Of course, this makes sense in a setting with such limited resources, but it has 

definitely been eye-opening! 

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The Voice of Uganda 

Medical Students 

Section Editor: Joshua Matsiko 

Achievements in 2022 

Written by Joshua Matusuko 

Medical Student at MakCHS, the Section Editor 

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The new “decolonization” column has published 

a total of eight pieces this year about various 

topics that shed light on health concerns in lowto-middle-income 

countries (LMICs), especially 

Uganda, including bodaboda accidents, the 

Ebola outbreak, and Karamoja hunger, and all 

relating to the struggle towards a decolonized global health system. It has 

been a journey of learning and unlearning. A decolonization interest group 

has been started at MakCHS, with its members becoming more familiar with 

the subject and co-sharing resources. We started formulating a global health 

curriculum for medical schools in Uganda. 

Plans for 2023 

We look forward to seeing more articles as people gain interest in the 

topic, and those who are already interested have begun writing their own 

pieces. We look forward to finishing the global health curriculum, as well as 

contributing to the mindset change in LMICs, working towards overcoming 

the colonial mentality, and seeing more people in these countries speak up 

and articulate their ideas without fear or intimidation. 

costs 10 to 12 million UGX (3000 USD). Myomectomies and hysterectomies can 

cost 2.5 - 6 million UGX depending on the hospital. With costs being so high, 

many patients flock to government facilities like Kawempe, hence the longer 

waiting time and decreased quality of treatment outcome. This has resulted 

in a large proportion of patients having to live with poor or no treatment, 

leading to worse prognosis. More subsidized or free treatment is needed to 

curb this increasing silent condition. More women suffer from fibroids than we 

know with many not receiving the necessary treatment or not receiving it in 

time. 



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Finally! 


Medical Student at MakCHS, the Section Editor 

On January 11, 2023, Uganda was officially declared free from the Ebola Sudan 

Virus by the Ministry of Health and the World Health Organization. The declaration 

was made after no cases were reported for 42 days since the last case was 

released from care. Overall, 142 confirmed cases of Sudan virus disease (SVD) 

were reported, of which 55 died (CFR: 39%) and 87 recovered. 

In addition, 22 deaths among probable cases were reported in individuals who 

died before samples could be taken (overall CFR: 47%). At least 19 healthcare 

workers were infected, of whom seven died, including a medical student from 

Kampala International and a surgical resident at Mubende Regional Referral 

Hospital who is believed to have contracted the virus from a patient for whom 

he performed a cesarean section. Over 4000 contacts were followed up for 21 

days and overall, nine Ugandan districts were affected by this outbreak: Bunyangabu, 

Jinja, Kagadi, Kampala, Kassanda, Kyegegwa, Masaka, Mubende, 

and Wakiso. The epidemic lasted for over 114 days. 

On September 20, 2022, the Ministry of Health in Uganda together with WHO 

AFRO confirmed an outbreak of SVD in Mubende District, Uganda, after one 

fatal case was confirmed. The index case was a 24-year-old man, a resident 

of Ngabano village of the Madudu sub-county in Mubende District, who experienced 

high fever, diarrhea, and abdominal pain, and began vomiting blood 

on September 11, 2022. Samples were collected on September 17, 2022 and SVD 

was laboratory-confirmed on September 19. The patient died on the same day, 

five days following hospitalization. This was the fifth SVD outbreak that occurred 

in Uganda. The nation had last reported an outbreak of Sudan ebolavirus 

in 2012. In 2019, the country experienced an outbreak of Zaire ebolavirus. 

The epidemic has proved that Uganda has made considerable progress in the 

handling of epidemics, as there was efficient contact tracing and isolation, and 

amidst all challenges, the virus was contained in only nine districts of the nation. 

More work may be needed in researching the reservoirs of the virus to ensure 

prevention of further epidemics as we have seen increased spontaneous epidemics 

occurring in the last decade. We offer our gratitude to all the health 

workers who were on the frontlines and those who had a hand in curbing this 

deadly disease. We thank the Almighty above all for the deadly epidemic is 

finally over for now. 

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Hispanic/Latinx Voices; 

Stories from 

our Community 

Section Editor: Elvis Novas 

Written by Elvis Novas 

Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



Global Local 



Who We Can Be 



Womens Health 

News 



Advisor for the Dominican Community Center and 

member of the Board of Directors of Housatonic Habitat 

for Humanity, Danbury, CT 

“I am very grateful for the privilege of being selected 

as editor for the column “Hispanic/Latinx Voices: 

Stories from our Community ‘’ of the Global Health 

eMagazine.” 

My desire for a better community has been the guide to introduce me to 

community work, specifically in the Hispanic/Latinx community. This experience 

has allowed me to see and treat people in our community with great human 

and professional values; men and women who just need a platform to share 

their stories and amplify the voices of others. 

Our vision for the column “Hispanic/Latinx Voices: Stories From Our Community” 

is based on the interest of making our people, culture, values, and points of view 

known and at the same time motivate our audience to be more interested in 

our community. 

With this, we seek greater visibility for our community, the opportunity for our 

people to expose their talents and abilities to communicate and for others to 

know our true stories. I encourage you to follow us each month as we feature 

inspiring stories from our Hispanic/Latinx community in the city of Danbury, 

Connecticut. Please feel free to send me your ideas or thoughts at enovas@ 

gmail.com. 


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How to Build a Support System in Five 

Easy Steps 

Written by Jacqueline Cabrera 

Jacqueline Cabrera is a first generation 

Dominican-American author and artist. She is 

also the mother of two boys. On her time off, she 

enjoys going out for hikes and getting involved 

in her community. Jacqueline loves all things 

Danbury, art and nature. For more tips, follow her 

on Instagram jcabsal. 

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As I reflect on 2022, life, and all the changes that have occurred since I moved 

to Connecticut, I can finally say that I have built my community. In 2019, I 

left the Bronx with the hopes of giving my children a better future. In 1996, 

my mother made the same decision and moved to NY from the Dominican 

Republic. Just like my mother and I, many women decide to leave it all behind 

for the well-being of their children. But what happens when you don’t have a 

community in your new city? How do you start to build one? 

Here are five ways you can connect to your local community and other likeminded 

members of your community. 

1. Connect to yourself, your children, and your loved ones first. 

The uncertainty and stress levels that we have experienced the past couple 

of years have caused us to disconnect from ourselves which causes us to 

also be disconnected from those we love and care about. To connect to 

yourself you need to figure out what makes you feel good and happy in 

life and do more of that. Do you like to spend time with friends? Do you like 

to read? Write? Dance? Whatever that is, do more of it. Once you build a 

better relationship with yourself, you’ll start to notice that it is easier to build 

relationships with others. Relationships are a two-way street. One must put 

in their part for them to work. 

2. Connect to your child’s school. 

Meaningful collaboration is a top goal for the DPS strategic plan. Each one 

of our 18 schools has a family liaison who is in charge of connecting parents 

to the school and community resources. Give your child’s school a call and 

let them know you’d like to speak to a family liaison. They can help you apply 

for services, find sports/activities for your children or refer you to other local 

organizations that can give you additional support. 

3. Connect to nature. 

If there is one thing that we have more than anything else here in Danbury, it 

is nature. Going out into nature helps lift your mood while giving you a chance 

to exercise as you admire all the natural beauty we have right outside our 

windows. 

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Commentary 

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4. Seek positive role models. 

A positive role model is someone who you strive to be like. Someone who 

has some of the qualities you aspire to have. You can find role models in your 

place of work, at your local shops or businesses, or on social media networks. 

5. Search for local community organizations. 

Danbury is full of organizations that are ready to help you accomplish your 

personal and professional goals. For the past couple of months, I have been 

lucky to work with organizations such as St. Joseph Parenting Services, the 

Dominican Community Center, Danbury Public Schools, Ann’s Place, and the 

Danbury Public Library. They are among the many local organizations that we 

have here in Danbury. Find one organization that is aligned with your values 

and reach out to them. You’ll be surprised how easy it is to get in touch with 

someone. 

Danbury is a melting pot where you will find people from many diverse cultures 

and backgrounds. Life itself comes with many changes and challenges but 

having a support system makes things so much easier. Connecting to your 

community and other members of your community is easier than you may 

think. Pick up the phone, go on Google, and start your journey today. 


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Pequot ‘Green Corn and Dance’ festival (Rose Schwartz) 

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Global Local 

Health Disparities within our Borders 

Section Editor: Ritesh Vidhun 

Closure of Rural Hospitals in the United 

States; Part 1 

Written by Ritesh Vidhun 

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In the U.S. there are a wide array of issues in healthcare 

relating to many aspects of society. From high drug 

costs to limited access, these topics seem to graze 

news headlines every single day. However, one problem 

that is often overlooked relates to rural America, and 

communities that often feel neglected by the mainstream. Many of those living 

in rural areas of the country lack access to healthcare services due to hospitals 

shutting down for economic reasons. This forces many to travel far distances in 

order to seek the care they need, which can further lead to health complications 

and negative outcomes. These communities exist in all states and the problem 

impacts a large part of the country emphasizing the need for it to be explored 

further. 

Since 2010, 136 rural hospitals have shut down with 19 closures in 2020. That 

number was the most in a single year over the last decade. Rural hospitals 

make up 35% of all hospitals in the U.S., serving over 60 million people. The 

nearest alternative health center for these individuals is typically well over 20 

minutes away, which can be detrimental for high risk patients (GAO, 2021). Rural 

hospitals are vital aspects of the communities they serve, not only from a health 

perspective but also an economic perspective. They contributed $220 billion in 

economic activity and comprised one of 12 rural jobs (RHIhub, 2022). During the 

COVID-19 pandemic, rural Americans without access to health services were 

impacted significantly. The need for adequate hospitals in these areas was 

made ever so apparent, and many were sustained through federal or state 

assistance over the past two years. This edition will explore the roots of the 

issue, past interventions, and what needs to be done to find a solution. 

In the United States, idealistic values surrounding free markets, independence, 

and capitalism are seen throughout much of society, and this is no different in 

healthcare. This is clear in the pharmaceutical industry where many firms invest 

heavily to develop new products, and price them accordingly for consumers to 

bear. Other medical technology companies function in a similar fashion typically 

focused on making profit, on top of the possible world-changing ideas. It is 

impossible in the American landscape for most healthcare-related entities to 

completely ignore profitability. This is no different for hospitals, which are very 

much run as businesses. In rural communities, this leads to many of the issues 

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Commentary 

Highlights 

that cause them to close. Operating a firm in a market with low demand, low 

prices, and a lack of consistent staffing is nearly impossible, yet it is what rural 

hospitals face today. 

The demand for medical services is much lower in rural areas of the U.S. because 

of the lower population. This makes it challenging for hospitals to maintain 

consistent profits and be able to independently sustain themselves. Looking 

at usage of emergency department (ED) services, metropolitan areas made 

up 83.5% of total visits in 2019 (CDC, 2019). This same report found that ED visits 

per capita was higher in rural areas, but there still exists a very low volume of 

patients. There is also the possibility that patients may not choose to go to 

many rural hospitals due to their smaller size and lower variety of services. In 

2019, 47% of these hospitals comprised 25 beds or less (AHA, 2020). Compared 

to the average number of beds per hospital in the total U.S. being around 190, 

this number barely compares (AHD, 2022). Certainly different communities have 

different needs, but hospitals that see a lower volume of patients are faced with 

a major disadvantage before even exploring the payer side of this problem. 

Reflections 



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Pequot ‘Green Corn and Dance’ festival (Rose Schwartz) 

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in Global Health 

Section Editor: Swapnil Parve, MD 

Written by Swapnil Parve, MD 

Director of International Affairs at the NH/ 

UVMLCOM Global Health Program 

Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



Global Local 



Who We Can Be 


A number of ground-breaking technologies 

have emerged in the twenty-first century that 

have changed the way we monitor our health. 

Wearables provide real-time information about 

some of the most important health parameters 

like heart rate, blood pressure, oxygen saturation, 

and blood glucose levels. The use of handheld 

devices (smartphones, tablets) to perform echocardiography or point-ofcare-ultrasound 

have revolutionized the way physicians approach patients. 

One of the greatest impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic has been 

digitalization of health, including but not limited to the penetration of 

telemedicine or telehealth. Although we previously had digital tools, the 

pandemic has forced us to augment its use to organize, train, mobilize, and 

deploy scattered healthcare human resources. Healthcare institutions can 

now more effectively distribute limited resources among competing demands 

thanks to technology. 


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Caption: Global impact of antimicrobial resistance on human health. 

Source: Centrient Pharmaceuticals 

Technology continued on next page >> 

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Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is reaching a tipping point. According to a 

report published by the United Nations, AMR could result in about 10 million 

deaths annually and trillions of dollars of loss to world GDP by 2050. Hence, 

it is no surprise that tackling the AMR has become one of the key missions of 

the World Health Organization and it has recommended countries to “invest 

in ambitious research and development for new technologies to combat 

antimicrobial resistance”. Since then, new technologies such as artificial 

intelligence (AI), quantum computing etc. have emerged that can potentially 

change the way we could tackle AMR and develop new drugs. 

Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



Global Local 

Today, we will be sharing a review 

article with our audience on using 

Deep learning in combating the 

AMR. Although the term “Deep 

learning” sounds too geeky, it’s 

easy to understand. Before we 

present a summary of the review, 

let’s attempt to understand the 

terminology. 



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Deep learning (DL) is a subset of machine learning, which itself is a subset of 

artificial intelligence (AI). Neural networks (NN) also known as artificial neural 

networks (ANNs) or simulated neural networks (SNNs), are a subsection of 

machine learning (ML) and form the backbone of DL algorithms. 

The article highlights application of AI in discovery of new antibiotics. Drug 

development, and especially researching new antibiotics is a long process 

and attributes significant financial burden. The authors briefly discuss 

antimicrobial peptides testing as well as detection of AMR genes via DL. 

According to the results it is clear that AI can shorten the pre-clinical phase 

by swiftly generating many substances based on algorithms created by ML 

algorithms through techniques such as NN or DL. 

If translated for clinical use, this technology has the potential to tame the 

AMR pandemic. 

Link to the article: https://doi.org/10.3390/antibiotics11111674. 



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Art To Remind Us 

of Who We Can Be 

Global Health 



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Section Editor: Majid Sadigh 

Contributing Editor: Mitra Sadigh 

A Note from Payam Yousefi, An Iranian Artist 

During times of confusion, tribulation, grief, 

uncertainty, and despair, the arts enliven 

us by reintegrating the disjointed pieces of 

ourselves and replenishing them with clarity 

and hope. The arts remind us of our individual 

and collective potential to grow, evolve, and 

transform. They remind us of what and who we 

can be and what we can create. In this new 

section, we bring you works of art that have 

moved and inspired us. We encourage you to 

also share works that have inspired you. 

Happy new years to all my family and friends. It has been a difficult year for 

Iranian people. I have personally struggled with my mental health. Like many, 

my sanity is constantly challenged by the neverending reports of unspeakable 

horrors that have befallen Iranian citizens. 

Music has played a central role in allowing 

me to ground myself and process the 

weight of grief that challenges me 

each day. Contrary to the stereotype 

held by some that Persian music is futile 

melancholy, I must say music has not been 

a form of defeatist escape for me, but 

rather, a way to heal, regroup, and recenter 

so that I can continue on my path: 

So that I can embrace my grief, move past 

it, become whole and then help people 

in need in ways that I am capable. In this 

spirit I wanted to share a segment from an improvisatory performance with my 

brother Witness Matlou that I have titled “lamentations.” May it be a tool for 

reflection, re-centering, coping, and healing in the new year so that we may all 

function with love and at our fullest potential. 

With love, 

Payam Yousefi 

Link to the Music: Payam Yousefi; Lamentations 

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Section Editor: 

Dilyara F. Nurkhametova, MD, PhD 

Director of Nuvance Health Global Health Electives Program 

for AUC/RUSM 

This new column exhibits the beauties of our planet 

earth and our everyday destructive actions against 

it. We are witnessing Earth undergoing a profound 

transformation. In this recently launched section, 

we appreciate the gems of our planet while raising 

awareness of climate change. We invite our global 

health community to share photos, videos, inspirational 

resources, and stories. We want to hear from you how 

climate change affects people and health in your part 

of the world. 

Towards an educational praxis for planetary health: a call 

for transformative, inclusive, and integrative approaches for 

learning and relearning in the Anthropocene 

The Lancet Planetary Health January 2023; DOI: 

https://doi.org/10.1016/S2542-5196(22)00332-1 

In viewpoint authors explore the development of education areas for planetary 

health and reflect on a praxis for education in the Anthropocene. Redvers 

and co-authors discuss “educational transformation requires attention to 

pathways of societal, policy, and system change, prioritising different voices 

and perspectives across jurisdictions, cultures, and learning contexts”. 

Read the full text of article here 

Upcoming events 

Annual meeting of The Medical Society Consortium on Climate & & Health 

March 19-21, 2023 (virtual and in-person) 

Annual meeting of The Medical Society Consortium on Climate & & Health will 

be held virtually on March 19-20, 2023, with in-person Congressional visits on 

March 21. The theme for this year’s meeting is Seize the Moment for Climate 

Action: Building The Climate Health Movement. It will feature sessions on climate 

policy opportunities, medical education, and concrete advocacy skills. 

Planet continued on next page >> 

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The meeting will take place at George Mason University’s Campus in Arlington, 

Virginia, and on Zoom. 

Read more about this event here 

Register here 


Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



Global Local 



Who We Can Be 



Womens Health 

News 

Using Principles of Change Management to Green Healthcare 

Settings (Alexandre Messager) 

Wednesday, February 8, 2023, 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM EST (virtual) 

This is one of the webinar series, presented by the Faculty of Medicine’s 

International and Global Health Office, and Planetary Health, is designed for 

Faculty members, learners and support staff of the Faculty of Medicine, features 

expert speakers from across Canada, and is accredited by the RCPSC/CFPC 

Register via this link 

Living with Elephants 

This video is a winner of 2022 Benjamin Mkapa African Wildlife Awards in the 

“Africa in Motion” category. The film focuses on one farmer’s perspective and the 

methods used by Ecoexist—a NGO in Botswana —to both improve her life and 

protect the elephants. 




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Watch the video here 


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Nature inFocus 

Global Health 



Commentary 

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Reflections 



Global Local 


Nature inFocus is a platform sharing stories and photography for you to explore 

India’s wilderness. The stories on Nature inFocus aim at bringing together 

Wildlife, news, trends, travel, conservation, people, filmmaking and art. This 

platform has been Asia’s premier nature and wildlife festival for passionate 

nature photographers to showcase their work and exchange their experience 

with peers. 

Explore the winning images of Nature inFocus Awards here 


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Chamber of Light – Spencer Welling, Utah, USA 

Resources 



More photos from The Best Milky Way Photographs Of 2021 by Team Nature 

InFocus here 


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THE 2022 NORTHERN LIGHTS PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 

Check out more photographs and stories behind at this link 

Global Health 



Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 


“Auroraverse” – Tor-Ivar Næss, 

Nordreisa, Norway 

“Under a Northern Sky” – Rachel Jones Ross, Tombstone 

Mountain Range, Yukon Territory, Canada 


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Womens Health 

News 

“Elves’ House” – Asier López Castro, Stokknes, Iceland 




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“Michigan Night Watch” – Marybeth Kiczenski, Point Betsie Lighthouse, Frankfort, Michigan 

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Section Editor: 

Catherine G Winkler, PhD, MPH, APRN-BC 

Director of the Nuvance Health Global Health Program Nursing Division 

Nursing 

Commentary 

Highlights 

Written by 

Catherine G Winkler, PhD, MPH, APRN-BC 

Director of the Nuvance Health Global Health 

Program Nursing Division 

Reflections 



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Our lives no longer belong to us alone; they belong to all those who need us desperately. 

- Elie Wiesel 

This quotation is true. True for many nurses and likely a contributing factor to the 

fatigue and intense responsibility felt by the profession. The past few years with 

the pandemic, the long days, the short-staffed shifts, and the difficulties of the 

work have led to profound weariness. Yet, we are fortunate as a profession to 

be able to promote and restore the health of others as well as work to support 

a good death for the terminally ill. We can feel thankful, even joyful that we are 

able to be with people to help them through troubled times and witness the 

good – whether it is a good outcome, good diagnosis, or good connection. 

It’s time to refocus and move beyond the setbacks through action. We need 

to wake up and regain our energies to produce a better world. We will need to 

be willing to change how we work. Across the world we will experience ongoing 

public health crises whether it is another pandemic, escalating drug addiction, 

further degradation of food supply with more hungry people or something 

else. We will need to adapt to the long days and staffing shortages through 

retaining our elder nurses as educators, mentoring our young for longer periods 

of time, and collaborating with our healthcare colleagues to increase efficiency 

and quality of care. We need to plan to manage the next public health event 

together with other health professionals to ensure communication is clear and 

timely, that safety is the priority and education is accessible. 

Global health partnerships provide better clinical insight, additional resources, 

and an easing of uncertainty through continuity of care. Further, these 

relationships, when made sustainable lead to civil world-wide communities 

in which listening and respect develop the profession. Accordingly, we can 

learn and enhance nursing practice to meet the needs of our colleagues, our 

profession and that of our patients and their families. Please note that we will 

have an upcoming Global Health Grands Rounds that you can attend to learn 

more about the goal of Global Health Care at Nuvance Health or email Cathy 

Winkler at winkler.cathy@gmail.com. 

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Women’s Health Education 

Section Editor: Sarah Cordisco, RN 

Staff Nurse at the University of Vermont 

What Are We Missing? 


Medical Student at MaKCHS 

Commentary 

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Reflections 



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While in the emergency department of Katakwi 

hospital in Katakwi district approximately seven 

hours from Kampala, a middle-aged woman is 

rushed in with a compound fracture in the left lower 

limb. Quick debridement is performed on her wound 

and immediately POP placement is complete. She 

is seemingly intoxicated with alcohol. As she cried 

and groaned in severe pain, I wondered what could have brought her into such 

an unfortunate circumstance. Review from her history indicates that she was 

beaten by her husband, with whom she co-habits, after a fight. 

Ethically, such a case should have to be reported to police for justice to take 

its course, but I was informed that the patient stopped health personnel from 

reporting the matter to police, stating that she loves her husband and that it was 

a small misunderstanding and an accident. The health workers further inform 

us that it’s not the first time she has reported to the hospital with traumatic 

wounds, allegedly from beatings from her husband and they note that soon 

she may get a more threatening injury. This is a common case of gender-based 

violence (GBV) that is tragically only one of tens of thousands of cases reported 

annually and many more thousands that go unreported. 

GBV cases reduced 6.1% from 85,101 in 2017 to 79,888 in 2018, increased 

consistently by 3.1% in the following year, and then 9.8% to 90.489 from 2019 to 

2020. There were over seven thousand GBV cases every month and 251 every 

day in 2020, up from 6,867 cases every month and 228 cases daily in 2019 and 

48,650 GBV cases from January to June 2021, about 1142 cases monthly and 38 

daily. The national prevalence of violence against, even married, women by a 

partner: physical violence: 22.3%, sexual (16.6%), physical and sexual (9.3%); all 

lower than violence against teenagers aged 15-19 years; physical (23.5%), sexual 

(16.8%), and physical and sexual violence at 9.4% respectively (UDHS 2016, UBOS). 

Bukedi sub-region registered the highest percent of physical violence (32.6%), 

sexual violence (37.1%), and physical and sexual violence (18.6%) whereas Ankole 

registered the highest percent in emotional violence at 48.6% (UDHS 2016, 

UBOS). Over nine thousand 9,954 girls aged 15-17 were defiled in 2020 over 300 

victims of defilement were by HIV positive persons. One-hundred-twenty girls 

were defiled by parents in 2020 up (42.9% increase) from 84 in 2019 and 17,664 

domestic violence cases in 2020, up by 29% from 13,693 in 2019. There were over 

eighteen thousand victims of domestic violence in 2020: 3,408 male adults, 

13,145 female adults, 1,133 male juveniles, and 1,186 female juveniles (Annual Police 

Crime Report, 2020). Over fourteen thousand defilement cases were reported 

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Global Health 



Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



to police in 2020 up from 13,613 cases in 2019: Meaning 1,186 defilement cases 

reported every month, 40 cases reported daily, up from 1,140 cases reported 

every month and 38 cases reported daily in 2019. On defilement victims, 1,280 

girls aged 0-8 were defiled in 2020, up from 1,026 in 2019 and 2,986 girls aged 

9-14 defiled in 2020, up from 2,100 in 2019. These are some of the statistics 

gathered. 

This vice increased steadily from 2019 to 2021, exacerbated by the COVID 

period and stay home lockdown, saw a decline in 2022, but then is again on the 

increase since late 2022. To make it worse, it is believed that a high number of 

these cases go unreported due to the fear of the victims on what could result 

from their reporting. Much credit goes to the government and non-governmental 

organizations for various measures and policies taken to empower young female 

children and see that these cases diminish with time. While this has helped curb 

the tragedies, these cases are still rampant in northern and eastern Uganda. 

One of the greatest drivers is the relatively lower literacy rates and higher poverty 

rates in this region. As we continue to have the conversation of mentality change 

and empowerment of low-to-middle-income countries, more work needs to be 

done in these areas in empowering not only young girls but also catering for all 

victims of this vice, as some studies have shown that children raised in families 

coupled with GBV are most likely to become violent in the future. More work is 

also needed in empowering young boys, as this vice is mostly committed by 

men with inferiority complexes, as well as in poverty eradication programs as 

this vice has a strong correlation with areas that have higher poverty rates. 

Global Local 



Who We Can Be 



Womens Health 

News 

News 

Drs. Deb Hewitt and Catherine Winkler have designed an informative PowerPoint 

presentation on global health for nursing staff. 

The Nursing Division will be more active in the Global Health Academy. There is 

understanding that nursing staff will be working with Latinx high school scholars 

during the summer. 




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Click here to visit 

the Nuvance Health 

Global Health Program 

COVID-19 

Resource Center 

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I am grateful for her generosity of spirit and our partnership all throughout the 

trip, and the opportunity the program has given us to do this work together. We 

have many good leads, contacts, and ideas to share with very soon. 

Best, 

Beth West 

Director of the PT Teaching Academy 

Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



Global Local 



Who We Can Be 



Womens Health 

News 

UNIBE has impressive programming and staff. We were excited about their 

semester-long intracultural curriculum and we are hoping to participate so we 

can learn more. I hope that this is another area where we can collaborate and 

learn from what UNIBE is doing. 

We saw many UNIBE students when we toured the hospitals; they were models 

of professionalism. They had excellent English and are “ambassadors” for the 

school. The UNIBE Research Hub was buzzing with energy and passion. The 

facility was very modern and well equipped with SEEDING support. Vera was 

so kind to meet us and introduce us to Marisa Ogando; her home is lovely for a 

home stay! Dra Carolina and Aimee gave us tours of most of the main partner 

hospitals and introduced us to key staff and residents/fellows. It was very 

productive and helpful. 

We look forward to more collaboration and to sending students from VT and CT 

soon. Perhaps you will visit us when it warms up this June! 

Sincerely, 

Andrea E. Green, MDCM, FAAP (She/her/hers) 




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Good morning again, 

I was really pleased with this morning’s Zoom call, and impressed by the 

candidates for the Ruggles Scholarship who presented their credentials and 

proposals. As several of us mentioned, the interest in Psychiatry and the caliber 

of applicants for Ruggles Scholarships, has increased in only the couple of 

cycles we’ve been through. The learning curves, both here and in Uganda, have 

become synchronized and effective on the selection and administrative sides 

and, I assume, on the academic side as well. I say the latter because the 

process for choosing qualified scholarship recipients has likely tightened-up 

and focused, as has the academic program as well. 

Rudy Ruggles 

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On the Brain 

JAMA Neurology 

November 7, 2022 

A Funeral for a Neurologist 

S. Thomas Carmichael, MD, PhD 

Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 


Families teach us how to love and be loved, the difference between right and 

wrong, and show us the passage of time and traits. The experience of living 

with a family highlights our similarities as people, our inheritance of physical 

appearance and ways in which we take our world, and the distinctions we make 

from this familial program by personal choice. 

Read the article here >> A Funeral for a Neurologist 


Global Local 



Who We Can Be 




To Maysoon Hussein, senior student at RUSM, and Mitra Sadigh for the 

acceptance of the manuscript “ “Colonization and Decolonization of Global 

Health; a Historical Review”for publication in the journal of BMC Globalization 

and Health. 

Womens Health 

News 




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Click here to visit the Nuvance Health Global Health Program 

COVID-19 Resource Center 

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Calendar of Events 

Nuvance Health 

January 01: Finalized Global Health Diaries with Mitra Sadigh and Amanda 

Wallace 

January 02: Debriefing meeting with Dilyara Nurkhametova, assistant director 

of the GHP 

January 02: Meeting with a chief resident of the Department of Medicine at 

Danbury Hospital interested in the global health elective in Vietnam 

Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



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Who We Can Be 



Womens Health 

News 




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January 02: Debriefing meeting with Dr. Elina Mukhametshina, Coordinator of 

the GHP partnership with AUC/RUSM 

January 02: Debriefing meeting with Dr. Swapnil Parve, Director of the 

International Affairs Office 

January 02: Reviewing a new collection of photos and news on program 

achievements with Dr. Swapnil Parve 

January 02: Zoom meeting with a global health faculty in charge of a new 

eMagazine column 

January 03: In-person weekly touch base meeting with Wendi Cuscina, Manager 

of the GHP 

January 03: Pre-departure discussion with Dr. Green, Beth West, and Wendi 

Cuscina to review the objectives of the trip to Dominican Republic 

January 03: Reviewing a new collection of photos and news on program 

achievements with Dr. Swapnil Parve 

January 04: Zoom meeting with Susan Byekwaso, Norah Namirembe and Wendi 

Cuscina to follow on the current projects including A/V studio at MakCHS 

January 05: Zoom meeting with a new MakCHS graduate interested in EM 

January 05: Zoom meeting with Dr. Shalote Chipamaunga to go over the details 

of the joint master degree in medical education 

January 06: Zoom meeting with Dr. Swapnil Parve to begin a new column to 

reflect on public health agenda in eMagazine under the editorial of a previous 

summer interns interested in this field 

January 08: Reviewing a new collection on program achievements with Dr. 

Swapnil Parve 

33 

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Wallace 

January 09: Monthly meeting with Dr. DeLeon 

January 09: Discussion of MoU with NIH, Armenia with Dr. John Murphy, CEO, 

and Dr. DeLeon, CAO 

January 10: Zoom meeting with Dilyara Nurkhametova, the assistant program 

director, to discuss how to make Global Health Bridge objectives at NVH similar 

to those of UVMLCOM’s bridge 

January 10: Weekly touch base meeting with Wendi Cuscina, Manager of the 

GHP 

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January 10: Design of the collection of “GHP Milestones” with Dr. Swapnil Parve 

January 11: Meeting with Dilyara Nurkhametova, Assistant Program Director, 

to discuss the new partnership with NIH in Armenia and the Nair Pulmonary 

Scholars 

January 11: Meeting with Dr. Robyn Scatena, Associate Director of the GHP 

at Norwalk Hospital to discuss logistics of reopening Norwalk Hospital to the 

Vietnamese Scholars 

January 11: Meeting with Dr. Patrick Zimmerman, Global Health Director of the 

Department of Surgery at Danbury Hospital, to discuss logistics of establishing 

a global health elective for surgical residents at Nuvance Health 

January 11: Meeting with Dr. Wendy Perdomo, Chief Resident of the Department 

of Medicine at Danbury Hospital, to discuss medical residents’ involvements in 

global local projects with Latinx community and hosting international global 

scholars 

January 11: Discussion on how to support Global Health Scholars at Norwalk 

Hospital with Dr. Ali Ershadi, a fellow in pulmonary medicine and critical care at 

Norwalk Hospital 

January 12: Zoom meeting with Dr. Elina Mukhametshina, Coordinator of the GHP 

partnership with AUC/RUSM to review her new responsibilities as the contact 

person for the newly established partnership in Armenia, and logistics of how to 

support Rudy Ruggles Global Mental Health Scholars at MakCHS 

January 12: Rudy Ruggles’ Scholars Interview Session 

January 12: Discussion on partnership with UVMLCOM and new direction in 

2023-2024 with the medical education leaders at NVH 

January 12: In-person meeting with one of the previous global health summer 

intern and current section editor on global local in eMagazine 

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January 12: In person meeting with Dr. Vidhun, the director of pathology 

residency program at Danbury Hospital, to welcome one of the international 

pathologist for observerships at Danbury Hospital 

January 12: The first meeting with the leadership of the NVH Foundation to 

discuss logistics of the second global health day at Danbury in June 2023 

January 13: Zoom meeting with Global Health Scholar Dr. Nikita Yakovlev 

January 13: Zoom meeting with Dr. Swapnil Parve to review his visa status and 

the project on the collection of “GHP Milestones” 

January 13: Dr. Dilyara Nurkhametova met with Nuvance Family Medicine 

residents at Northern Dutchess Hospital to discuss potential GH electives 

January 15: Zoom meeting with Dr. Hossein Akbari, a global health faculty to 

discuss his role in the joint Master Degree in Medical Education with University 

of Zimbabwe 


Wallace 

January 17: During a meeting with members from the NVH foundation and Wendi 

Cuscina, the process of hosting the second global health day was discussed 

January 17: During a meeting with Joanna Coaklin, the logistics of the global 

health bridge were reviewed. In addition the partnership with UVMLCOM was 

discussed. 

January 18: Meeting with Dr. Renee Pierre Leuis, Director of the NVH Compliance 

Office to review the GHP’s current activities 

January 18: Discussion on logistics of the workshop on “War as Public Health 

Problem” during Global Health Bridge on February 1 with Dr. Kaveh Khoshnood, 

Associate Professor at the Yale School of Public Health. 

January 18: Zoom meeting with Dr. Khoa in preparation of his workshop at 

Global Health Bridge 

January 18: Discussion around involvement of nursing staff in Global Health Day 

and the Global Health Academy as well as curriculum building for academically 

promising Latinx high school students in the summer with Catherin Winkler, 

Drector of the Nursing Division 

January 18: Discussion around Global Health Day and the Global Health 

Academy as well as involvement of UVM faculty with Dr. Mariah McNamara, 

Associate Director of the GHP at UVMLCOM 

January 19: Walk through 92 Locust, the future site of the Global Health Academy 

with Wendy Cuscina, Manager of the GHP 

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January 19: Meeting with Dr. Kulaga, DIO, to inform him of the summer project 

for academically promising Latinx students, Global Health Day, and the Global 

Health Academy 

January 20: The second meeting with members of the Nuvance Health 

Foundation Office to discuss logistics of the second Global Health Day on June 

4-6, 2023 


Wallace 

January 23: Introductory Zoom meeting between Armenia NIH leadership and 

NVH global health leadership 

Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



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January 23: Academic Service Line, monthly meeting 

January 24: Meeting with a members of the UVM Medical Communications 

Office to discuss Global Health Day in Danbury 

January 24: Attending Global Health Bridge at UVMLCOM and discussion 

around the course at Danbury Hospital with course director Dr. Katie Wells and 

Dr. Mariah McNarama, Associate Global Health Director at UVMLCOM 

January 24: Majid Sadigh, Director of Global Health at NVH/UVMLCOM, spoke 

to medical school candidates on Closer Look Day 

January 24: Debriefing meeting with Dr. Dilyara Norkhamehtova, Assistant 

Director of the GHP 

January 24: Debriefing meeting with Dr. Elina Mukhametshina, Coordinator of 

the GHP with AUC/RUSM 

January 24: Debriefing meeting with Dr. Swapnil Parve 

January 24: Meeting with the Latinx committee to discuss the summer project 

for selected academically promising high school students 

January 24: A letter to the NVH education leadership about how to proceed 

with the partnership with UVMLCOM and AUC/RUSM was drafted 

January 26: Meeting with members of the Foundation Office in preparation of a 

meeting with one of the donors 

January 27: Meeting with the leadership of the Ob/Gyn department at Danbury 

Hospital to review ACGME requirements in respect to the “Program Letter of 

Agreement” 

January 27: Discussion of hosting a colleague from NIH in Armenia to have 

an observership in the Department of Psychiatry with the Chair and Program 

Director, Dr. Charles Herrick 

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January 28: Discussion with Drs. Alex Kayongo, Hossein Akbari, and Kaveh 

Khooshnood in respect to their sessions in Global Health Bridge on February 1. 

January 28: Meeting with the leadership of University of Zimbabwe in preparation 

of the travel of three medical students from UVMLCOM to Harare, Zimbabwe 

January 29: Zoom meeting with Dr. Alex Kayongo in preparation of Global 

Health Bridge 


Wallace 

January 30: Weekly touch-base meeting with the global health leadership 

team at Nuvance Health 

Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



Global Local 



Who We Can Be 



Womens Health 

News 




Photo Gallery 

Calendar 

Resources 



January 30: Finalized the Global Health eMagazine with Mitra Sadigh and 

Amanda Wallace 

January 30: Meeting with task force members of the Second Annual Global 

Health Conference 

January 30: Meeting with Alex Kayongo in preparation for Global Health Bridge 

January 30: Meeting with Dr. Stephen Scholand in preparation for Global Health 

Bridge 

January 30: Meeting with Dr. Hussein Akbari in preparation for Global Health 

Bridge 

January 30: Meeting with Dr. Oltikar to discuss the Global Health Academy and 

summer program for Latinx high school students 

January 31: Weekly debriefing session with Wendi Cuscina, Manager of the GHP 

January 31: Meeting with Rudy Ruggles Global Mental Health leadership 

January 31: Meeting with Courtney Matteson and Wendi Cuscina to discuss 

global health electives for residents and fellows at Nuvance Health 

UVMLCOM 

January 2-13: Core Global Health Topics course led by Dr. Amalia Kane 

January 4: Touchbase meeting with Dr. Mariah McNamara 

January 9: Informational session for MS1 UVM students regarding Summer GH 

Elective opportunities 

January 9: Global Health Leadership Team meeting 

37 


OUR PEOPLE, 

OUR MISSION 

Global Health 



January 9: Pre-departure orientation meeting with MS4 UVM students - Keara 

Lynn, Charlotte Gemes, and Micaila Baroffio in preparation to their GHE in 

Zimbabwe 

January 15: GHE applications deadline, 18 applications received for summer GH 

Electives 

January 16-27: Core Global Health Topics course led by Dr Amalia Kane 

January 20: Meeting with Dr Mariah McNamara to review MS1 applications for 

summer GH Electives 

January 20: Dr Mariah McNamara, Dilyara Meeting with Emma Swift, Director 

OIE 

Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



Global Local 



Who We Can Be 



Womens Health 

News 




Photo Gallery 

Calendar 

Resources 



January 23: Global Health Leadership Team meeting 

January 26: Interviews with MS1 UVMLCOM students applicants for the summer 

GH electives 


GH electives 


GH electives 

January 30: Three UVMLCOM students - Keara Lynn, Charlotte Gemes, and 

Micaila Baroffio start their GH electives at UZFMHS in Zimbabwe 

AUC/RUSM: 

January 2: Touch-base meeting with Dr Elina Mukhametshina 

January 4: Touch-base meeting with Dr Elina Mukhametshina 

January 5: Meeting with Dr. Elina Mukhametshina about the orientation meeting 

structure and content as well as GH competencies 

January 6: Meeting with RUSM students Svanjita Berry and Salwa Sadiq-Ali to 

discuss the reflections research project 

January 9: Two RUSM students, Svanjita Berry and Monica Dhiman, started their 

GH electives at DMIMS, India; two students - Nahal Torabi (AUC) and Georgina 

Todd (RUSM) started their GH elective at UZFMHS in Zimbabwe 

January 12: Touch-base meeting with Dr, Elina Mukhametshina 

January 16: Meeting with Dr Elina Mukhametshina regarding preparation for the 

orientation meeting 

38 


OUR PEOPLE, 

OUR MISSION 

Global Health 



January 17: Pre-departure orientation meeting with four AUC/RUSM students, 

Mala Sachdev, Alexanderia Williams, Jiazeng Ge, and Hermella Alemneh, in 

preparation to their GH elective in Vietnam in February 2023 

January 19: Meeting with Dr. Elina Mukhametshina to discuss and confirm the 

workflow of GH electives coordination 

January 20: Interviews with AUC/RUSM students applicants for the GH elective 

January 23: Interviews with AUC/RUSM students applicants for the GH elective 

January 26: Touch-base meeting with Dr. Elina Mukhametshina 

Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



Global Local 



Who We Can Be 



Womens Health 

News 




Photo Gallery 

Calendar 

Resources 



Croton Dam (Amanda Wallace) 

39

OUR PEOPLE, 

OUR MISSION 

Global Health 



Commentary 

Highlights 

Reflections 



Global Local 



Who We Can Be 



Womens Health 

News 




Photo Gallery 

Calendar 

Resources 



Yale Medicine 2008 

Photos and Reflections 2021 

Global Health & the Arts 

Nuvance Health and UVMLCOM Global 

Health Website 

COVID-19 Resource Center 

Nuvance Health and UVMLCOM Annual 

Report 2020 

AUC/RUSM Annual Report 2018 

Cases and Reflections from Mulago 

Climb for a Cause 2018 

Climb for a Cause 2019 

Ebola: Sequences on Light and Dark 

Ebola: Two Doctors Respond to the 2014 

Ebola Epidemic in Liberia: A Personal 

Account 

Global Health Annual Reports 

Global Health Conference 2019 Photos 

Global Health Conference 2019 Videos 

Global Health Conference 2019 Book 

Global Health Diaries and Newsletters 

2015-2016 


2016-2017 


2017-2018 

Global Health Diaries and eMagazines 

2018-2019 

Global Health eMagazines 2020-2021 

Global Health Diaries 2020-2021 

Global Health Program Website 

Global Health at WCHN Facebook 

Ho Chi Minh City and Cho Ray Hospital 

The Homestay Model of Global Health 

Program video 

Kasensero Uganda 

Resources 

Global Health Reflections and Photos 2017 

and 2018 

Global Health Reflections and Photos 2019 

Ethical Dilemmas book 

Nuvance/MakCHS Global Health 

Information Center Booklet 

Paraiso and the PAP Hospital 

Photographs from Uganda, by 

photojournalist Tyler Sizemore 

Presentations By Global Health Scholars 

Previous issues of the Global Health 


Program Partners 

Publications 

Site Specific Information 

Tropical Medicine Booklets (101, and 

202) 

Tropical Medicine Spanish 101 

Tropical Medicine Courses 

The World of Global Health book 

The World of Global Health Video 

Words of Encouragement 

UVM Larner College of Medicine Blog 

Participant Guide in Global Health, 

Thailand 

Cho Ray International Student Handbook 

DRC Facing a New Normal 

Photos and Reflections 2019 

Coronavirus 2019 Important clinical 

considerations for Patients & Health 

care Providers 

Interviews 

A Connecticut Doctor in Africa, by 

journalist Mackenzie Riggs 

Majid Sadigh, MD Interview Regarding 

Ebola in Liberia (Video) 

My Heart Burns: Three Words Form a 

Memoir (Video) 

Two UVM Docs Combat Ebola in Liberia 

(Article) 

40

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