Nuvance Health and University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine Annual Report 2022

Nuvance Health and the University of Vermont 

Larner College of Medicine 

Global Health 

Program 

2022 Annual Report 

“As a diverse and inclusive organization, Nuvance Health stands 

against racism and hate in all forms. We will continue to do what 

we do best: protect and take care of each other, our patients 

and our diverse communities.” 

John M. Murphy, MD, President and CEO, Nuvance Health

From the Leadership 8 

Special Sections 

Produced By Nuvance Health 

Editor: 

Majid Sadigh, MD 

Contributing Editor: 

GLOBAL HEALTH ANNUAL REPORT 2022 

TABLE OF 

CONTENTS 

“Out beyond ideas of wrongdoing 

and rightdoing there is a field. 

I’ll meet you there. 

When the soul lies down in that grass 

the world is too full to talk about.” 

― Rumi 

Global Health Bridge 26 

Global Health Narrative Medicine Class 32 

Alumni 36 

Global Local 37 

Global International 42 

Scholarly Activities 60 

Local Publications 68 

Program Activities 71 

eMagazine 72 

Congratulations 89 

Operations 96 

Welcome 96 

Mitra Sadigh 

Designed by: 

Amanda Wallace

It is with grateful hearts and a lot of pride that we acknowledge and 

congratulate Dr. Madjid Sadigh on the 10 year anniversary of the Global 

Health Program at Nuvance Health. As the program enters its second decade 

I would like to offer some reflections. 

In September of 2016 when I was first approached to consider funding the 

establishment of the Endowed Chair in Global Health at Norwalk Hospital, it 

didn’t take much for us to realize how important this initiative would be. It was 

apparent to us that due to the varying social and economic makeup of our 

global community, people in need around the world would greatly benefit 

from such initiatives as our own Global Health Program. 

The Global Health Program under Dr. Sadigh’s leadership has reached 

hundreds of thousands of patients and impacted thousands of doctors, 

faculty, and medical students. Doctors have been able to provide critical care 

to patients in almost a dozen countries, and medical students have had the 

unique opportunity to get valuable hands-on experience with patients from 

around the world. 

The existence of such a program as Global Health is critical to ensuring that 

those who are most vulnerable in the world will have access to equal benefits 

in health care. Not only does this program improve the lives of countless 

people around the world, but it is also inspiring the next generation of medical 

professionals to continue this great effort. 

Today, with more vigor than ever, I want to recommit our support to the 

Global Health Program. We want to express our thanks to Dr. Sadigh and his 

team for the amazing work they have accomplished in the past decade, and 

for continued dedication and commitment to the service of others. We are 

extremely proud to be your partner and supporter. 

With best wishes for the future, 

Christian and Eva Trefz 

4 

ANNUAL REPORT 2022 

NUVANCE HEALTH AND THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT LARNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE 

5

From the Leadership 

of our colleagues and friends worldwide. The eMagazine now has numerous section editors, columnists, and 

contributors from national and international communities, with new content emerging every month. Meanwhile, 

we have relished in a deeper understanding and exchange through the well-attended “Open Forum” sessions 

whereby we see the world from our partners’ perspectives. These outlets have allowed us to share and learn 

from one another’s experiences while providing up-to-date information about the COVID-19 pandemic that has 

echoed through other digital platforms and on-the-ground communities. 

Our program’s representation continues to expand, as manuscripts were published in peer-reviewed journals 

and our members spoke in national conferences and seminars, including the Consortium of Universities in 

Global Health where we presented posters and oral presentations, were awarded for reflection essays, and 

organized a panel session on decolonization of global health education. This meaningful discussion blossomed 

into another panel about building an empowerment model in global health at the United Nations General 

Assembly. These events differentiated our program as one that is holding transparent conversations about how 

to meaningfully participate in the decolonizing global health movement and taking steps to critically evaluate 

what could be done better. 

It was also another successful year for budding partnerships with the Latinx community in Danbury, CT; 

the National Institute of Health in Armenia; and San Juan City Hospital in Puerto Rico. Amidst these new 

collaborations, we unfortunately had to pause our partnerships with Kazan State Medical University in Russia and 

Municipal Hospital in Dalian, China. This year also featured the establishment of Scholars in Global Emergency 

& Critical Care Medicine with Makerere University College of Health Sciences, the Almira Joint Masters Degree 

in Medical Education with Zimbabwe University, a scholarship for medical students from international partner 

sites to attend a course in colonization/decolonization of global health education; and summer scholarships for 

Latinx high school students to undergo health literacy and leadership skills training at Nuvance Health. Finally, 

the inauguration of the Trefz Family Global Health Academy is underway, with several faculty members having 

been recruited and a building acquired to serve as the headquarters. 

During the first half of 2022, with “Open Forum with Friends and Colleagues around the World” and “Bring 

the Field to Zoom’’ sessions, we continued to expand participants’ perspectives on medicine, sociocultural 

determinants of health, and the world at large. With the easing of pandemic-related public health restrictions in 

June, we opened in-person electives to students and faculty in India and Uganda. This change required careful 

planning and cooperation to align with shifts in international leadership and protocols. We were grateful that the 

reopening process was moving along when we had to urgently relocate students to India due to the emergence 

of the Sudan Ebola virus outbreak. We owe our gratitude to many colleagues who made this transition possible. 

The Past Year and a Decade Ahead 

Thanks to many friends and colleagues around the world, our strongly 

interconnected community has allowed our Global Health Program to thrive 

amidst the trials and tribulations of this last year. We stayed engaged with each 

other through our communication platforms, namely the Global Health Diaries 

blog and eMagazine which continue to grow in scope thanks to the contributions 

I thank each and every one of you for standing with us through another year. It is an honor and a privilege to 

witness the growth of our program in every respect: in our alumni transforming into emerging leaders in global 

health education; in the amplification of our partners’ voices on the international stage; and in the connections 

we are continuing to deepen around the world, tied together by our universally shared mission: to advocate for 

equal access to health and well-being for all. 


Christian J. Trefz Family Endowed Chair in Global Health 

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7

The Nuvance Health/University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine Global Health Program had another 

remarkable year in 2022. Among its many accomplishments was an invitation to host a panel discussion at the 

United Nations General Assembly in September. The topic was “Creating an Empowerment Model in Global 

Health.” Panelists included scholars from Uganda, Zimbabwe, Dominican Republic, India, Botswana and the 

United States. The session was moderated by our very own Dr. Majid Sadigh! 

As I watch our program continue to mature and evolve under Dr. Sadigh’s leadership, I am struck by its courage 

and its prudence. Courage because we are unafraid to ask difficult questions about the colonial history of global 

health and work with our colleagues in building programs that are centered around justice rather than simply 

beneficence. The panel discussion at the UN made that undaunted spirit abundantly clear. Prudence because 

Dr. Sadigh and other faculty members, including his daughter Mitra, are comfortable asking questions and 

welcoming insights about how best to highlight and acknowledge the resources that already exist in low-income 

countries. Our partners across the globe have many riches, though different from our own, and recognizing this 

reality reinforces the proposed move towards a standardized, universal curriculum in global health, one that is 

predicated on bidirectionality and systemic collaboration. These commitments to “decolonize” global health 

coupled with the many practical suggestions about how to build and maintain successful and sustainable 

partnerships bode well for an even more exciting and resilient enterprise. 

Other notable accomplishments this year included several scholarly presentations at this year’s Consortium 

of Universities for Global Health. We presented six posters, one of which was acknowledged as the best at the 

conference. I was also thrilled to learn that Dr. Sadigh was the recipient of the Velji Family Foundation’s Leader 

in Global Health Innovation award! 

Earlier this year, we were fortunate to welcome Dr. Dereck DeLeon as our Chief Academic Officer. He and Dr. 

Sadigh wasted little time in laying the groundwork for yet another international site for our global health 

program. This past month, we signed a memorandum of understanding with the Minister of Health in Armenia. 

Armenia’s rich medical traditions date back almost 3,000 years as they are an inseparable part of its culture. We 

look forward to collaborating with generations of Armenian physicians whose deep knowledge of the curative 

properties of plants and minerals will add a unique dimension to our program. Partnering with the ministry of 

health will ensure a durable commitment that will benefit our students and faculty as well as theirs. 

I look forward to 2023 and the new ideas that will inevitably emerge and take shape both here and through our 

collaboration, around the world. 

John M. Murphy, MD 

President and CEO of Nuvance Health 

Before concluding my remarks, I would like to take a moment to share my profound gratitude to our donors 

who have made this program a reality including Christian Trefz and family, Pablito Almira and family, Rudy 

Ruggles, Anne Roby, Lisa Esneault and Linde. You have made all the difference! 

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9

Over the course of the last three years, we have lived through a worldwide pandemic 

that, paradoxically, has both driven us to periods of isolation and, at the same time, 

underscored how issues of health care bind together communities across the world. 

And thanks to Zoom and other video-conferencing options, we have learned lessons 

of equity and inclusion that will allow us to use remote options even when some of us 

can make a trip to visit in person. 

Throughout this challenging time, Dr. Majid Sadigh, the Christian J. Trefz Family Endowed 

Chair in Global Health, and his colleagues here at The Robert Larner, M.D. College of 

Medicine at the University of Vermont and our partners in clinical education, Nuvance 

Health in Connecticut, have worked tirelessly, and have not only maintained an extensive 

global health network that spans multiple continents, but have strengthened and 

broadened the program. 

Many stories and reflections are presented in this report. A frequent theme is the effect 

of COVID-19 across the globe, including tales of adversity and achievement, as well as 

of devastating loss and disparity of resources. This underscores the importance of approaching 

health care as a worldwide system based on shared human experience and 

common principles. The voices in these pages include learners at many levels, approaching 

both new and chronic challenges with fresh eyes and imagination. I look forward to 

the impact they will bring during their careers. 

As always, I am grateful for the many people who stand behind our partnership in global 

health, particularly Dr. John Murphy, President and CEO of Nuvance Health, for his friendship 

and dedication to these efforts. And, of course, great thanks to Dr. Sadigh, the founder 

of this program, whose hand has guided these efforts for over a decade. 

The Global Health Program has demonstrated an ability to work with new circumstances, 

and to use technology to maintain and increase bonds built among caregivers throughout 

the world. Let us hope that in this next year conditions across the globe will continue 

to improve, as we begin to move into the next phase of strengthening our networks—increasing 

engagement and connection with an expanding global community. 

Richard L. Page, MD 

Dean, UVM Larner College of Medicine 

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11

Dereck DeLeon, MD 

Chief Academic Officer of Nuvance Health 

Mariah McNamara, MD 

Associate Director, Global Health Program, UVMLCOM 

“Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in healthcare is the most 

shocking and inhumane.” 

This quote from Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. is as timely today as it 

was when he first shared it. 

As the new Chief Academic Officer at Nuvance Health, I am committed 

to transforming care by transforming knowledge. 

One of the most exciting aspects of my new role is being able to 

partner with our amazing Global Health Program, led by Dr. Majid 

Sadigh in his quest to make a difference. 

His vision is clear, it is a call to action for us all to change the 

inequalities and injustices we see not only in our own communities 

but in every community…. .To me this is what Global Health is about. 

Knowledge allows for personal empowerment. Empowered 

providers and patients can actively collaborate and achieve better 

health outcomes together. Sharing that knowledge can shift 

healthcare in an entire community. 

The opportunity to look back and reflect on the year that has 

passed is a gift. Much has changed in healthcare and in our 

communities over the past few years. Some of our close friends 

and colleagues have moved on or taken on new roles. Through this 

time of change there remain some constants that have continued 

to guide and warm me along the way. 

Our students’ energy, commitment to our profession, and desire 

to do this good work better will always inspire me. Our friendships 

across borders and over time sustain us. Truly, the opportunity to 

work with leaders such as our partners in national and international 

sites will be something I can point to as critical to my career’s 

meaning and the small contribution that I ultimately make in this 

ocean of need. It was a joy to return to Uganda this summer with our 

students and feel the warm welcome once more. More than a dozen 

students are ready to follow and learn and grow as they prepare for 

the expanding opportunities to connect and reconnect in 2023. The 

gift of remembering helps me continue the work of dreaming and 

creating a future that will empower our next generation of global 

health leaders. It is an honor to share this with our global health 

family. 

The unique aspects of this Global Health Program include the 

inclusion of learners and physicians at many levels of training and 

practice to build a true pipeline of development. Also through the 

bidirectional exchange of knowledge and experience between 

health care professionals our Global Health Academy can help to 

inform how we can collectively close health equity gaps. 

I stand in awe of the work currently done and am even more excited 

about the future of the Global Health Program. 

Dr. Sadigh has developed an internationally renowned program 

through which we can make lasting and sustainable change. 

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13

Stephen Winter, MD 

Robyn Scatena, MD 

Executive Director of PT Teaching Academy and Director of Nuvance 

Health Global Health Program at Norwalk Hospital 

Three years ago we settled into the realization that there would be no 

quick ending to the pandemic. Our ability to execute one of the main 

functions of a Global Health program, to directly expose students, 

trainees and junior faculty to systems of care and cultures around 

the world, would be shut down completely for an undefined time, 

probably measured in years. We discussed plans to hibernate the 

program without closing it down, a process we feared could become 

permanent. To my surprise and delight, what followed on our website 

and journal, was a vibrant international exchange of challenges and 

successes during the pandemic, revealing the resiliency and emotional 

and intellectual depth of our global partnership. This culminated 

with the United Nations sponsored symposium centered around the 

modern expressions of colonization and the need for those of us in the 

global north to confront this issue and develop interventions around 

decolonization. The frank, open and at times, painful call to arms was 

at a level of honesty that could only occur between trusting friends. It 

was a powerful shout out for change. 

As I prepare to return to Vietnam to help support the de-hibernation 

of our student and global scholars program, I hope that we remember 

the challenges raised during the pandemic and the urgency to act. 

The Nuvance Global Health Program is poised for very important 

growth in the next year. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, the many 

international relationships established allowed for international 

exchange of ideas and clinical practice. During the pandemic, our visits 

were put on hold but our conversations continued and flourished. As 

we resume international visits, we have the opportunity to build on 

these foundations. We will leverage our existing relationships and 

capabilities to support continued scholarly collaboration across 

nations. An opportunity I am particularly excited about is connecting 

the Nuvance Health Patricia A. Tietjen, MD Teaching Academy with 

clinical educators at partner institutions. Our existing relationship 

with ChoRay Hospital and our developing relationship with the 

University of Medicine and Pharmacy’s Medical Center, both in Ho 

Chi Minh City, Vietnam, provide fertile grounds for this collaboration. 

Together with our global partners, we will engage in challenging work 

to advance both practice and scholarship around clinical education, 

generating new ideas and enhanced practices to benefit Nuvance 

and partner institutions. 

14 ANNUAL REPORT 2022 


15

Sister Jane Frances Nakafeero 

Director of St. Francis Naggalama Hospital, Uganda 

Professor 

Chiratidzo E Ndhlovu, M Med Sci (Clin Epi), FRCP 

Associate Professor of Medicine, University of Zimbabwe 

Preparedness and Survival Through the COVID-19 

Pandemic 

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. 

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. 

Coming Out of Hibernation 

The University of Zimbabwe (UZ) and NVH/UVMLCOM Global 

Health Partnership has been relatively dormant since the onset of 

the COVID-19 pandemic. Due to various periods of lockdowns, UZ 

has neither been hosting global health visitors nor encouraging 

such visits. 

We have, however, been grateful for the continued receipt of the 

Global Health Diaries blog and e-Magazine. The various links that 

kept us updated on COVID-19 issues were very welcome. We shared 

these resources with our colleagues on-the-ground. 

The invitation to join the panel sessions at the Consortium of 

Universities for Global Health (CUGH) and United Nations General 

Assembly Science Summit to discuss decolonizing global health 

topics was much appreciated and got our university recognition in 

these dialogues and hopefully a path for continued involvement. I 

was also invited to be on the Tea with Africa webinar series at The 

George Institute for Global Health in Sydney, Australia following 

CUGH. 

Now that COVID-19 appears to be under control and our healthcare 

facilities are fully operational, we look forward to resuscitating global 

health visits. We already have students coming to UZ in February 

2023. 



17

Andrea Green, MD 

Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Global Health in Department of 

Pediatrics at UVMLCOM 

Susan Byekwaso, MM 

Coordinator of the International Program at MakCHS 

The Gift of Multilingualism 

It is a humbling experience to be unable to understand the 

conversation going on around you. As a native English speaker, I am 

privileged that so many people world-wide speak my language. I do 

my best to learn a few words in other languages, but like a toddler 

I am limited to single words - greetings, yes and no, and the words 

for fever, diarrhea and vomiting. I cannot carry on a conversation. 

The field of medicine has its own language, a vocabulary we learn to impress our professors, to be concise on 

rounds, to appear well-read, prepared and knowing when we graduate. It is a language that holds us separate from 

our patients even when we speak the same native tongue. It is the language of medicine that unites physicians 

across borders. 

I think about the limits of my English and about the limits of my medical vocabulary. The Inuit of northern Canada 

have 12 words for snow. (https://www.thecanadianencyclopedia.ca/en/article/inuktitut-words-for-snow-and-ice ) 

From experience, I know that the squeaky snow under my feet means it is very cold outside and that the large wet 

snow will make a great snowman but I have only one word in English for snow. Every snowflake is unique and 

so is the life of each human being. Psychological experiences are complex; the DSM V compiles symptoms into 

words like depression and anxiety. I wonder often if this is a space that English too lacks enough words for the 

human experience. Betancourt’s research has found that communities may have their own terms for maladaptive 

syndromes; for example, badmaas in Nepali and aasiwaalidin in MaiMai, the Somali Bantu language, are terms 

that describe youth who are angry, get in fights, bully, and disobey parents (Betancourt 2015). 

Moving Forward with the Global Health Program 

Makerere University is celebrating 100 years of service to 

humanity—a feat that was made possible through the partnerships 

with institutions of higher learning like Nuvance Health. With the 

mission of improving the health of Ugandans through innovative 

teaching, research, and provision of services responsive to societal 

needs, there is a need for renewed commitment to collaborations 

and their greatest strength: human resources. 

Nuvance Health has over eight institutions involved in health professions training in Uganda, five of which are 

with Makerere University College of Health Sciences in addition to the Schools of Medicine, Biomedical Sciences, 

Public Health, and Dentistry. All have untapped human resources in the form of faculty, administrators, residents, 

and students that can work together within the mandate of the university: teaching, learning, research, and 

service to the community. 

In the coming year, we are determined to create in-person and virtual curriculum for everyone interested in global 

health toward raising awareness among faculty while boosting trust and morale among stakeholders. Objectives 

will be set for Rudy Ruggles Scholars in Global Mental Health and Global Emergency Medicine Scholars. 

I am grateful for conversations with my non-English speaking immigrant patients and with my global health 

colleagues. They share words that confer new ideas and new perspectives for me but that represent rooted and 

grounded traditions for them. It is through them that the lens of my medical practice grows, that my view is wider, 

my options expanded and hopefully, the care I provide better. 

Asante, Gracias, Dhanyabaad, Weebale Nnyo, Cám ơn, Nakurmiik 

Betancourt, T.S., Frounfelker, R., Mishra, T., Hussein, A. and Falzarano, R., 2015. Addressing health disparities in the 

mental health of refugee children and adolescents through community-based participatory research: A study in 2 

communities. American Journal of Public Health, 105(S3), pp.S475-S482. 

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19

Mary Shah, MLS, AHIP 

Medical Librarian & Archivist at Norwalk Hospital 

Wendi Cuscina, BS, CPM, PACT 

Manager of the Global Health Program 

Inclusion, Equity, and Diversity 

Institutions are increasingly emphasizing the need for inclusion, 

equity, and diversity. 

One could make the argument that in the financial sector, it 

strengthens group dynamics and cohesion while resulting in stronger 

decisions and increased profit margins with greater employee and 

customer engagement. One could make the argument for diversity from the question of biology: that a larger 

gene pool increases the chance of survival and protects the species as well as the environment on which the 

species depends. For me, it is the right thing to do. I was raised to revere Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. and practice 

connecting with people based on the content of their character. I have also been on the receiving end of hatred 

because of this practice. Instead of discouraging me, this confrontation has strengthened my resolve. I believe 

that I have an obligation to do what I can to make sure that if someone is affected by a decision, they have input 

and control over the process. In hearing more perspectives, I learn more and can take a larger view. 

Rather than blindly accept the classic status of Albert Camus’ “The Stranger” about a French man who murders 

an unnamed Algerian, I learn more about humanity from Kamel Daoud’s “The Meursault Investigation” which 

details the same murder from the perspective of that murder victim’s brother. Rather than read Wilbur Smith’s 

“Cry Wolf” about three westerners trying to save Ethiopians from the Italian invasion during World War II, I gain 

greater insight from reading Maaza Mengiste’s “The Shadow King,” a fictionalized account of what the Ethiopians 

did to try to overcome the invasion of the Italians. 

We mustn’t blindly accept everything from another person’s perspective. It is essential that we listen to one 

another with trust and respect. In making this connection, we will—as the African proverb states—go further 

together. 

A Vision for Justice: 

A Need to Overhaul Global Health Policy 

Every time you turn around, there is a new advertisement, a 

new article, a new effort to embrace health equity, diversity, and 

inclusion; to implement these ideals into our daily lives at work, 

school, and athletics; to eradicate bias regardless of race, creed, 

sexual orientation, and gender bias. Why then does access to 

equitable quality healthcare remain segregated and non-inclusive 

across the globe? 

There exists a demanding need to overhaul the foundations of Public Health policy into Global Health policy. In 

2021, 650,000 people died from AIDS-related deaths, with African countries accounting for eight of the top ten 

countries. Yet Uganda and Kenya have the lowest rates of access to the AIDS antiviral medications. Approximately 

1.7 million deaths resulted from tuberculosis – Africa’s incident rate is 2.4 million, while low-burden countries 

like the US and Great Britain have fewer than 10 cases per 100,000 population. COVID vaccine distribution and 

availability vary widely from country to country – close to 700 million doses have been made available in the US, 

yet Zimbabwe has only 12 million, Armenia 2 million, and Haiti only 512,00 doses. 

Do these statistics sound fair and just? If one community is at risk, it makes the whole world vulnerable. It can no 

longer be viewed as “their diseases, their issues”, but rather embraced as “our diseases, our issues.” We need to 

address health policy globally because global health affects everyone, everywhere. 

How do we move forward to eliminate inequality? As advocates of equitable global health, we must use our voices 

to affect systemic change on the local, national, and international stages. We must engage and collaborate with 

government leaders, healthcare agencies, and academia to drive this agenda forward. Our voices must be loud 

enough and our presence strong enough to not be ignored. Our vision for true comprehensive reform must be at 

the forefront of all discussion and decision making regarding public health. We can no longer turn a blind eye to 

injustice. 

Let us be the leaders in carrying the torch to positively affect global health policy. Let us be the role models that 

truly embrace health equity, diversity, and inclusion. Let us seek justice for all humankind. 

“Let us stand in solidarity. Not to a specific country, race, or religion, but rather to HUMANITY.” 



21

Mitra Sadigh 

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

Amanda Wallace 

Creative Editor 

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? 

Effective Communication Through Art 

When designing publications for the Global Health Program in 

2022, I tried to keep in mind the goals and target audience of the 

program. I wanted the designs to be visually appealing and easy to 

understand, as well as flexible and adaptable to different formats 

such as print and digital to ensure that the publications could be 

easily accessed and shared by people around the world. I also 

wanted the designs to be culturally sensitive. 

Overall, the goal of each design has been to effectively communicate key messages and information about the 

Global Health Program in a way that engages and informs the audience. 

With the opening of the Global Health Academy in 2023, I hope to create many more materials that will help 

drive positive change and improve the health of communities globally. The academy will be a hub of learning 

and exchange where students from diverse cultural and educational backgrounds will come together to share 

knowledge and ideas. Capturing this knowledge through publications, videos, and other mediums will be a 

challenge that I am looking forward to in the coming year. 

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. 



23

Global Health Bridge 



25

Audree Frey, MPH 

Coordinator of the Global Health Program at UVMLCOM 

Krystal Gopaul 

UVMLCOM Class of 2024 

Global Health Bridge Week for the 

Class of 2023 at UVMLCOM 

The First Global Health Bridge at Nuvance Health 

Given my past global health experiences, I expected to simply reinforce my 

knowledge through this course but our faculty offered a unique and refreshing 

perspective that I had never heard. The program began with a lecture on 

global health and social disparities, which was followed by a workshop 

on decolonization of global health that centered on the history of colonization as the root cause of health 

inequalities and the current state of developing countries. This session featured first-hand experiences from 

physicians and other professionals in Uganda and Zimbabwe. 

The program then shifted focus to individuals in our own backyard in Danbury, Connecticut. A Latinx panel 

represented by community leaders from a variety of Latin American countries shared their experiences 

navigating the healthcare system and gave tips on what we can do to promote health in their community. 

The Global Health Bridge course was held from January 31 - February 3, 2022 for University of Vermont medical 

students in the class of 2023. The students were highly engaged and enthusiastic about the topics, making for an 

impactful and enjoyable week for all participants. 

Our final day highlighted a talk on Chagas disease from a leading physician and researcher from the University 

of Florida, Dr. Norman Beatty, and a panel titled “Global Health as a Career” with panelists from Yale University, 

the University of Florida, UVMLCOM/Nuvance Health as well as students from our own class. 

Here is the link to the program: https://www.globalhealthbridge.net/ 



27

Elvis Novas 

Advisor for the Dominican Community Center and member of the Board of Directors of 

Housatonic Habitat for Humanity, Danbury, CT 

The Latinx Panel 

The panel was represented by excellent members of our Danbury Latinx community 

who answered healthcare-related questions about their experiences, needs, and 

reflections on the Latinx community. We spoke about how to better understand 

our Latinx community, the characteristics of its members, the diversity within it, trust building between health 

professionals and Latinx patients, the stigmas that affect our community, the resources/medical services 

available, access to those resources, and the role of health professionals in the community. 

Jett Choquette, UVMLCOM Class of 2023 and panel moderator, with members of the panel on Latinx community 

at the first Global Health Bridge at Nuvance Health. 



29

Global Health Narrative 

Medicine Class 

Megan E. Prue, BS 

Medical Student at Larner College of Medicine at the University of Vermont 

A work of fiction is a work of the imagination that moves the reader to better 

understand the other and the self. In medical school we learn that the solution 

to the patient’s problem is found in history. Listening to the history, or reading 

history in novels, allows the physician to create differential diagnoses. But even 

more so it is therapeutic and allows the patient narrator to be seen and truly 

heard. Narrative Medicine allows us to be healers of mind and body. “I will tell 

these stories … I speak to you because I cannot help it… I am alive and you are 

alive so we must fill the air with our words.” (What is the What pg 535). 


Professor of Pediatrics and Director of Global Health in Department of Pediatrics at UVMLCOM 

A New Elective in Global Health 

The Larner College of Medicine offers a novel four-week reading elective on Global Health 

Narrative Medicine. The elective allows medical students to explore the lives of immigrants 

and learn about key topics of global health without leaving their homes. Themes of the 

course were explored through a mixture of fiction andmemoir complemented with journal 

articles. At the end of each reading, students wrote ashort reflection on the assigned reading 

and its accompanying articles. Individual and group discussions of the readings encouraged 

cultural curiositiy, self-discovery and rich conversations. A poster describing the creation of 

the Global Health Narrative Medicine Elective was awarded the Lancet Education Student 

prize at CUGH in 2022. 

Here are reflections from two students who participated in this course in 2022. 

Brittany L. Gilmore 


I am not usually a poet, but I felt compelled to abandon my previous plan and 

write something about the role of women and girls around the world after 

reading the news of universities being closed to women in Afghanistan. The 

struggle of women is vast, complicated, and unique depending on location 

and circumstance. But what seems to draw those experiences together is the 

strength of women. One of the reasons I love Obstetrics & Gynecology is having 

the privilege of seeing and celebrating this strength every day, be it on Labor 

& Delivery, oncology, or the clinic when discussing matters such as intimate 

partner violence or female genital mutilation. I hope the poem on the next page 

conveys those feelings appropriately. 

A Global Health Narrative Medicine Book Club continues after the elective. The most recent 

read is As Long As the Lemon Trees Grow by Zoulfa Katouh, a Syrian author who explores 

the many traumas experienced by Syrians and reminds us of the power of story to keep us 

engaged in caring for people worldwde. 

30 



31

Never Underestimate the Power and Strength of Women 

Written by Brittany L. Gilmore 


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. 

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. 

Mark Oet 


What’s in a Name 

It’s pronounced “Oh-et,” like ‘Poet’ 

(I hate writing though—too permanent, public, private) 

Yes, it’s made-up 

(It’s a long story but my dad was a refugee and architect) 

I’m Russian, not really, but my parents are from the former Soviet Union 

(his old name wasn’t Russian; it was very Jewish) 

Don’t worry, I get this question a lot 

(and did you know ‘Poiesis’ is the Greek root for creation?) 

I suppose I like it—it is my name 

(we’re not Greek though) 

You’re right, it makes a good story 

(I’m getting tired of explaining) 

I wonder about his old name 

(Who would I be?) 

—Was it selfish to cut off the past 

(He lost our history) 

And was the new one better? 

(Is it fair to be angry…) 

You’re right, he didn’t choose his birth-name either 

(It was brave to start again) 

And now my name has a meaning 

(This story is our history) 

Oet is like poet is like ‘poiesis’—to make new 

(My siblings changed their names and so could I) 

It sets intentions for the future, for growth 

(but I like my name—I think I’ll keep it) 

Anyway, it’s nice to meet you 

(Thank you) 

I’ll be taking care of you this visit 

(I wonder what’s in your name) 



33

Alumni 

Global Local 

Albert Trondin, MD 

Omkar Betageri, MD 

Christina B. Gunther; Ed.D. 

Jett Choquette 

Neurosurgeon, San Carlos Clinical Hospital, 

Madrid, Spain 

UVMLCOM alumnus 

Chair & Assistant Professor, Department of Health 

Sciences at Sacred Heart University & Director, Global 

Health Programs, Sacred Heart University 


I Hope to See My Parents Soon 

These last two years were important for me 

because I finished my residency. I started working 

at night and just a few months ago became a part 

of the department. I enthusiastically look forward 

to working hard and continuing to learn more and 

more. There is a long way to go! 

My Global Health Roots – From 

the Larner School of Medicine 

Towards the Future 

During medical school at the Larner College of 

Medicine at the University of Vermont, I was chosen 

to participate in a global health elective where 

I traveled to Parirenyatwa Hospital in Harare, 

Zimbabwe during my first year and Makerere 

University Hospital in Kampala, Uganda during 

my fourth year. These experiences during medical 

school became far more than isolated learning 

opportunities. The patients and their stories have 

served as the backbone of my continued interest in 

global health and the care of the underserved. 

Sacred Heart University 

Partnerships in global health often ebb and 

flow depending on environmental and political 

influences. Prior to the pandemic, Sacred Heart 

University’s partnership with the Nuvance Health/ 

UVMLCOM Global Health Program focused on 

knowledge exchange through student and faculty 

travel abroad. The pandemic put a stop to the 

travel, of course, but not the knowledge exchange. 

Access to digital tools proved vital. We are now 

able to resume travel, but we learned a valuable 

lesson during our time at home. Institutional and 

individual support is crucial to the continuation of 

global knowledge exchange and capacity building. 

Partnership with the Dominican 

Community Center of Danbury, CT 

Language and cultural barriers may prevent 

community members from getting the services they 

need to maintain their health. The organization 

is also dedicated to improving health literacy, 

youth development, and supporting elders in their 

community. 

It is our hope that by providing education about key 

health topics and acting as a connection between 

the Dominican community and Nuvance Health, we 

can improve community health. We also hope to 

form a youth group centered on youth leadership 

development, with mentoring pairs between 

youth and elders to connect the community across 

generations. 



35

Jonathan Melk MD FAAP 

CEO, Chiricahua Community Health Centers 

(CCHCI) Inc, Douglas, Arizona 

The Ribbon Cutting Ceremony for 

the Dominican Community Center’s 

First Office Space 

The DCC has been serving Latinx communities in Danbury for 

many years, however they have not had an official office space 

until now. The DCC members have many dreams for their new 

space. Please join us in congratulating all those whose work 

made the opening of the new office possible! 

Chiricahua Community Health Centers, Inc, 

Douglas, Arizona 

2021 Report from the Desert: “Borderlands Infectious Disease Prevention Program” 

Epidemiologically, border communities are one single community, and the reality is that Cochise 

County, Arizona and Sonora, Mexico are separated only by a metal barrier and two different political 

systems. 

To address this challenge, CCHCI wrote for and received a grant from the global nonprofit Direct 

Relief through funding from the Pfizer Foundation. The goal of the grant is to establish a “Borderlands 

Infectious Disease Prevention Program.” Over the two-year grant period, CCHCI is working to build a 

robust and sustainable infectious disease surveillance, prevention and treatment program guided 

by both external and internal data that will incorporate all of CCHCI delivery sites and staff. The 

program will incorporate collaboration with both Mexican and United States public health entities. 

This data-based program will establish consultation and oversight by CCHCI clinicians as well 

as regional infectious disease and public health experts from both sides of the border. Finally, 

CCHCI will seek to document, publish, and present our approach and outcomes for other border 

communities (on the US/Mexico border or elsewhere) to learn from and to replicate. 


NUVANCE HEALTH AND THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT LARNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE 37

Randee Welck, MD 

PGY-2 at St. Anthony Family Medicine in Oklahoma City, OK 

Graduated from AUC 

Border Medicine in Arizona 

Chiricahua Community Health Institute serves Cochise County, Arizona which includes the town of 

Douglas in the Sonoran Desert, an area of the country that for many years was a peaceful territory 

where families thrived with one foot on each side of the Mexico/U.S. border. The reality is different 

now. A WSJ article reported a record number of apprehensions were made this fiscal year at the 

Southern border, and CNN recently reported that 750 human beings have died on their journey. 

Driving to my assigned sites was unnerving at times. White Border Patrol trucks with green lettering 

seem to be every fifth vehicle on the roads in Cochise County, many of them with handcuffed groups 

of migrants sitting on the ground by the side of the road in the 100-degree heat. 

Welcome Puerto Rico! 

Collaboration with a Medical 

Institution in Puerto Rico 

It is a unique part of the country with an impoverished patient population that Chiricahua has 

dedicated its mission to serving. 

On April 13, 2022, Nuvance Health Global Health and San Juan City Hospital (El Hospital 

Municipal de San Juan) in Puerto Rico forged a new alliance with Drs. Jesus Casal, 

Ricardo Fernando, and Majid Sadigh, and I setting the foundation for next steps. Both 

parties will collaborate to enrich their medical education programs in the context of 

global health and improve medical care through innovative approaches in education 

of our healthcare providers. Drs. Casal and Fernando will soon identify the point person 

for business matters and are currently compiling a “get to know us” packet that will 

provide valuable information on the facilities, culture, and dynamics in Puerto Rico. In 

the near future, representatives from the Nuvance Health Global Health Program will 

arrange a short site-visit to Puerto Rico, after which Drs. Casal and Fernando will visit 

Nuvance Health. 

Wendi Cuscina 




39

CUBA 

INDIA 

Datta Meghe Institute of 

Medical Science (DMIMS) 

Outside of my father’s childhood home 

From left: Dr. Syed Zahiruddin Quazi (Director, Research and Development, 

DMIMS-DU), Dr. Abhay Gaidhane (Dean, Jawaharlal Nehru 

Medical College, DMIMS-DU) and Dr. Swapnil Parve (Director of 

International Affairs, NVHGHP). 

To Practice Medicine In A Place That Was So 

Foreign Yet So Familiar 

Practicing medicine in a place that was so foreign yet so familiar was the experience of a lifetime. 

I connected with my roots more deeply, met incredible physicians who taught me so much, 

and became more aware of the plurality of healthcare systems. 

Dr. Swapnil Parve, Director of International Affairs 

of the Global Health Program accompanied 

medical students and residents at the program’s 

new partner institution, Datta Meghe Institute of 

Medical Sciences (DU) in India. 

Melissa Alvarez, MD 

Cardiovascular Disease Fellow, PGY-V, Danbury Hospital 



41

Liana Galimova, MD 

My Global Health Elective Experience in India 

Some of the warmest memories are from a joint birthday celebration for me 

and another global health participant. The celebration started with members 

of administration, the research center staff, and neighbors coming to the hostel 

with balloons. In line with local tradition, they smeared cake on my face. In the 

afternoon, we continued celebrating at the research center, together with the 

administration. We listened to live music and had a small feast in the balloondecorated 

office. I was happy to share the day with such a friendly company, 

which was like a family for me. It was nice that all the professors and residents 

joined the celebration. 

THAILAND 

Dr. Scholand during his recent short visit to Thailand had the opportunity to meet with Dr. Prachyapan Petchuay (Dr. Menn) 

During dinner at Dr. Gaidhane’s house. Dr. Gaidhane and his daughter Gauri with traditional Tatar hats. In the back, 

Dr. Punit Fulzele and Dr. S. Z. Quazi 



43

UGANDA 

Rudy L. Ruggles, Jr. 

A Former Member of Danbury Hospital’s Board of Directors 

Krista Buckley, MD 

Assistant Professor, Director of Global Mental Health Program 

Robert Larner College of Medicine at UVM 

This year the Global Health Program is graduating its first cohort of 

Ruggles Scholars sponsored by Rudy Ruggles through the Nuvance Global 

Health Program. This is a scholarship that helps support residents during 

their psychiatry training at Makerere University in Kampala, Uganda. In a 

country where there are plenty of buildings for mental health but only 53 

psychiatrists to serve a country of 45 million, it is a valuable investment to 

try to better meet the mental health needs of a country. We are excited to 

see the difference these Ruggles scholars will make! 

Global Mental Health 

A successful Global Health Program has both geographic 

outreach, and interpersonal connections—common 

intellectual focus, diverse cultural perspectives. The 

name, Global Health Program, sounds grandiose, however 

large the program is. Instead, to me it conveys openness 

and resolve. Particularly in the realm of Global Mental 

Health, cultural norms rather than clinical differences 

are the primary impediments to treatment. Under these 

conditions, collaboration through, for example the 

Nuvance Health Global Health Program, provides perhaps 

the most direct results. The geographically and culturally 

remote partner understands, and can share, the kinds of 

barriers that inhibit engaging with professionals. If mental 

illness is believed to be due to ‘being possessed’ and the 

shaman having the power to intervene, the barrier is high, 

but not insurmountable. 

Here, the collective understanding of these conditions, and 

the pooling of experience, can be particularly effective. In 

circumstances where access to modern mental health 

professionals is difficult, it is here where each trained 

clinician can make the greatest difference. 

Dr. Claire Kwagala explaining her research findings during JASHC, 

Munyonyo Uganda 



Rudy Ruggles Global Mental Health 

The COVID-19 pandemic and the rapidly increasing population in Uganda 

have increased the gap in available healthcare providers. The Nuvance 

Health Global Health Program particularly has continued to support building 

human capacity by supporting residents in the Department of Psychiatry 

at MakCHS. This is done with an objective of increasing the number of 

scholarly promising psychiatrists in the nation. During the year 2022, three 

new residents were selected as Ruggles Scholars in Global Mental Health to 

increase the number of scholars to six residents. The entire 

cost of living and education was covered by a generous 

gift from Rudy Ruggles. This gift enabled the six global 

mental health scholars to concentrate on their studies 

and provide care to patients in the teaching hospital of 

Mulago and Butabika Hospital without being burdened 

by the cost of living and education. 

The first cohort of Ruggles Scholars were able to present 

their research projects at the Joint Annual Scientific 

Conference (JASHC) in September 2022 in Uganda. The 

three scholars were able to successfully complete their 

training and are awaiting graduation in February 2023. 



45

Rudy Ruggles Scholars in Global Mental Health 

On March 13th during a Zoom meeting with Professor Noeline Nakasujja, Head of MakCHS Psychiatry Department; 

Dr. Dickens Akena, MakCHS Psychiatry Department; Dr. Judith Lewis, Director of the UVMLCOM Resident Training 

Program; Dr. Majid Sadigh, Director Nuvance Health/UVMLCOM GHP; and Ms. Susan Byekwaso, Coordinator of 

International Programs at MakCHS, the MakCHS psychiatry residents Dr. Agaba Denis, Dr. Wamala Denis, and Dr. 

Penelope-Emma Tukasingura Kiremire were awarded Rudy Ruggles Global Mental Health Scholarships. 

Robert Kalyesubula, MD 

Founder of the African Community Center for Social Sustainability (ACCESS) 

How to Offer a Mutual and Reciprocal Learning 

Environment 

We partner with individuals and institutions alike to address the needs of our 

community. For example, until 2016 Nakaseke had no child development 

schooling for children under the age of five. We worked with one individual: 

16-year-old Grace Herrick, a visiting high school student from Connecticut, USA 

who identified this as a key need. She established Grace’s Promise which has 

already graduated 230 pupils to join primary school and has garnered support 

from international NGOs like ELMA Philanthropies, Segal Family Foundation, 

and IZUMI. 

Dr. Penelope-Emma 

Tukasingura Kiremire 

Dr. Agaba Denis 

Dr. Wamala Denis 

Congratulations to the New Rudy Ruggles Global Mental Health Scholars 

Our goal is to offer a mutual and reciprocal learning environment in which there’s a respectful exchange between 

what we offer and what we learn from our visitors. By learning our culture and language, visitors gain a deeper 

understanding of who we are and are therefore less likely to misuse their ‘knowledge’ and skills in harmful ways. We 

teach them how to conduct clinical exams and make home visits in the villages where patients and other vulnerable 

people live so that they can experience the entire spectrum of health and its determinants. Along with offering 

simple local language lessons, our hope is to bring out the human touch through authentic and culturally sensitive 

interactions with our beneficiaries. We have also had six of our faculty visit the USA and Germany for two weeks 

through a bilateral exchange program. We agree that this time may not be optimal for us and we are in discussions 

with our collaborators to fund longer periods to help with human capacity building of our team members. 

“There is a candle in your heart, ready to be kindled. 

There is a void in your soul, ready to be filled. 

You feel it, don’t you?” 

- Rumi 

Grace’s Promise 



47

Grace Herrick 

Grace’s Promise: Early Childhood Education 

in Nakaseke, Uganda 

Hossein Akbari MD, MSc 

Faculty, Nuvance Health Global Health Academy 

Katanga Slum 

Grace Herrick graduated from the University of Connectictut’s Honors Program 

with a degree in global health in May 2021. Since then, she has worked as an 

EMT for Nuvance Health Network. She continues to work on Grace’s Promise, 

Inc. and is currently applying to medical school. 

While education is free in Uganda, the books, fees, and uniforms are not. Without these resources, one cannot attend. 

Even with them, many children struggle to stay in school for lack of preparation. Grace’s Promise, a 501©3, partnered 

with the African Center for Social Sustainability (ACCESS) in 2016 to develop an early childhood school program. The 

program first ran out of the Nursing School on Saturdays with an initial enrollment of sixty. Through fundraising, a 

permanent structure was built to allow daily attendance. The land surrounding the school was cleared for planting 

crops to help provide meals. Meanwhile, the program gave parents the opportunity to develop income-generating 

skills while the children were in school. Parents received interest-free microloans to start businesses based on their 

skills to pay for school fees once their children matriculated into kindergarten from the preschool program. 

Katanga slums are located in the middle of Uganda’s capital, Kampala, 

between Makerere University and Mulago National Referral Hospital. The 

city has a population of around 5,000, of which two-thirds do not have a 

national identity card. 

There are many health concerns in this area. Residents only have access to 

ten toilets in total, for which they must pay, meaning unhygienic defecation 

and urination practices are common, due to a severe scarcity of toilets—ten 

in total for 5,000 people—for which residents must pay to use. 

Furthermore, tap water throughout Uganda must be boiled before use, but 

almost 90% of residents in the Katanga slums cannot afford to purchase 

fuel for boiling and sanitizing water, making cholera a significant concern. 

With an average of seven family members, the average household income in Katanga is less than 10 USD per 

month, forcing everyone, regardless of age, to work to feed the family. 

“Children have the right to be children 

all over the world.” This clear notion in 

high-income countries is a fantasy here, 

as even survival is not guaranteed, let 

alone mental health, physical safety, 

and sexual and reproductive health 

and rights. 

Despite all these challenges, I reveled 

in watching children play football 

with something resembling a ball, 

screaming joyfully, feeling excitement, 

and living their lives. We enjoyed 

singing multiple songs and dancing 

with the children of “Katanga 4 Kids” 

projects. 

A family in Katanga 



49

Joanna Pierce 


Justin Henningsen, PhD 


Lessons Learned from Ugandan Women 

Meeting so many impressive female doctors here in Uganda has been 

very meaningful. This evening, for instance, I spoke with a female 

pediatric oncologist who joined us for dinner at the Luboga’s home. She 

shared similar encounters she had as a medical student and as a young 

doctor. It was encouraging to hear how she responded and ultimately 

excelled, securing her spot as one of only a few pediatric oncologists in 

all of Uganda. Knowing that she and other female doctors have endured 

similar challenges gives me reassurance and encouragement to finish 

the last week in a more positive light. Encountering these biases and 

speaking with women who have overcome them have helped me feel 

better prepared to navigate similar situations at home. 

Cultural Competency 

There was a period early in this century when “cultural competency” was 

an important buzzword. The zeitgeist seemed to focus on the idea that to 

understand a person, you must truly understand their culture. It seems 

so self-evident now how impossible, foolish even, such a task would be. 

We are all a product of our culture. It surrounds us, shaping our thoughts, 

emotions, and self-image. But what culture actually is—the stuff it is made 

of—is so abstract and amorphous that I think it is impossible to fully 

understand one’s own culture, let alone another. 

This brings me back to the idea of cultural humility. It is the recognition that 

people are a product of their cultures, along with the knowledge that we 

cannot fully understand the intricacies of another culture. Humility comes 

with a recognition that these differences exist and that one way is not better 

than another—just different. 

Bemen Habashi, MD 

Clinical Educator at the Yale-Waterbury Internal Medicine Residency Program 

Palliative Care 

I was invited to join the palliative outreach program for a visit. The services 

that they provide to care for these patients are amazing. They ensure to 

touch their patients on all levels: economically, socially, spiritually, and 

medically to provide comfort. All free of charge. It is fascinating to know 

that in a country like Uganda, with their limited medical resources, they 

do care for those patients who need some comfort due to the burden of 

terminal illness. Ironically, in the United States, we do not have palliative 

care services except for a few academic facilities that strive to make it an 

affordable and available service for their patients. 

Joanna with the medical team 



51

William Hsu 


Mwanamugimu Nutrition Clinic at Mulago 

John ( Jackson) Burke 


Absorbing My Surroundings 

The Mwanamugimu Nutrition Clinic at Mulago, composed of three separate 

units, treats children who are clinically malnourished. Many young children 

were suffering not only from malnutrition but also malaria, cerebral palsy, 

or other comorbidities. This was my first time seeing kwashiorkor and 

marasmus in children. I was able to participate in screening incoming 

children using z-scores from the World Health Organization, mid-upper arm 

circumference (MUAC), and presence of edema. Every child that came in to 

be screened was severely malnourished with MUAC scores within the red 

zone (below 11.5). 

When we made it to St. Francis Hospital, the whole hospital team rolled 

out the welcome wagon for us. On the first night, the head of the hospital 

,Sister Jane Francis, hosted a dinner with a group of the doctors. Our 

accommodations are immaculate. I feel spoiled here. The comfort and 

kindness of the people have made this adjustment process so much easier, 

allowing us to fully jump into our hospital days without issue. 

The clinics have been an incredible experience. In four days, I have seen a mother give birth, a woman with a 

herniated cervix, a c-section, an 89-year-old patient with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and 

pneumonia, children with sickle cell disease, many patients with malaria, and patients with HIV, just to name a few 

things. I am seeing, and therefore learning, an incredible amount that is helping me reinforce material I learned 

during my first year at school, which has been a godsend in light of my limited clinical experience. The medical 

team and my classmates provide strong support in overwhelming moments. I couldn’t have asked for a better 

group of people around me. 

Two years ago, I was sitting in my apartment in Boston wondering if I would ever get into medical school. There 

is no way I could have imagined that in two years’ time I would be in a global health rotation watching a cesarean 

section in Uganda. Life seems to move in mysterious ways, and I am grateful for this opportunity. 



53



Joshua Matsiko 

Medical Student at MakCHS 

The UVMLCOM Global Health 

Leadership and students in Uganda 

Dr. Mariah McNamara, Associate Director of the Global Health 

Program at UVMLCOM, and Dr. Andrea Green, Director of 

Global Health in the Department of Pediatrics at UVMLCOM 

traveled to Uganda with four rising second-year medical 

students. 

New Ebola Outbreak in the Republic of Uganda 

The country woke up in shock on the 20th of September as the first case 

of Ebola disease and epidemic were confirmed. This followed six deaths of 

unknown cause of people with Ebola symptoms, including four from a single 

family and a nurse who attended to them. 

Left to right: Dr. Andrea Green, Dr. Mariah McNamara, and Dr. Sabrina Bakeera 

Wendi Cuscina, Manager of the Global Health Program 

at Nuvance Health Visited Uganda 

Wendi Cuscina at St. Stephen Hospital, Kampala, Uganda 

Wonderful and progressive work is being accomplished at St. Francis Naggalama, St. Stephen’s, and the African 

Community Center for Social Sustainability (ACCESS). A broad array of services (OB/GYN, Oncology, Orthopedics, 

Pediatrics, Operating Room Theater, Dental, Tuberculosis) as well as an increase in diagnostic services are becoming 

more available. The community outreach program and the community healthcare workers operated by ACCESS 

is vital as it provides education and information to Nakaseke District while its mobile health clinic offers basic 

healthcare/vaccination services to an area where access to healthcare is near impossible. 

Sunrise over the town and hospital, Mubende, Uganda (Katrin Sadigh) 



55

VIETNAM 

ZIMBABWE 

Dilyara F. Nurkhametova, MD, PhD 

Nuvance Health/RUSM/AUC Global Health Program Director 

Shalote Rudo Chipamaunga, PhD 

Senior Lecturer, Department of Health Professions and 

Student Support, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, 

University of Zimbabwe 

The First Step to Restarting the Exchange 

Program with ChoRay Hospital in Vietnam 

& Majid Sadigh, MD 

Christian J. Trefz Family Endowed Chair in Global Health 

The Nuvance Health GH Program is ready to host and provide clinical 

training for candidates from ChoRay hospital starting from September 2022 

and beyond. 

We can accommodate training for six Vietnamese colleagues, two at a 

time, from September 2022 to September 2023, for a two- to three-month 

span. Since we are reopening the program after quite a while, there might 

be some delays for the first invitees. The training will be available in the 

medicine, pulmonary, cardiology, and intensive care unit departments. 

We are also hoping to restart six-week global health electives in Vietnam 

for our medical students. In addition to clinical training, our students will 

have a supplementary social and cultural curriculum to learn about the 

country and social determinants of health during their stay in Vietnam. We 

hope that our students can be accommodated at Rainbow Hotel, across 

the street from the ChoRay Hospital, as before. They will be welcomed by a 

representative from ChoRay Hospital, with transportation to and from the 

airport arranged by the hospital leadership. 

A Partnership to Promote the Role of Academia in Decolonizing Global Health 

Founded this year, University of Zimbabwe (UZ) Masters Degree in Health Professions Education (MScHPE) is 

an interactive and fully online two-year part-time program that is conjoined with the Nuvance Health Global 

Health Academy. The inaugural class consists of four first-year students with the qualifications of Masters in 

Physiotherapy, Doctor of Dental Surgery, Doctor of Obstetrics & Gynecology – Fetal Medicine Specialist, and 

PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences. 

The Global Health Academy training will begin with an online module titled “Transformation of HPE Systems” 

which includes a section on the decolonization of global health, as well as a few live-online global health 

sessions. The students will then be hosted in the United States for two weeks for networking with Nuvance 

Health faculty and further training in medical education. On completion of the program, students will be 

awarded a certificate and admitted into the Nuvance Health Global Health Academy as faculty members. 

Graduates will be able to teach medical students and other health professionals locally in their home country 

as well as in other countries as part of “Linde HealthCare Educators Without Borders” in the spirit of LMIC-LMIC 

collaboration. Following five years of progressive and successful work, these faculty members will have the 

chance to be promoted. As the program grows, further partnerships may be explored with other international 

universities. This growth will help attract greater and more highly qualified candidates to the UZ program while 

fostering supportive HMIC-LMIC collaborations. 

Moving forward, the team will continue to meet regularly and definitive dates will be put into place for the 

inaugural class to arrive at Nuvance Health sometime between March and May 2023. After the infusion of much 

thought and energy into the conceptual creation of the Global Health Academy, we are excited for this joint 

partnership with the University of Zimbabwe’s new Masters degree program. We believe that the strength of 

our partnership in bidirectionality, exchange, and creativity will prepare this inaugural class to spearhead the 

mission of both institutions with purpose and grace. 



57

CUGH 

A Partnership to Promote 

the Role of Academia in 

Decolonizing Global Health 

Founded this year, University of Zimbabwe 

(UZ) Masters Degree in Health Professions 

Education (MScHPE) is an interactive and 

fully online two-year part-time program 

that is conjoined with the Nuvance Health 

Global Health Academy. The inaugural class 

consists of four first-year students with the 

qualifications of Masters in Physiotherapy, 

Doctor of Dental Surgery, Doctor of Obstetrics 

& Gynecology – Fetal Medicine Specialist, and 

PhD in Rehabilitation Sciences. 

Wendi Cuscina 

The Winning Essay at CUGH 

“A Radical Act” 

Excerpt: 

“We cannot provide the breadth and depth 

of a global health experience in the virtual 

sphere any more than we can craft the nuanced, 

personalized lessons that a student on a global 

health elective would be faced with. But we 

can provide them with a platform on which to 

question how inequality came to be before they 

rush in to help fight it. We can encourage them to 

investigate the ways harmful legacies continue 

to propagate through our subconscious and the 

systems from which many of us benefit. We can 

awaken them to the abuse and mistrust from 

which global health emerged and currently 

inhabits so that they may someday truly connect 

with the populations they feel compelled to 

serve.” 

Mitra Sadigh 

Panel titled “Decolonizing Global Health at CUGH March 2022: 

The Path from Overshadowing to Illuminating” 

CUGH 

2023 

Global Health at a Crossroads: 

Equity, Climate Change and 

Microbial Threats 

Submitted Abstracts and Panel Proposals to CUGH-2023 

TITLE 

Creating a “Decolonization” Model in Global Health: An Evolving 

Practice 

Creating a Decolonizing Global Health Curriculum in 

Undergraduate Medical Education: A Collaboration Among Global 

Health Leaders and medical students in High- and Low-to-Middle- 

Income Countries 

Essential Global Health Curriculum in Undergraduate Medical 

Education Around the World 

Faculty Development Experience of Nuvance Health/University 

of Vermont Larner College of Medicine Global Health Program 

at ChoRay Hospital, Vietnam 

CUGH Conference Breakout Panel Proposal 

AUTHORS 

Mitra Sadigh, Swapnil Parve, Samuel 

Luboga, Marcos Núñez, Majid Sadigh 

Mary Shah, Mitra Sadigh, Joshua Matsiko, 

Shalote R. Chipamaunga Bamu, Samuel 

Luboga, Hossein Akbari & Majid Sadigh 

Kathy Ferra Pradas,Shalote 

Chipamaunga, Joshua Matsiko, Benjamin 

Ssemata, Pamela Gorejena, Stephen 

Scholand, Majid Sadigh 

Khoa D Duong, Nam T Nguyen, Uyen H 

Tran, Phuong L Hoang, Robyn N Scatena, 

Stephen M Winter, Majid Sadigh 

TITLE MODERATOR PANELISTS 

At this panel presentation, Professor Noeline 

Nakasujja spoke about Rudy Ruggles Global Health 

Scholars as an example of a program that is moving 

in a positive direction towards decolonization of 

global health. 

LMIC-HIC Medical Student 

Collaboration: Co-Creating a 

“Decolonizing” Global Health 

Curriculum & Fueling Student Activism 

Mitra Sadigh 

Mary Shah, Shalote Chipamaunga and 

Katherine Ferra Pradas 

Dr. Mariah McNamara (top left), professor Noeline Nakasujja (top 

right), professor Chiratidzo Ndhlovu (bottom left), and Mitra Sadigh 

(bottom right). 

Award and Competitions 

2021 CUGH Global Health Leadership Awards and 2023 Drs. Anvar and Pari Velji Awards for Global Health 

Excellence nominees 

Dr.Robert Kalyesubula - Velji Faculty Leader in Global Health Innovation 

Dr.Swapnil Parve - CUGH’s Dr. Thomas Hall-Dr. Nelson Sewankambo Mid-Career Leadership Award 

Mitra Sadigh - Velji Student Leader in Global Health 



59

September 21, 2022, 9am-12pm 

Creating an Empowerment Model in Global Health: An Evolving Practice to 

Build Capacity, Research Methodologies, Educational Modalities, and Health 

Equity 

Opening Remarks at Science Summit UNGA on September 21, 2022 

By Majid Sadigh, MD 

We are aware of our limitations in complete “decolonization” of the current global health structure, but there is 

still space for meaningful change. We have a wonderful group of panelists who will speak on how to co-create a 

promising path by modifying or removing certain components while building on others. We might not close our 

session with a clear understanding of the path forward, but hopefully, we will be able to learn from each other and 

take away a few learning points for our shared experiences. 

Please see the link below: 

https://us02web.zoom.us/rec/share/R5tlQAHAhkQElnJ5otcRjp5esexOGP0Y2Ec3vcSfezDMJ6MWV0- 

RTC7I8lCkz-xO.LVdHWs3ZF9bTrGEx 

Passcode: 5bBHt?%q 

Panelists 

Dr. Majid Sadigh, the Director and Christopher J. Trefz Endowed Chair in Global Health at Nuvance Health, 

together with Dr. Stephen Scholand participated in the CanoHealth ‘Healthcare World of Tomorrow at L’attitude’ 

CME conference in San Diego, California on Sept 22 – 25. 

Nelson 

Sewankambo 

Robert 

Kalyesubula 

Chiratidzo E. 

Ndhlovu 

Marcos 

Nunez 

Syed Zahiruddin 

Quazi 

Mitra 

Sadigh 

Vincent 

Setlhare 

60 

ANNUAL REPORT 2022 NUVANCE HEALTH AND THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT LARNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE 

61

Global Health Foray into The Philippines; Forming Relationships with Allied 

Health Care in the Philippines 

Stephen Scholand, MD 

Medical Grand Rounds in Global Health 

Dr. Stephen Scholand, the Nuvance Global Health Academy Faculty, was the speaker of the medical grand 

rounds at Danbury Hospital. His talk was about vaccine-preventable diseases. Once more, he showed his 

broad knowledge in infectious diseases and skills as a public speaker and educator. 

Dr. Stephen Scholand met with Dr. Renald P. Ramiro, Dean of the College of Rehabilitative Sciences as well as Dr. 

Enrico B Gruet, Vice President for Academic Affairs and Dean of the College of Medicine. Common goals in healthcare 

delivery were discussed, with emphasis on educational challenges in the post-COVID-19 era. 

It was agreed to continue the dialogue between our respective institutions as colleagues sharing common interests 

in global health education. 

The Inaugural Grand Rounds in Global Health 

and Social Disparities 

Dr. Robert Kalyesubula 

The Inaugural Grand Rounds was held virtually on May 11, 2022 and attended by 

over 78 participants. The featured guest speaker was Robert Kalyesubula, MD, PhD, 

Founder and President of the African Community Center for Social Sustainability 

(ACCESS) and Chairman of the Department of Physiology, Makerere University, 

Kampala, Uganda. Dr. Kalyesubula’s presentation was titled “Accessing Health 

Disparities for Global Health Equity, The ACCESS Model.” 

On December 14, Dr. Norman L. Beatty, Assistant Professor of Medicine at the 

University of Florida College of Medicine, Division of Infectious Diseases and Global 

Medicine gave a passionate and inspiring Grand Rounds lecture on Neglected 

Tropical Diseases (NTDs). 

ASTMH 2022 Annual 

Meeting 

Dr. Stephen Scholand speaking to members of Cebu Doctors’ University 

Dr. Paulino-Ramírez and Jett 

Choquette presented their research 

on HIV PrEP delivery models at the 

ASTMH 2022 annual meeting. 

62 



63

North Atlantic Health 

Sciences Libraries, Inc. (NAHSL) 

Annual Conference 

Ongoing Research Projects 

During 2022, six research projects went through the IRB review process and received approval: 

Mary Shah, Medical Librarian and Archivist at 

Norwalk Hospital, recently participated in the 

conference as a panelist on the Diversity, Equity 

and Inclusion Panel and presenter of two posters, 

“Turning the Tide and Innovating Education: Patricia 

A. Tietjen, MD Teaching Academy” and “Turning the 

Tide in Global Health: From Zoom-In on Ethics to 

Decolonizing the Curriculum.” 

1. “Colonization and Global Health: Evaluation of a Virtual Educational Session” led by Majid Sadigh, Mitra 

Sadigh, Dilyara Nurkhametova. The data collection for this project is completed, manuscript is in progress. 

2. “Creating a Decolonization Model in Global Health: An Evolving Practice” led by Majid Sadigh and Mitra 

Sadigh. The data collection is in progress. 

3. “Creating a Decolonizing Global Health Curriculum in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Collaboration 

among Global Health Leaders in High- and Low-to-Middle- Income Countries” led by Mary Shah, Joshua 

Matsiko, Shalote R. Chipamaunga Bamu, Samuel Luboga, Hossein Akbari. The data collection is in progress. 

Peer Reviewed Publications 

Submitted Manuscripts 

4. “Dynamic Nature of Medical Students’ Challenges during Clinical Global Health Electives Based on Students’ 

Weekly Reflections” led by Majid Sadigh, Dilyara Nurkhametova, Svanjita Berry, Salwa Sadiq-Ali. The data 

collection for this project is completed, manuscript is in progress. 

5. “Essential global health curriculum and pedagogy in undergraduate medical education.” led by Majid 

Sadigh, Kathy Ferra Pradas, Benjamin Ssemata, Joshua Matsiko, Pamela Gorejena, Shalote Chipamaunga, 

Stephen Scholand. The data collection for this project is in progress. 

Sadigh M, Parve S, Nakato J, Nsereko HB, Sadigh M. 

Transforming Global Health Communications During the 

COVID-19 Pandemic: International Partner Perspectives. Annals 

of Global Health. 3 February 2022; 88(1): 10, 1–10. DOI: https:// 

doi.org/10.5334/ aogh.3531 

Colonization and Decolonization 

of Global Health; 

a Historical Review 

Authors: 

Hussain M 

Sadigh M 

Sadigh M 

Rastegar A 

Swankambo N 

6. “Transformation of Global Health Electives for Medical Students amid the COVID-19 Pandemic” led by Majid 

Sadigh, Dilyara Nurkhametova, Bulat Ziganshin. The data collection for this project is completed, manuscript 

is in progress. 

7. One more project “Faculty Development Experience of Nuvance Health/ University of Vermont Larner 

College of Medicine Global Health Program at ChoRay Hospital, Vietnam” led by Majid Sadigh, Khoa Duong, 

Nam Nguyen, Uyen Tran, Phuong Hoang, Robyn Scatena, Stephen Winter is being prepared for the IRB 

submission. 

64 NUVANCE HEALTH AND THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT LARNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE 

ANNUAL REPORT 2022 65

Local Publications 

2020-2021 Collection of Global Health Diaries 

UNGA77 

Link to the publication: UNGA77 

Remarks about the collection of talks on panel on decolonization of global health education at UNGA77 

2020-2021 Collection of eMagazine 

Wooooh!!!! Extremely impressive print, graphics 

and CONTENT. Thank you global health team for 

leading this undertaking and thank you everyone 

who contributed to this work. 

Nelson Sewankambo 

Most excellent. This a document which should 

be a “bible” re-building ethical, bilateral Global 

Health Programs. 

Pierce Gardner 

What a wonderful piece of work! Thanks to the 

teams that made this possible and the editorial 

team for doing such a great job! 

Robert Kalyesubula 

The global health team never ceases to amaze 

me! I only wish I could have been there in person 

to hear it. Always a huge supporter! 

LE 

Kudos to all involved. What a powerful and 

important piece. Thank you! 

Beth West 

This is great. Thank you and the team for putting 

this together. 

Vincent Setlhare 

Dear all who participated in the UN 77 Panel on 

decolonization of global health: 

Well done! Very well done! (Je-bale-Ku!) Thanks 

for sharing! The content, graphics, and structure 

are superb! 

HA 

Thanks a lot for this great work. Will share it with 

my colleagues. 

Professor 

Chiratidzo E Ndhlovu, M Med Sci( Clin Epi) 

66 


67

2021 Annual Reports 

Program Activities 

1 

On April 19, the Global Health Program held a hybrid virtual and in-person informational meeting at 

UVMLCOM with first- and fourth-year medical students interested in participating in a global health elective 

in July 2022. Drs. Mariah McNamara and Swapnil Parve led the meeting, reviewing the sites and application 

process as well as general information. Around fifteen students joined the meeting. Applications are due 

May 1, with interviews taking place the week of May 2 and students being selected May 6. A pre-departure 

bootcamp will be held the week of June 20. We’re very excited to restart electives abroad after our long 

pandemic hibernation! 

The first information sessions with first- and fourth-year medical students at UVMLCOM took place on 

September 26, 2022 and October 10, 2022. 

2 

Meeting with Chiricahua Community Health Center and Nuvance Health Education 

Leadership. 

Discussions revolved around the creation of a de novo Family Medicine (FM) Residency at the Arizona site. 

At issue were FM Residency requirements, including mandates for inpatient and outpatient experiences, 

rotation requirements, clinical benchmarks, continuity clinics, and resident work hours, among other topics. 

3 

All Boards Retreat 

Notes on the 2021 Annual Report 

During “All Boards Retreat” at Summit on December 22nd, Dr. Majid Sadigh, the Director of the Global Health 

Program presented the program’s structure and function to over 25 board members at Nuvance Health. 

During this presentation, board members learned about the scope of the program’s activities as well as its 

most recent achievements locally and internationally. 

Thanks so much for this annual report 2021. It’s an incredible volume that enshrines the amazing achievements of 

the program and all its participants and contributors. Despite the adversity of the raging pandemic, it’s comforting to 

see the determination and drive of educators, students, residents, nurses, healthcare providers, community members, 

and others shine through. I have hope for the future, and this program serves as a strong foundation for that. 

Thank you for your tireless work and fantastic leadership. You are an inspiration to us all! 


4 

5 

Engagement of the Nuvance Health Global Health Program with the Latinx Community 

in Danbury 

During a Meeting with Mr. Elvis Novas, Advisor for the Dominican Community Center and member of the Board 

of Directors of Housatonic Habitat for Humanity, Danbury, CT, and Adamys Collado, the visiting cardiology 

resident from the Heart Institute in Santo Domingo, strategies of partnerships between the Nuvance Health 

Global Health Program with the Latinx Community in Danbury including establishing a new scholarship for 

selected academically promising high school students were discussed. 

Joint Master Degree in Medical Education 

During a meeting with Dr. Shalote R. Chipamaunga Bamu PhD, MEd, BEd, DNE, SCM, RNM, Senior Lecturer 

in the Department of Health Professions Education, Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of 

Zimbabwe, the content of a new Memorandum of Understanding with Zimbabwe University to establish a 

joint Masters Degree in medical education with a focus on “decolonization of global health education” was 

discussed. 

68 


69

eMagazine 

From the Section Editors of eMagazine 

Hossein Akbari MD, MSc 

Faculty, Nuvance Health Global Health Academy 

Depicting the Nature of Health and Humanity 

Through Art 

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 that give complex feelings 

a universality, 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 outside-the-box thinking 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. 

Sarah Cordisco, BSN, RN 

Staff Nurse at the University of Vermont 

Column: Women’s Health 

As societal norms and beliefs vary among countries and cultures, 

providing a space for new voices can bring to light issues we had not 

previously considered while giving us a new take on issues we thought 

we understood well. Only by creating a space for others to speak can we 

change our thoughts and assumptions. 

Joshua Matsiko 

Medical student at the Makerere University School of Health Sciences 

Column: The Voice of Uganda 

The purpose of this section is to discuss the health sector in Uganda 

and Africa at large with the hope of contributing to the global health 

community. By discussing the effect of colonization on medical education, 

we can take steps towards creating a better system and improving health 

for all. 

Dilyara Nurkhametova, MD, PhD 

Assistant Director at the Nuvance Health Global Health Program 

Column: Our Beautiful Planet 

Our home, planet Earth, is undergoing a profound transformation. In 

this recently launched section, we nurture a love for nature’s gems while 

casting a critical lens on our destructive actions that have led to, and are 

accelerating, climate change. 



71

Swapnil Parve, MD 

Director of International Affairs at the NH/UVMLCOM Global Health Program 

Column: Innovation and Technology in Global Health 

Clinical Case of the Month 

Editor: Majid Sadigh, MD 

Monthly Series 

The pandemic has forced us to augment the use of previously available 

digital tools 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. In this 

new section, we bring the latest technological innovations in global health 

along with insights, expert opinions, and commentaries to our viewers. 

• Peripheral Damage: A young man with seizure and abnormal behavior, Alex Kayongo and Majid 

Sadigh 

• Intestinal Schistosomiasis in Malawi, Kevin MCMahon, MD, MPH 

• Neurocysticercosis, Jett Choquette,UVMLCOM Class of 2022 

Education Through COVID-19 

Section Editor: Majid Sadigh, Director of the NVH/UVMLCOM Global Health Program 

Majid Sadigh, MD and Mitra Sadigh 

Director and Writer/Editor/Researcher at the NVH/UVMLVOM Global Health Program, 

respectively 

Column: Art to Remind Us of Who We Can Be 

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. 

Ritesh Vidhun 

Undergraduate student at Tufts University 

Column: Global Local 

As we know, people and communities are often divided by determinants 

such as socioeconomic status, race, and immigration status; divisions that 

result in inequitable access to health services and ultimately, outcomes. 

In this section, we highlight health inequalities within the U.S. with the 

hope of better understanding disparities and closing the gap between the 

present and a better imagined future. 

• A Nursing Professor’s Perspective in Teaching During a Pandemic; Monica Sousa Ed.D, ACNS-BC, 

APRN 

• The Impact of COVID-19 on My Education, A Nursing Student’s Perspective; Sarah Cordisco, UVM 

• COVID-19: Reflections from a Russian Resident Physician; Aliya S. Zakirova, MD, PGY-1, Primary Care, 

Kazan State Medical University, Kazan 

• I Am Still Trying to Catch up With My Academic Journey; Natukunda Ferguson, Medical Student, 

MakCHS 

• A Ugandan Student′s Education in the Foil of the COVID-19 Pandemic; Abraham Ddungu Matovu, 

medical student, MakCHS 

• In the World With COVID-19: The Virus; Elnaz Arab, Iran 

• Education Through a Pandemic; Emily Giampietro, Senior Nursing Student at Western Connecticut 

State University, Dr. Monica Sousa, Faculty Advisor, Professor of Nursing at Western Connecticut 

State University 

Global Local: Health Disparities Within Our Borders 

Section Editor: Ritesh Vidhun 

• An Introduction 

• Skip a Meal for Your Meds? The Increasingly Detrimental Situation of Pharmaceutical Drug Costs in the 

United States 

• Using Social Determinants of Health to Better Comprehend Deeper Issues 

• Change in birth outcomes among infants born to Latina mothers after a major immigration raid. 

Authors: Nicole L. Novak, Arline T. Geronimus, and Aresha M. Martinez-Cardoso 

• How Does Occupation-Related Stress Lead to Increased Rates of Heart Disease Among South Asians? 

72 

73

Innovation and Technology in Global Health 

Section Editor: Swapnil Parve, MD 

• WHO Report: Emerging Trends and Technologies 

• Healing with the Help of Artificial Intelligence 

The Voice of Ugandan Medical Students 

Section Editor: Matsiko Joshua, medical student at MakCHS, Kampala, Uganda 

Monthly Features 

Art to Remind Us of Who We Can Be 

Section Editors: Majid Sadigh and Mitra Sadigh 

1 2 3 

• Decolonising Health Governance in Uganda; Joshua Matsiko 

• Decolonization of Global Health: A Student Perspective; Joshua Matsiko 

• “Ocean of Tears”; National Park Service ‘Trail of Tears National Historic Trail,’ Little Rock, Arkansas; 

Stephen Scholand 

• A Case of Betrayal; Stephen Scholand 

• Boda-bodas: A Bittersweet Transport Mode and a Silent Killer; Joshua Matsiko 

American Artscape: The Arts in 

the Time of COVID 

American Artscape: The Arts in 

the Time of COVID 

• Skin-Bleaching the Silent “Pandemic” in the Global South; Joshua Matsiko 

• Karamoja Famine; Karamoja Crisis, A World Model to End World Hunger; Joshua Matsiko 

• Ebola Situation in Uganda 

• Fibroids: The Silent Pandemic 

4 

Susan DeFreitas on the Lessons of Le Guin 

During a Pandemic, Literary Hub, January 

19, 2022 

5 

Art in the Time of 

Pandemic 

Anne-Ryan Sirju; Columbia College Today 

Spring/Summer 2022 

Women’s Health Education 

Section Editor: Sara Cordisco, BSN, RN 

Best Poems About Peace, 

Walter de la Mare 

. 6 

• COVID-19 and Gender Implications 

poemHunter.com 

• Postpartum Depression 

• Women’s Rights and Activist Groups 

7 

• Mental Health 

• Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) 

• Roe vs. Wade in America 

Global Health 

Humanities 

• Cervical Cancer 

• Women’s Life Expectancy 

• Underrepresentation of Women 

• Underrepresentation of Women 

• Calling for Writers 

Researching the Researchers: 

Art in Global Health 

The Lancet; Vol 382 December, 14, 2013; 

Zoë Mullan 

“Art can bring out these dimensions—the 

mindsets behind the datasets if you like.” 

Little Crippled Haiti (2006) by Edouard 

Duval Carrié Duke University; Humanities 

Features; Franklin Humanities Institute 

WORKING GROUP: GLOBAL HEALTH 

HUMANITIES 

Art in Global Health, 

Tamara Chipasula 

74 

75

8 9 10 

Our Beautiful Planet 

Section Editor: Dilyara F. Nurkhametova, MD, PhD 

This new column exhibits the beauties of our planet earth and our everyday destructive actions against it. We are 

witnessing how our beautiful planet is undergoing profound transformation. In this recently established section we 

would like to appreciate all the beauty of our planet and raise awareness of warning changes. 

Can an Artists’ Collective in Africa Repair a 

Colonial Legacy? 

Its founders believe that they can use the tools of the Western art 

world to help heal the effects of more than a century of plunder. 

By Alice Gregory; New Yorker, July 18, 2022. Picture Above: Mbuku 

Kimpala, center, and other collective members, on what used to 

be a Unilever plantation. With the proceeds from its art work, the 

group is slowly buying back land. Photograph by Léonard Pongo for 

The New Yorker 

Collection of interviews 

with artists around 

the world by Tendai 

Machingaidzi, MD 

11 12 13 

Artwork made 

by Iranian and 

International artists for 

Iranian women in 3 parts 

As the International Space Station flew overhead, 

NASA astronaut Ricky Arnold captured this 

photograph of a changing landscape in the heart of 

Madagascar, observing drainage into the sea in the 

Betsiboka Estuary due to decimation of rainforests 

and coastal mangroves. 

1 Lake Mead water level running well below predictions, could drop 

another 12 feet by fall, Angela Fritz and Rachel Ramirez, CNN 

2 Avian Secret, Michigan Engineering; Engineering Research News, 

March 9, 2022 

3 2022 heatwaves: a failure to proactively manage the risks, The 

Lancet, Editorial;Vol 400 August 6, 2022 

4 Rethinking “Four Seasons,” Vivaldi’s “Four Seasons” became “For 

Seasons” composed by climate data: Alan Gilbert and musicians 

from the NDR Elbphilharmonie Orchestra performance. https:// 

youtu.be/3Z18FNApDg0 

5 Waterbear.com 

Iranian Women’s Perseverance 

Is a Work of Art 

Visual artist Shirin Neshat reflects on her 

decades-long practice of examining the 

Iranian female experience. AS TOLD TO AR- 

IANA MARSH PUBLISHED: Harper’s Bazaar, 

OCT 26, 2022 

15 16 

Moving Statue 

Christian Ringnes put artwork 

outside the Iranian embassy – 

VG Thursday 24th November 

2022 02:48 PM Norway Posts; 

English 

A List of Inspiring 

Global Health Films 

Little Crippled Haiti (2006) by Edouard Duval 

Carrié Duke University; Humanities Features; 

Franklin Humanities Institute WORKING 

GROUP: GLOBAL HEALTH HUMANITIES 

If you had to read one book on 

global health….. 

Watch “Shervin 

Hajipour / Baraye 

Cover by French teenager 

(paroles dans les 

commentaires)” on YouTube 

If you are passionate about the future of our planet and appreciate quality documentaries you may like to visit 

Waterbear.com website. Waterbear is the first interactive streaming platform dedicated to the developments of our 

planet. On this platform you can find documentaries, NGO campaigns, and locally-told stories. Using storytelling as a 

tool for making a difference it provides access to award-winning and inspirational content that empowers members 

to dive deeper, learn more and take action. 

6 7 8 

Trapped by Plastic 

Award-winning photographer Mandy 

Barker shows us a new perspective on the 

devastating and far-reaching impact of 

marine plastic pollution through her art. 

Ecosystem restoration is integral 

to humanity’s recovery from 

COVID-19 

The Lancet Planetary Health, Viewpoint, 

VOLUME 6, ISSUE 9, E769-E773, SEPTEM- 

BER 01, 2022 

Listen to Bach, The 

Earth from “Solaris” 

76 

77

9 10 11 

17 18 19 

Linking Health Justice, Social 

Justice, and Climate Justice 

Khadj Rouf, Tony Wainwright The Lancet, 

The Planetary Health, Volume 4, Issue 4, 

April 01, 2020 

12 13 

“The Arctic Melt” by Diane Tuft 

Diane Tuft has been documenting the 

impact of climate change since 1998. 

Her film “The Arctic melt” was featured at 

A Healing Arts event for World Health Day 

2022. Watch the video “The Arctic melt” 

here 

Dancing Earth 

Dancing Earth is a project bringing together 

artists, whose mission is “to create 

contemporary dance and related arts 

through global-Indigenous and intercultural 

relationships centered in ecological and 

cultural diversity for creativity, health, and 

wellness.” 

2022 Nature Pictures of the Year 

Finland 

Layers by Petri Puurunen 

20 

Toward a Net-Zero 

Health Care System 

Actions to Reduce Greenhouse Gas 

Emissions 

The Sea Change Project 

Global Consortium on 

Climate and Health Education 

Knowledge Bank 

14 New England Journal of 

Medicine 2022; 387:1829- 

1831, DOI: 10.1056/ 

NEJMp2213503 

Save the Forest 

Nature, News, October 24, 2022 

16 

Wildlife Photographer of the Year 

2022 winners 

Brent Stirton/Wildlife Photographer of the 

Year. “Ndakasi’s passing”, The Senkwekwe 

Center, Virunga National Park, Democratic 

Republic of the Congo. 

The Guardian Highlighted the Climate Photos that Changed the World 

15 “COP27 Climate Change 

Conference — Urgent Action 

Needed for Africa and the 

World” 

21 

Benjamin Mkapa African Wildlife Photography Awards 

Dust storms in Australia, January 2020. 

Photograph: Jason Davies/Severe Weather 

Australia 

Flooding in Venice, Italy, November 2019. 

Photograph: Filippo Monteforte/AFP/Getty 

Huskies pull a sledge through water, Greenland, 

June 2019. Photograph: Steffen M 

Olsen/Danish Meteorological Institute 

78 

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Article of the Month 

Section Editor: Majid Sadigh, MD 

Video of the Month 

Section Editor: Majid Sadigh, MD 

1 Ukraine and the lessons of Alexander Herzen; Richard Horton; Lancet March 05, 2022 

1 2 3 

2 Racism not Race; Joseph L. Graves JR, Allen H. Goodman; A pair of scholars confronts the 

pernicious role played by racism shaping our understanding of human differences. 

3 4 5 

Meeting the Health 

Challenges of Displaced 

Populations from Ukraine 

The Incontestable Moral 

Value of Health 

Global Health & Comparative 

Literature 

Racism, Not Race; Interview with 

Joseph L. Graves JR. 

TWIEVO 74 

On racism, not race 

4 

5 

COVID-19 teen survivor has a 

message for you 

How is the COVID-19 virus 

transmitted? 

Sid the Science Kid Gets the Flu Shot (song) 

6 

Yulia Ioffe, Ibrahim Abubakar, Rita Issa, Paul 

Spiegel, Bernadette N Kumar; Lancet March 

26, 2022 

Richard Horton; Lancet January 14, 2022 

Perspectives from HIV in South Africa; Alvan 

Ikoku Stanford University 

COVID-19 Data in Motion 

6 Unmute; Margaret Nolan, M.D.,NEJM; May 12, 2022 

7 Infectious diseases science in Africa takes a leading place in the world; Lancet , Vol 399 June 18, 2022; 

Tulio de Oliveira 

7 

SARS CoV2 

8 

Jacinda Ardern receives 

standing ovation 

On May 26, 2022, New Zealand Prime 

Minister Jacinda Ardern addressed the 

graduating class. 

8 “Every challenge is here”: fistula in Ethiopia; Lancet, Editorial, August 27, 2022 

9 

9 War driving cholera in Syria Sharmila Devi; The Lancet September 24, 2022 

Conflict has damaged water treatment plants and caused hygiene and sanitation to deteriorate. Sharmila 

Devi reports. 

10 Finding a New Mantra; Shireen N. Heidari, M.D.; NEJM September 15, 2022 

I have a new mantra now, etched on a bracelet around my wrist: I am human. 

11 Medicine’s dark night, The Lancet; Vol 400 September 24, 2022, Rachel Clarke 

This Week in Virology 

Monkeypox 

SARS-CoV2, An Update; Mayo 

Clinic Q&A 

On the Mayo Clinic Q&A podcast, Dr. Poland 

discusses the current state of COVID-19 in 

the U.S., including what we know about the 

latest subvariants. 

Race Conscious Medicine: A 

Reality Check 

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12 Offline: COVID-19, the Lessons that Science Forgot; Lancet November 19, 2022 

13 Heroes of the Year 2022; Women of Iran 

From race-based to race-conscious medicine: 

how anti-racist uprisings call us to act. 

A Perspective in The Lancet, from Jessica 

P Cerdeña, Marie V Plaisime, and Jennifer 

Tsai. 

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10 11 12 

Nursing Division 

Catherine G Winkler, PhD, MPH, APRN-BC 

Director of the Nuvance Health Global Health Program Nursing Division 

Polio in New York 

Virologist Vincent Racaniello breaks down 

the first case of polio in the US in nearly a 

decade. 

Watch “Why Monkeypox Is a 

Global Health Threat 

WSJ” on YouTube 

Dean Blumberg 

Polio Explained 

13 14 15 

Public Health in Time of 

War and Conflicts 

Kaveh Khoshnood 

Every New Pandemic Starts 

As a Mystery 

David Quammen 

Glen Campbell 

Try a Little Kindness 

Year in Review 


Yesterday I was clever, so I wanted to change the 

world. Today I am wise, so I am changing myself. 

- Rumi 

This year the nursing division established an international nurse executive committee (INEC)to set the vision, 

mission, and goals for the department, and to work collaboratively with our medical colleagues and academic 

partners. The nursing division is part of the Global Health (GH) program at Nuvance Health. Membership includes 

nurses from Nuvance Healthcare system along with nurses from ACCESS and Makerere (Uganda), University 

of Vermont, Sacred Heart University (SHU) and Western Connecticut State University (WCSU). There are 

approximately 16 members with the attendance variable due to competing workplace demands, retirements, 

and organizational resignations. The vision is to stabilize membership and to add a second international site 

to our committee as well as to meet quarterly with ad hoc smaller groups to work on projects. Our aims are to 

support international sites with content and curriculum as needed and to connect faculty and students to work 

on research projects and development of educational material. Currently, work is done via zoom and remotely. 

However, our expectations are that in addition to remote work that exchanges of students and faculty visits 

abroad and domestically will occur to strengthen partnerships. Lastly, our additional goals include continued 

contributions to the global health magazine each month, a research study with SHU in Ireland, the establishment 

of Anne Roby scholarship with WCSU, GH grand rounds and to have INEC committee members serve as 

faculty for the Global Health Academy. 

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Looking Ahead 

Global Health Activities at SHU 

Sarah Cordisco, BSN, RN 

In 2022, I continued to work on the global health eMagazine women’s health 

column. I researched, wrote and edited an article each month covering different 

women’s health topics. I aimed to choose topics that were applicable to today’s 

environment and that were important to educate people on. 

For 2023, the goal of the column is for it to become more interactive and to have a larger scope of issues be 

presented. I will have articles written by different people from different countries to broaden the topics discussed, 

as well as, providing new perspectives to the eMagazine. The article topics will be chosen by the writer and cover 

a women’s issue that affects the population they work with or are a part of. By doing this, I aim to have a larger 

variety of relevant topics, while seeing a different viewpoint on these issues. I hope to have a variety of writers from 

a multitude of places to increase the topics covered and bring to light new issues that are affecting women. It will 

also allow others to speak on issues they feel are important to the population they belong to. I will take on a more 

editorial role this coming year, while also writing articles and reaching out to those interested in participating in 

the eMagazine. 

Global Collaboration 


There are emerging issues in infectious diseases, human trafficking, maternal-newborn health, food 

insecurity, health inequities, and uneven distribution of professors and healthcare workers world-wide. 

Edmondson and colleagues state (2017) that these issues require global cooperation in response, planning, 

prevention, preparedness, and care that reflects health equity issues among nations. Further, because 

the healthcare issues are complex, the authors note that it will require interprofessional and interagency 

cooperation and solutions that involve governments, non-profits, and often, include private companies 

and foundations and all our healthcare colleagues. 

Karen Daley, Ph.D., RN 

Dean, Davis & Henley College of Nursing 

Center for Healthcare Education at SHU 

Cynthia K. O’Sullivan, 

Ph.D., APRN, FNP-BC 

Associate Dean, Academic Affairs & Global 

Nursing at SHU University 

Constance Glenn, 

DNP, APRN, FNP-BC, CNE 

Assistant Clinical Professor at SHU 

Dr. Susan L. Davis RN., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing, 

Sacred Heart University; Global Activities 

Written by Karen Daley, Constance Glenn, and Cynthia O’Sullivan 

Since 2010, Sacred Heart University’s Dr. Susan L. Davis RN., & Richard J. Henley College of Nursing (DHCON) has 

provided life-changing, transformative global immersion and study abroad experiences to undergraduate and 

graduate nursing students. These opportunities allow students to achieve the same course objectives as their 

counterparts who remain at the university, while functioning within an environment that is culturally different 

from their own. 

Palliative Care 

Written by Mary Kincart, MS, RN 

Palliative care is influenced by many factors including our culture, ethnic 

background, and religious beliefs. As nurses, we value and integrate all these 

things in the care we render to our patients. I invite all to share your knowledge 

and experience from your own culture to enhance a greater and more global 

understanding of our efforts to provide palliative care and the challenges we face in 

supporting this human right. 

Dingle Ireland nursing students (left); nursing students in Uganda (right) 

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Amanda Towey participated in a student exchange program between Western Connecticut State University in 

Danbury, CT, and International Hellenic University (Alexander Campus) in Thessaloniki, Greece. Funding for the 

exchange program was provided by Eramus, Dr. Monica Sousa, Professor of nursing from Western Connecticut 

State University was the co-faculty lead on this project. 

Congratulations 

An American Nursing Student 

Working in a Hospital in Greece: An 

Experience of a Lifetime 

Written by By Amanda Towey 

Although vastly different, working at Papageorgiou 

Hospital, specifically A’XEI has been an experience 

of a lifetime and I have learned so much about 

healthcare in Greece. The nurses have embraced me 

and taught me about their culture, and I could not be 

more grateful. 

Global Health Nursing Division Activities 

January 6, 2021: Global Health Meeting with the UVM College of Nursing Leadership 

This was the initial discussion with University of Vermont Medical Center (UVM) College of Nursing leadership 

regarding collaborative work with the Global Health (GH) Department at Nuvance Health (NH). During this meeting, 

the importance of involving other disciplines in the Health Sciences was emphasized. 

Meeting with Dean Daley 

On October 21, 2022, Majid Sadigh, and Catherine Winkler had an introductory zoom meeting with Karen Daley, 

Ph.D., RN Dean, Davis & Henley College of Nursing Center for Healthcare Education at SHU, to discuss the possibility 

of conducting a research project on diabetes mellitus in Dingle, Ireland. 

To Catherine G Winkler, PhD, MPH, APRN-BC, Director of the Nuvance Health Global Health Program Nursing 

Division for recognition as the nurse honoree for the Inspiring Global Nurse Award at the International Nurses Day 

of the UN event at the Hudson House in Liberté, NJ. (Hosted by Nurses With Global Impact, Inc.) 

Meeting with the Director of Nursing Education at Nuvance Health 

During a Zoom meeting with Dr. Deborah Hewitt, MS, MBA, NEBC, RN, Assistant Vice President of Nursing 

Professional Development at Nuvance Health and Dr. Catherine Winkler, Director of the Nuvance Health Global 

Health Nursing Division, the future direction of this division was discussed. There will be grand rounds for nursing 

staff to introduce the concept of global health and make them aware of available activities. Interested nurses will 

be encouraged to participate in the eMagazine and to become members of the Nuvance Health Global Health 

Academy. 

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To Professor Harriet Mayanja-Kizza, 

MBBS, MMed, PhD 

Professor of Medicine, College of Health Sciences, 

Makerere University, the recipient of the CUGH 2022 

Distinguished Leadership Award. 

To Marcos Núñez, MD, FICS, M.Ed 

Dean of Health Sciences at Universidad 

Iberoamericana, Dominican Republic for his 

new position as President elect of Pan American 

Federation of Association of Medical Schools 

(PAFAMS) representing the American continent in the 

World Federation Medical Education (WME); 2022- 

2025. 

To Robert Paulino-Ramirez 

and Jett E Choquette 

for the acceptance of their poster on “HIV Pre- 

Exposure Prophylaxis (PrEP) Models of Delivery in 

Low- to Middle-Income Countries: A proposed model 

for an Integrated Care Model” at ASTMH annual 

meeting. 

This is hopefully the beginning of more collaborations 

on research agenda between UNIBE and UVMLCOM/ 

Nuvance Health Global Health Program. 

To Dr. Duy Khoa Duong 

Global Health Scholar, University of Medicine 

and Pharmacy, Ho Chi Minh, Vietnam, 

Recipient of Fulbright Scholarship for his 

admission to Graduate Medical Sciences 

(GMS) at the Boston University School of 

Medicine into the MS-Health Professions 

Education Program starting Fall 2022. 

To Dr. Khoa D Duong 

Global Health Scholar, for acceptance of 

submitted abstracts on “Faculty Development 

Experience of Nuvance Health/UVMLCOM 

Global Health Program at ChoRay Hospital 

in Vietnam” & “Global Health Program for 

Vietnamese Medical Students: Initial Attempt 

at University of Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho 

Chi Minh City.” 

To Shalote Chipamaunga-Bamu (PhD), 

FAIMER Fellow 2020 

Senior Lecturer, Department of Health Professions 

Education & Student Support, Faculty of Medicine 

& Health Sciences, University of Zimbabwe for 

conceptualization of and writing a new postgraduate 

degree program in Health Professions 

Education at the University of Zimbabwe. This 

course is interactive and completely online. 

Congratulations to Anna Ziganshina 

and Bulat Ziganshin 

on the new arrival. Good luck with your next 

great adventure. 

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To the Winners at the Annual CUGH Conference 2022 

To S. Javed Shahid, MD, Endowed Fund for the 

Advancement of Neurosurgery 

To recognize Dr. Shahid’s four-decade career as a neurosurgeon an 

endowment fund has been established in his honor. The S. Javed 

Shahid, MD Endowed Fund for the Advancement of Neurosurgery 

will support clinical education and enhanced technology across 

the Nuvance Health system. 

Jett Choquette Mitra Sadigh Majid Sadigh, MD 

Irene Sue 2023 

The Lancet – CUGH Best Student Posters – Global Health Education Division 

In collaboration with Dr. Andrea Green, Irene Sue took the award home for Best Poster Presentation for 

“Narrative Medicine in Global Health Elective: A Tool for Improving Cultural Awareness.” 

Jett Choquette 2023 

“Human Experience Shaping Medical Needs” by Jett Choquette was selected for an honorable mention in 

the global health student category of the reflection contest. 

Mitra Sadigh 2024 

“A Radical Act” by Mitra Sadigh was selected as a winner in the global health practitioner category of the 

reflection contest. 

Majid Sadigh 

Dr. Sadigh was the recipient of the Velji Faculty Leader in Global Health Innovation Award. The Velji Family 

Foundation annually celebrates global health education, research, and service by honoring individuals and 

projects that demonstrate creative approaches to serving underserved populations. 

To Mitra Sadigh for acceptance of the submitted abstract “Creating a Decolonizing Global Health Curriculum 

in Undergraduate Medical Education: A Collaboration Among Global Health Leaders and Medical Students 

in High- and Low-to-Middle- Income Countries” for poster presentation at the CUGH 2023 Conference which 

will be held in Washington, DC on April 14-16, 2023. 

To Mary Shah for graduating from the PT Teaching Academy 

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91

To Dr. Maurice Okao 

for graduating from 

MakCHS with a Master of 

Medicine in Pediatrics. 

To Sarah Cordisco 

for graduating from UVM 

in Nursing. 

To Mary Shah MLS, AHIP 

for the two posters she presented at the North 

Atlantic Health Science Libraries Annual Conference 

earlier this month as well as her participation in the 

panel on Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion. This panel 

discussion was moderated by the President of the 

Medical Libraries Association. 

To Dr. Abhay 

Gaidhane 

Dean of Jawaharlal Nehru 

Medical College, Datta 

Meghe Institute of Medical 

Sciences (Deemed to be 

University). 

To Wendi Cuscina 

for successfully 

completing the course 

on Global Health Policy. 

On the 28th October 2022, ACCESS 

School of Nursing and Midwifery 

graduated over 100 students during 

the 3rd graduation ceremony. They 

were awarded certificates in Nursing 

and Midwifery. 

To 

Dilyara Nurkhametova, 

MD, PhD 

for her new position as 

Assistant Director at the 

Nuvance Health Global 

Health Program. 

To Ali Ershadi, 

for being matched to the 

Norwalk Hospital/Yale 

pulmonary and critical 

care fellowship program. 

To Robert Kalyesubula, MD, PhD 

Robert is the founder and president of the African 

Community Center for Social Sustainability 

(ACCESS), an exemplary community-based 

organization in Uganda. 

We congratulate him for being conferred a 

PhD from the London School of Hygiene and 

Tropical Medicine. We also congratulate him for 

his publication in the Lancet Global Health on 

measuring kidney function in sub-Saharan Africa. 

To Adamys Collado, MD 

cardiology resident at Heart Institute, 

Dominican Republic, for completion 

of his rotation in cardiology at 

Danbury Hospital. 

You are not a 

drop in the ocean. 

You are the entire 

ocean, in a drop. 

- Rumi 

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Operations 

Written by Wendi Cuscina 


Welcome 

Thanks to the philanthropic generosity of donor 

dollars, this program supported the following Global 

Health Scholars and projects: 

Makerere University 

• Two Emergency Medicine students Spring 2022 

tuition - $3,000 (support commenced in Spring 

2021- $3000) 

• One Public Health student Spring 2022 tuition 

- $2,391 (support commenced in Spring 2021- 

$1691) 

• Six students in field of Mental Health, Spring 2022- 

$12,000 

• Construction and equipment for an Audio/Visual 

Studio to support lectures, research, and education 

- $11,700 

We welcome 

Dereck DeLeon, MD, 

the Chief Academic Officer of 

Nuvance Health. 

King Ceasor University 

• One student, Medicine and Surgery, tuition and 

books- $3,100 

Kyambogo University 

• One student, orphaned at early age, BS Science 

and Technology, tuition- $708 

Equipment 

• Donated 5 laptops to Uganda partners - $3,500 

We welcome 

Dr. Adamys Collado, 

a cardiology resident from the 

Heart Institute in Santo Domingo, 

Dominican Republic, to Danbury 

Hospital. 

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Tanzania, Katrin Sadigh, MD 

95

Directory 

Directors and Coordinators 

GLOBAL HEALTH LEADERSHIP 

Wendi Cuscina, BS, CPM, PACT 

Menoo Jarrett 

Robert Jarrett, MD 

Grace Linhard 

Elina Mukhametshina, MD 

Dilyara Nurkhametova, MD, PhD 


Mitra Sadigh 

Robyn Scatena, MD 


Mary Shah, MLS, AHIP 

Laura E. Smith, MScBMC 

Amanda Wallace 

Swapnil Parve, MD 

Catherine G. Winkler, PhD, MPH,APRN-BC 

Stephen Winter, MD 

Bulat Ziganshin, MD, PhD 

THE ROBERT LARNER, MD COLLEGE 

OF MEDICINE AT THE UNIVERSITY OF 

VERMONT 

Benjamin Clements, MD 

Krista Buckley, MD 

Anne Dougherty, MD 

Audree Frey, MPH 


Naomi Hodde, MD 

Amalia Kane, MD 

Judith Lewis, MD 

Mariah McNamara, MD, M.P.H. 


Mitra Sadigh 

Katie Wells, MD 

Christa Zehle, MD 

MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE 

COMMITTEE 

Susan Byekwaso 

Sr. Jane Frances 

Christina B. Gunther 

Robert Kalyesubula 

Samuel Luboga 

Darlene & Jonathan Melk 

Mariah McNamara 

Chiratidzo Ndhlovu 

Marcos A. Nuñez Cuervo 

Zahir Quazi 

Majid Sadigh 

Vincent Setlhare 

Uyen Tran 

Qin Yue 

UNITED STATES 

1. Wendi Cuscina, BS, CPM, PACT 

Manager of the NH/UVMLCOM Global 

Health Program, Nuvance Health 

2. Randi Diamond, MD 

Site Co-Director, St. Francis Naggalama 

Hospital 

3. Howard Eison, MD 

Site Co-Director, St. Francis Naggalama 

Hospital 

4. Christina B. Gunther, Ed.D. 

Director, Global Health Programs, 

Sacred Heart University 

5. Audree Frey, MPH 

Coordinator, Global Health Program, 

UVMLCOM 

6. Mariah McNamara, MD, M.P.H. 

Global Health Program Associate 

Director, UVMLCOM 

7. Jonathan Melk, MD, FAAP 

Chief Executive Officer, Chiricahua 

Community Health Centers, Inc. 

8. Swapnil Parve, MD 

Director of International Affairs at the 

NH/UVMLCOM Global Health Program 

9. Majid Sadigh, MD 

Director, Global Health Program of 

Nuvance Health and University 

of Vermont Larner College of Medicine 

10. Robyn Scatena, MD 

Director of Global Health, Norwalk 

Hospital 

11. Stephen Scholand, MD 

Nuvance Health Global Health 

Academy Faculty 

12. Laura E. Smith, MScBMC 

Coordinator of UGE at 

Danbury Hospital 

13. Stephen Winter, MD 

Senior Advisor, Nuvance Health 

14. Bulat Ziganshin, MD, PhD 

Director of Research and 

Innovation,Nuvance Health Global 

Health Program 

BOTSWANA 

15. Vincent 

Setlhare, MD, MBA, MFamMed, FGL 

Associate Professor of Family Medicine and 

the Head of the Department of Family 

Medicine and Public Health, University of 

Botswana 

DOMINICAN REPUBLIC 

16. Marcos Nuñez, MD 

Dean, Medical School, Universidad 

lberoamericana (UNIBE) 

17. Loraine Amell de Abreu, PhD 

Dean, International Relations, UNIBE 

18. Vera Cristina Farías Santos 

Coordinator of student exchanges, UNIBE 

19. Aimeé Flores, MD 

Interventional Cardiologist, Cardiology 

Residency Director at the Heart Institute 

FINLAND 

20. Dilyara Nurkhametova, MD, PhD 

Director of Nuvance Health/AUC/RUSM 

Global Health Program 

IRELAND 

21. Elina Mukhametshina, MD 

Coordinator of Nuvance Health/AUC/RUSM 

Global Health Program 

INDIA 

22. Abhay Gaidhane, MD 

Dean (Global Health), Director, School of 

Epidemiology & Public Health, Datta Meghe 

Institute of Medical Sciences (DMIMS), 

Sawangi Meghe, Wardha 

23. Tripti Srivastava, MD 

Site Coordinator (Modern Health Sciences) 

Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences 

(DMIMS), Sawangi Meghe, Wardha 

24. Shweta Parwe, MD 

Site Coordinator (Allied Health Sciences) 

Datta Meghe Institute of Medical Sciences 

(DMIMS), Sawangi Meghe, Wardha 

25. Syed Zahiruddin Quazi, MD, PhD 

Associate Dean of Global Health and 

Director of Research and Development 

at Datta Meghe Institute of Medical 

Sciences (DMIMS), Sawangi Meghe, Wardha 

PUERTO RICO 

El Hospital Municipal de San Juan 

26. Jesus Casal, MD 

Associate Professor of Medicine, 

University of Puerto Rico School of 

Medicine, Chief of MICU, VA Caribbean 

Care System in Puerto Rico, Director of 

Sleep lab at Auxilio Mutuo Hospital 

27. Ricardo Fernandez, MD 

Chief of Pulmonary at the Hospital 

Municipal de San Juan, Director of 

Pulmonary and Critical Care 

fellowship program and Chief of 

pulmonary at Auxilio Mutuo Hospital in 

San Juan 

THAILAND 

28. Prachyapan Petchuay, MD, PhD 

Dean of Walailak University School of 

Medicine 

UGANDA 

29. Isaac Kajja, MD, PhD 

Head of the International Office and Deputy 

Principal, Makerere University College of 

Health Science 

30. Susan Byekwaso, MM 

Coordinator, International Programs, 

Makerere University College of Health 

Sciences 

31. Robert Kalyesubula, MD, PhD 

Founder, ACCESS 

32. Estherloy Katali, Msc.IT 

Site Director, ACCESS 

33. Samuel Luboga, MD, PhD, DSci 

Director, Uganda Partnership St. 

Stephen’s Hospital, Global Health 

Information Center, and Homestay 

34. Sr. Jane Frances Nakafeero 

Director, St. Francis Naggalama Hospital 

35. Catherine Nakibuule, MD 

Director, Global Health Program, St. 

Stephen’s Hospital, Kampala 

36. Norah Namirembe 

Assistant Coordinator of the International 

Office at Makerere University College of 

Health Sciences 

37. Simon Otim, MD 

Director, St. Francis Naggalama Hospital 

VIETNAM 

38. Tran Van Vu, MD 

Head of Training Department of the Training 

Center, Vice Head of Nephrology Department 

39. Hoang Lan Phuong, MD 

Head of International Affairs, ChoRay Hospital 

40. Uyen Tran, MD 

Site Coordinator, ChoRay Hospital 

University of Medicine and Pharmacy 

41. Prof. Vuong Thi Ngoc Lan, MD, PhD 

Dean of Faculty of Medicine, University of 

Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City 

42. Dr.Truong Phi Hung, MD, PhD 

Head of the International Relations Office, 

Faculty of Medicine, University of Medicine and 

Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City 

43. Dr.Duong Duy Khoa, MSc 

Head of Medical Elective Abroad, Faculty of 

Medicine, University of Medicine and Pharmacy 

at Ho Chi Minh City 

44. Dr.Nguyen Minh Ky, MSc 

International Relations Office, Medical Elective 

Abroad, Faculty of Medicine, University of 

Medicine and Pharmacy at Ho Chi Minh City 

ZIMBABWE 

45. Chiratidzo Ellen Ndhlovu, MMedSci, FRCP 

Director, Global Health Program, University of 

Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine and Health 

Sciences 

46. Fiona Makoni, MD 

Acting Dean, University of Zimbabwe Faculty of 

Medicine and Health Sciences 

47. Julia Mudokwenyu 

Coordinator of program, Academic Secretary, 

University of Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine 

and Health Sciences 

48. Joyce Salimu 

Administrative Assistant, University of 

Zimbabwe Faculty of Medicine and Health 

Sciences 

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Life in Tbilisi, Elina Mukhametshina

Nuvance Health and University of Vermont Larner College of Medicine Annual Report 2022

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