eMagazine April 2023

April 2023 Volume 52 

NUVANCE HEALTH 

Global Health Program 

LARNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE 

NUVANCE HEALTH AND THE UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT LARNER COLLEGE OF MEDICINE 

Global Health eMagazine 

“Put your thoughts to sleep, do not let them 

cast a shadow over the moon of your heart. 

Let go of thinking.” -Rumi 

Editor; Majid Sadigh, MD 

Contributing Editor; Mitra Sadigh 

Creative Director; Amanda Wallace 

Cover Photo; Shahla Mohsenin, MD

OUR PEOPLE, 

OUR MISSION 

Perspectives 

Global Health 

eMagazine 

April 2023 

Perspectives 

Reports from the Field 

Highlights 

Reflections 

Nursing Division 

Women’s Health Education 

Hispanic/Latinx Community 

Ugandan Voices 

Innovation and Technology 

Our Beautiful Planet 

Art to Remind Us of 

Who We Can Be 

Video of the Month 

Announcement 

New Publications 

Article of the Month 

Welcome 

Among the Letters 

Congratulations 

Photo News 

Calendar 

Global Health Family 

Resources 

Previous Issues of 

the eMagazine 

Written by 

Professor Nelson Sewankambo MBChB, MSc, M.MED, FRCP, LLD (HC) 

I Am a Strong Believer in Change: 

Summary Remarks from UNGA77 on 

Decolonizing Global Health Education 

We have seen many new publications on the topic of 

global health (GH) equity and decolonization of GH 

education. These discussions should continue, but 

we need to take positive action to begin to move 

things around. 

The importance of a standardized curriculum in colonization and decolonization 

of GH education, not only for students in HICs but also for our own students and 

faculty, has been emphasized several times. Increasing numbers of students and 

faculty are coming on board to this ideology. Because a curriculum designed in a 

high-income country (HIC) may not be transferable to a low-to-middle-income 

country (LMIC), it needs collaborative discussion between both sides. Maybe the 

discussion should start around the structure and essential components of the 

curriculum, but the details will vary from one environment to another. One of the 

best places, at least in the United States, to start this discussion is the Consortium 

of Universities for GH (CUGH) which meets annually and pools people from many 

North American institutions and increasingly also from LMIC. I cannot emphasize 

more the significance of bidirectional exchange and learning. 

Based on my personal experience, people from HIC institutions coming to LMIC 

who care to learn from us are astounded by what we can do with the kinds of 

resources we have. That is not to argue that we don’t need more resources, but 

that there is learning to be had and that among the major obstacles is faculty 

who have not fully embraced the reality of inequities in GH. The challenge is how 

to bring faculty onboard to become mentors of trainees and to do what they are 

preaching and discussing. We need to remember this as one of the major issues 

that must be addressed as we move forward. 

I am a strong believer in change because I had the opportunity to be in leadership 

positions at Makerere University College of Health Sciences in Uganda for nearly 

twenty years. The essential problems have not been solved, but I have seen 

meaningful changes in how we relate with partners and how our partners relate 

with us. I have also seen trainees begin to see the need for change. We need to 

help sustain their drive through mentorship, as today’s trainees are tomorrow’s 

leaders and policymakers. What they learn now influences their behavior in the 

future. Therefore, we need to invest a lot of interest in mentoring them. 

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Written by Beth West 

Director, Nuvance Health Patricia A. Tietjen, MD 

Teaching Academy 

Nuvance Health Global Health 

Intercultural Initiative; Part II 

Other factors to consider which add complexity 

to the design and delivery of an intercultural 

curriculum is the broad diversity of potential 

audiences within Global Health who will engage 

in this intercultural initiative. There are significant 

differences in education, experience, and 

worldview between medical students, residents, and physicians. Furthermore, 

participants will each bring their own distinct cultural perspectives. Any 

intercultural development curriculum should prepare them not only to engage 

with diverse partners at any of our nine overseas affiliated locations but should 

also prepare intercultural learners for the diverse patients they may encounter 

in their daily work, wherever that may ultimately be. These factors combined 

create a fascinating yet dizzying amount of unique perspectives that challenge 

the existing frameworks of intercultural curriculum in their ability to truly address 

such varied needs in a meaningful, significant way. Therefore, my initial research 

question is an optimistic, but broad one; how can we create accessible and 

appropriate programming in order to support the intercultural development of 

all members of our diverse Global Health community? 

As Mews et al. (2018) indicate, there is a unique synergy and opportunity for 

cultural competence education at the crossroads where global health in medical 

education intersects. The proposed intercultural Global Health initiatives will 

be designed for a phased delivery to different audiences (medical students, 

residents, and physicians) both in the U.S. and abroad. Recognizing that most 

intercultural training tools have been generated from Western paradigms 

with questionable application in non-Western settings (Deardorff, 2020), 

further review of extant literature and resources will focus on the discovery of 

intercultural teaching and learning curriculum and tools embodying non-western 

perspectives and their application in non-U.S. environments. Initially, myself and 

a dyad clinical colleague from the University of Vermont, Dr. Andrea Green, will 

work together to complete this literature review and a formal needs assessment 

to inform a tentative program design utilizing backward design, as suggested by 

Harvey (2017). The proposed curricula will then go to a diverse international and 

interdisciplinary committee of Global Health faculty for TACCT review, discussion, 

and revision. Intercultural training within medical education should, according to 

Fox (2005) move beyond cultural patterns and intercultural differences, improving 

communication skills, or role modeling interactions with patients. Fox argues the 

goal is to reach a deep level of knowledge and understanding of at least one 

society other than one’s own (2005). With this in mind, while we are still in the 

earliest stages of this program development, we imagine that instruction and 

delivery of these intercultural learning modules will be held in various countries 

with whom Nuvance Health has partnerships. We are excited and grateful for 

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the opportunity to co-facilitate with key cultural informants and educators in the 

process of co-constructing curriculum. With this bi-directionality in our process, 

the materials that are created from our country-specific sessions will actually 

create country-specific content that can then be used in the U.S. at our seven 

Nuvance Health hospital locations in NY and CY. The country-specific material 

that we share with Nuvance Health’s U.S. based clinical educators, trainees, 

residents, and fellows will be useful and better prepare travelers participating 

in clinical education trips to each of these countries. Those based in the U.S. will 

get a chance to learn unique and important cultural values and behaviors that 

will be critical to understanding their colleagues and patients from materials 

that their international colleagues and counterparts have created. By doing this, 

we believe that we will have achieved our goal of creating a model for more 

equitable and just intercultural learning opportunities for all those involved and 

at every stage of the process. 

References 

Deardorff, D. (2020). Defining, Developing and Assessing Intercultural Competence. 

In G. Rings & S. Rasinger (Eds.), The Cambridge Handbook of Intercultural 

Communication (Cambridge Handbooks in Language and Linguistics, pp. 493- 

503). Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. doi:10.1017/9781108555067.036 

Fox, R. C. (2005). Cultural competence and the culture of medicine. New England 

Journal of Medicine, 353(13), 1316–1319. https://doi.org/10.1056/nejmp058066 

Hammer, M. R., Bennett, M. J., & Wiseman, R. (2003). Measuring intercultural 

sensitivity: The Intercultural Development Inventory. International Journal 

of Intercultural Relations, 27(4), 421–443. https://doi.org/10.1016/s0147- 

1767(03)00032-4 

Harvey, T. (2017). Design and pedagogy for transformative intercultural learning. 

Learning across cultures: Locally and globally, 3, 109-138. 

Intercultural Development Inventory. Intercultural Development Inventory | IDI, 

LLC. (2022, August 2). https://idiinventory.com/ 

Mews, C., Schuster, S., Vajda, C., Lindtner-Rudolph, H., Schmidt, L. E., Bösner, S., 

Güzelsoy, L., Kressing, F., Hallal, H., Peters, T., Gestmann, M., Hempel, L., Grützmann, 

T., Sievers, E., & Knipper, M. (2018). Cultural Competence and Global Health: 

Perspectives for Medical Education - Position paper of the GMA Committee on 

Cultural Competence and Global Health. GMS journal for medical education, 

35(3), Doc28. https://doi.org/10.3205/zma001174 

Tool for assessing cultural competence training (TACCT). AAMC. (n.d.). https:// 

www.aamc.org/what-we-do/equity-diversity-inclusion/tool-for-assessingcultural-competence-training 

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Foray into Global Health Thailand 2023 

Written by Stephen Scholand, MD 

Dr. Stephen Scholand traveled to Thailand this March on behalf of the Nuvance 

Global Health Program. 

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With Dr. June, Nair Pulmonary Scholar, and the director of global health program 

The intention was to ‘pave the way’ for the reopening of the Thailand – Walailak 

University (WU) site. It is anticipated that four medical students will start on a 

rotation in late June for a six – week block. 

Inquiries into specific clinical sites and supporting faculty were undertaken. Tha 

Sala hospital will serve as an important clinical site. In addition, Walailak University 

has now opened its Main 700 bed hospital – with associated outpatient clinic 

areas. Other logistical plans were reviewed for student accommodations and 

travel. 

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Junior faculty at WU were enthusiastic about the prospects of continuation, 

after a few years long hibernation period due to COVID-19. Dr. Frank (Chaiwat 

Rerkswattavorn) and Dr. June (Atthayaporn Choomai) from Tha Sala hospital will 

be taking lead roles as on-site Thai faculty. 

Dr. Stephen Scholand plans to accompany the students on the initial leg of their 

rotation; to establish their rotations and provide clinical oversight. It is planned 

this will be followed later in July by UVM faculty for continued academic support. 

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Dr. Stephen Scholand with the Walailak University Lecture Group 

Dr. Stephen Scholand also gave a Grand Rounds presentation while at Walailak 

on ‘Updates in Infectious Diseases’. Part of his lecture involved discussion of 

Candida auris, a new pathogen that has just made headlines around the world 

after the CDC’s warning in regards to this dangerous microbe in the US. Dr. 

Scholand’s presentation was well received with numerous questions from the 

audience. 

All parties seemed enthused, and we are looking forward to summer in Thailand 

for continued Global Health education. 

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Department of Rheumatology at ChoRay Hospital 

Written by Stephen Winter, MD 

Global Health 



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Reflections 

The rheumatology unit requires special comment. I was not sure what to expect, 

and I was surprised at what an exceptional experience we had. Dr. Thanh, one 

of our former scholars introduced us to the section Chief, Dr. Khoa. He had 

spent six years in New York training at the Hospital for Special Surgery, and NYU 

receiving his PhD after his medical training in Vietnam. He is a progressive thinker, 

discussing quality interventions and programs within his section. The faculty of 

this department routinely have been receiving medical students from England, 

Australia and Canada and they are enthusiastic about having students to train. 

Everyone in this department is clearly prepared and has the interest in teaching 

students on their service. 








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Dr. Khoa, Chief of Rheumatology and Dr. Robyn Scatena 

Dr. Khoa, Chief of Rheumatology and 

Dr. Thanh, one of our Global Scholars 

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The structure of this department is designed perfectly for a student experience. 

There is an inpatient unit where they see new presentations of acute manifestations 

of rheumatologic disease with interesting differential and treatment discussions. 

On the same floor is an outpatient facility where approximately 350 patients are 

seen each week. It seems to be an incredible opportunity for students. There 

is also a suite where joint aspirations and injections are done (about 150 per 

week) potentially giving the students an opportunity to learn these important 

procedures. 

The clinical material on the wards is extraordinary and I must say that I learned 

a lot in the short time we were there. In about 2 hours we saw patients with 

lupus, Rheumatoid Arthritis, myositis/dermatomyositis, extensive gout, bacterial 

and TB spinal infections, ankylosing spondylitis (unusually common here) with 

systemic manifestations. It is a textbook of classic and unusual physical findings 

and complex, interesting patients with close supervision by enthusiastic teachers. 

I wish I had the opportunity to attend a rotation like this as a student myself. I 

would strongly recommend it to any motivated student. 

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Bringing hope, through better services 

and learning opportunities 

Written by Elvis Novas 

We had the opportunity to meet and share an 

excellent dinner with Dr. Luis Castillo from the 

Heart Institute in the Dominican Republic and 

Javier Rincón, MD Candidate from UVMLCOM. 

Two excellent professionals and human beings. 

Also with us were Jett Choquette (MD Candidate, 

Class of 2023), Eva Duran and Jason Nova, President and Executive Secretary of 

the Dominican Community Center, respectively. We had the opportunity to talk 

about various topics, from the beauty of our beloved Dominican Republic to the 

importance of working for our people in our Latino community in Danbury, CT, 

especially in the area of health. We fully agree on how important collaboration 

is and the great work that Nuvance Health is carrying out with the Global 

Health program, precisely looking for the most viable way to collaborate with 

all communities while bringing hope, through better services and learning 

opportunities. We faithfully believe that this meeting continues to strengthen 

our relationship with the Global Health program. 

This meeting took place in one of the emblematic restaurants of our Latino 

community, La Mitad del Mundo Restaurant, owned by a great community leader, 

Wilson Hernandez. 


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“Towards a common goal”, Dublin, 2023 (Ellina Mukhametshina) 

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Reflections 

Karamoja, a land out of the world and my 

most invaluable University 

Written by Hossein Akbarialiabad, MD 

Karamoja, a very remote place where neither colonial powers nor the Ugandan 

government could control over past centuries, is home to a unique lifestyle. This 

area is technology repellent. There is little connection with the outside world. 

Sugar, salt, and oil are not used in the villages for cooking, while they still use 

wild grains. I traveled to the villages and warrior camps to further understand 

the culture. All individuals–women, children, elders, and even warriors–only 

consumed one meal daily. 






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In villages, all families regardless of their income had one meal per day together; 

all consisting of wild grains and beer from local grass. The only piece of advanced 

technology in this society were AK-47 firearms to protect their cows. Further 

shocking was that people did not have mirrors–they could only recognize their 

face while looking at the water. When we were taking selfies together, villagers 

would not understand that it was their face in the picture. 

Prior to my journey, I studied a lot about Karamoja, learning basic vocabulary 

and what (not) to do. Surprisingly they called our car, “moving house” and the 

helicopter, “big bad” in their local tongue. When it comes to medicine, only local 

interventions were present and people had never seen manufactured pills. The 

children stared at me during my time there while practicing their local customs 

and fashion. At one point, a child touched me, yelled and scurried back to her 

mother, screaming, “Mzungu! Mzungu!” meaning “white! white!” in their local 

language. Some of the other children came and touched me as if making sure I 

was of the same species. 

After I somewhat adjusted to this new environment, I noticed a pure sense of 

humanity. I had a lovely stay thanks to Paul–my guide, and translator–who 

taught me how to grind the grains with rocks, cook the food using wild grains, 

and make baskets for storage using branches of local trees and grasses. I really 

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enjoyed being in a place where there was no arrogance or self-centrism. The 

head of the village was sleeping on the floor at midday under the shadow of a 

tree while others were talking in a session-like meeting–an image now ingrained 

in my mind. Another thing notable was that men did not wear underwear; adults 

were covering themselves with a special cover that I even used on my regular 

clothes while boys, they even did not have a cover at all. 


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In warrior camps, men above the age of seven 

had one meal consisting of milk and blood 

from the cows. That one meal was enough for 

them, as they believed it made them strong. 

Further shocking was the lack of a roof–even 

their cows, goats, and cattle had ceilings, but 

people did not. During one particular night there was heavy rain, yet the warriors 

kept sleeping. Puzzled, I asked my translator what their plan was, to which he 

responded, “Nothing! We are happy that the rain is coming. It helps us provide 

food for our cattle so we do not run away! We are happy!” And they kept sleeping 

as the rain continued. 

During my time at the warrior camps, I had some opportunities to talk with locals. 

I was curious about how much knowledge they have about the rest of their 

country and the world. Essentially, they had no understanding of the outside, for 

instance, they were unaware of the current president and the existence of the 

COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, I was not allowed to use masks as it could be a 

source of misinterpretation and show disrespect. 

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One night in the warrior camp when we gathered around the fire, I wanted to 

better understand this society and the extent to which they were isolated. I was 

struggling with how exactly to inquire about this respectfully. I began by asking 

them some fundamental questions, such as whether the earth is a sphere. An 

older man told me that up until a few years ago when he met individuals from 

other parts of Uganda, he thought that the Karamojans were the only tribe in the 

entire world. I was stunned and asked myself if I have any beliefs that are similar. 

It was one of the most important lessons I gained from my trip to Africa. 

From my time in the slums of Katange in Kampala, Uganda’s capital, I thought 

that a roof and family were enough to be happy. In the refugee settlements on 

the border of Uganda, South Sudan, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo 

I found you can be happy and dance even in harsh conditions with a maximum 

of one meal per day. But in the warrior camps of Karamoja I found that one 

can savor life without even a camp and a ceiling. Humanity can overcome all 

challenges, adapting to each environment in its own special ways. 







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Burned bodies, Lost souls 

Written by; 

Alexanderia Williams 

RUSM’2023 

I started out the week so grateful for this opportunity 

to be in Vietnam. It is a beautiful place, and I can’t 

get over how polite everyone is. During the week I 

visited the Vietnam war museum, and I was absolutely 

horrified by what I saw. The terror that was evoked 

on the Vietnamese people were heartbreaking. I 

then wondered why the Vietnamese people were 

not hateful toward Americans, and why we still were shown grace and kindness. 

In America, our education in school doesn’t really go into details about the 

devastation and destruction that America brought to Vietnam. I was appalled 

by what I learned. I tried to put into words what I saw at the museum, but I found 

it hard to do. So I decided to write a poem to express those thoughts. 

Burned bodies, Lost souls 

Target practice for American goals 

Why Agent Orange? 

Why watch them burn? 

Humanity is lost 

At what cost 

A smile remains 

The people were still 

Progression in the eyes of oppression 

The people will move 

Vietnam will move 

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I’m so thankful to learn more about this pivotal time in history and it has 

encouraged me to do a deeper dive into the history of this country and many 

others. 



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Section Editor: 


Catherine G Winkler, PhD, MPH, APRN-BC 

Director of the Nuvance Health Global Health Program Nursing Division 

Compassionate Care Course 

for Nurses 

Written by 

Rebecca Nagle, DNP, APRN, PNP 

and 

Lili Martin, DNP, RN, PCCN 

Dr. Rebecca Nagle (left) and Dr. Lili Martin (right) are both Clinical Assistant 

Professors of Nursing at the University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health 

Sciences in Burlington, Vermont and are affiliates of the University of Vermont’s 

Osher Center for Integrative Health 

In addition to the everyday stressors that college students experience, nursing 

students are faced with unique clinical, academic, and personal stressors related 

to nursing. Clinical stressors include a fear of being unprepared, of making 

mistakes, witnessing death, and dying, and interpersonal interactions with 

instructors and providers. Academic stressors include rigorous National Council 

Licensure Examination (NCLEX)-style exams, and requirements to maintain a 

specific GPA (Bartlett et al., 2016; Chernomas & Shapiro, 2013; Thomas & Revell, 

2016). 

It is well documented that unmanaged stress can lead to negative outcomes 

for nurses and patients including increased risk for medical errors, job burnout, 

turnover rates, and significantly higher rates of suicide in nurses compared to the 

general public. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these stressors by placing 

additional burden on nursing students and nurses (American Nurses Foundation, 

2022; Cuccia et al., 2022; Drybye et al. 2017; Firth, 2019). In addition to necessary 

organizational and systems change, nursing schools have a duty to educate 

students about tools that can be utilized to effectively manage stress before 

they enter the workforce. 

Drs. Nagle and Martin created the nursing course, Compassionate Care for 

Nurses at the University of Vermont College of Nursing and Health Sciences to 

combat nursing student stress and provide students with tools to optimize their 

mental health. The course challenges students to explore how stress affects 

mental health and well-being while participating in a variety of integrative 

strategies including meditation and mindfulness, narrative medicine, yoga, tai 

chi, forest bathing, culinary medicine, and Reiki. The experiential classroom 

is geared towards optimizing nursing students and nurses’ mental health and 

wellbeing increasing compassion in the care they give their patients, families 

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and communities. Evidence shows this can mitigate burnout and compassion 

fatigue. 

Throughout the semester students create a self-care toolkit to use both for 

themselves and their future patients. Students also implement evidence-based 

mindfulness tools with a patient in their clinical setting. At the conclusion of the 

semester each student presents a stress management or wellness strategy in a 

dynamic workshop for other nursing students and faculty. 

The foundation of this course was built on student reflection. Themes include 

cultural humility, healthy equity and inclusion with a specific focus on supporting 

underrepresented minorities in nursing including persons of color and persons 

identifying LGBTQ+. Students analyze the impact of health equity and access 

for nurses and for the patients they serve. 

The course has been well received with 100% of students recommending the 

course to others with two students commenting: 

“This class gives you the tools you need to be successful in a world and a 

career that is inherently stressful. I think it empowered me to have ownership 

over my own mental health and realize that it is not out of my control - I can 

do things that will positively impact how I am doing, and it’s not hard. Selfcare 

made approachable.” 

“I think it is super important especially for nursing students considering the 

stress of schooling and being a nurse later on. It can be easy to disregard 

self-care so having a class that makes it mandatory worked for me in terms 

of making time for self-care.” 

When students were asked how they would compare their stress levels at the 

end of the semester compared to the beginning of the semester, two students 

wrote: 

“I feel that I am now able to much better control my stress. I didn’t even 

realize until right now that it likely is correlated with me taking this class. I 

used to have extreme stress and anxiety, though I feel I am able to manage 

it much more effectively now.” 

“I feel significantly less stressed than I did at the beginning of the semester” 

Learning, experiencing, and discussing these topics can be challenging physically 

and emotionally for students and faculty. This course has given the important 

time and space for learning in a supportive environment. We are grateful for the 

opportunity as professors to share in experiencing reflective and mindfulness 

strategies alongside our students. 

For more information please contact - Dr. Nagle at rebecca.nagle@med.uvm.edu 



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Section Editor: Sarah Cordisco, RN 

Staff Nurse at the University of Vermont 

Female Genital Cutting; Part 1 

Written by Lauren Coritt 

MD Candidate Class of 2023 Larner College of Medicine 

lauren.coritt@med.uvm.edu 

Only through collaboration can we work towards ending harmful traditional 

practices. 






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Traditional cultural practices are reflective of values and beliefs held by 

communities for generations. Several such practices are seen as harmful but 

continue to be practiced today, partially due to foreign ignorance and indifference. 

One such practice is Female Genital Cutting (FGC), a tradition dating back over 

4000 years to Ancient Egypt. In the present day over 20 countries, primarily in 

Africa and the Middle East, continue FGC despite ongoing global efforts to end 

the practice. The West is seeing an increased prevalence of FCG as immigrants 

and refugees come to Canada, the United States, and Western Europe. This 

raises the question of how providers approach conversations with patients who 

would like traditions such as FCG in their new home. 

FGC is the surgical removal or part or all external female genital organs. There are 

four levels ranging from removal of the clitoris (Level I) to the removal of the clitoris 

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and part of the labia (Level II) to infibulation (Level III), or any other alteration (Level 

IV). Females may undergo FGC at any age ranging from infancy to adulthood. 

Often FGC is performed by other female members of the community with crude, 

unsterilized instruments, which increases the risk of subsequent infection, such 

as HIV /AIDSand hepatitis. Other complications include hemorrhage, chronic 

pain, keloids, infertility, obstetric complications, and psychological trauma. In 

many cultures FGM is seen as a rite of passage into womanhood. Other rationale 

includes preservation of virginity, dissuasion of sexual promiscuity, and is seen as 

a symbol of a “good” future wife. Increasingly, FGC is seen as a way for males 

to control women via economic and political subordination of women and to 

perpetuate women’s inferior status in society. Some communities consider 

not undergoing FGC to be harmful to women’s psychological health and their 

status in society. Women who do not undergo FGC are often ostracized by their 

community and viewed as “lesser than” or “unworthy’. 

The United States considers FGC a violation of human rights. In 1995 the United 

States issued the Federal Prohibition of Female Genital Mutilation Act and in 2021 

former President Trumps signed into law the STOP FGM Act, which criminalized 

FGC in minors. People found guilty of either performing the procedure in the 

country or sending their children abroad to undergo the procedure face legal 

consequences including removal of their child(ren) from the household and 

imprisonment. In 2012 it was estimated that over 513,000 women are at risk 

for FGC. At this time a screening tool to identify patients at risk does not exist, 

although similar tools are used in other countries (i.e. the British Safeguarding 

of Risk Assessment tool) It is imperative that should the United States decide 

to begin screening for at risk populations that researchers apply a culturally 

sensitive approach to creating a screening tool. 

The charter of the United Nation promotes and encourages respect for human 

rights and fundamental freedoms for all without distinction as to race, sex 

language, or religion. Immigrants/migrants/refugees have a right to traditional, 

complementary, or alternative healthcare. Per the principle of autonomy 

physicians must respect a patient’s right to self-determination and must honor 

cultural differences. However, if the requested act conflicts with the fundamental 

moral mandates of “do good” and “do no harm” physicians have the right to 

withhold harmful care. In a medical journal article published in 2002 Peter P. 

Moschovis argued that physicians have the right to pass moral judgement on his 

or her own patients choices, especially when said choices are informed by deeply 

held cultural value. I think Moschovis was approaching this from the wrong angle: 

it can be very easy to assert Western ideals onto immigrant populations and act 

paternalistically. It is not our job to judge- rather we should listen with an open 

mind and work with the patient to achieve the best state of health possible. 

Part 2 will be posted in May issue 


Resources 



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OUR PEOPLE, 

OUR MISSION 

Global Health 



Perspectives 


Highlights 

Reflections 








Who We Can Be 


Announcement 



Welcome 



Photo News 

Hispanic/Latinx Voices; 

Stories from our Community 

Section Editor: Elvis Novas 

Written by Elvis Novas 

Advisor for the Dominican Community Center and 

member of the Board of Directors of Housatonic Habitat 

for Humanity, Danbury, CT 

“I am very grateful for the privilege of being selected 

as editor for the column “Hispanic/Latinx Voices: 

Stories from our Community ‘’ of the Global Health 

eMagazine.” 

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

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

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

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

stories and amplify the voices of others. 

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

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

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

community. 

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

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

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

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

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

gmail.com. 

Calendar 


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Hispanic/Latinx Voices continued on next page >>

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Una Voz y un Voto! A Voice and a Vote! 

Written by Jason Nova 

The Latino population in the United States has 

been increasing continuously, resulting in shaping 

the cultural landscape of the United States. From 

entertainment to cuisine, the culture is interwoven 

into the fabric of American life. Most recently, the 

influence of the Latino vote in particular, has been 

picking up the attention from prominent political 

parties, and for good reason. 

According to the United States Census Bureau’s National Population Projections, 

the Latino population in the United States is expected to reach about 76 million 

by 2040, accounting for 23.2% of the overall population. This being a significant 

increase from the almost 60 million Latinos that lived in the United States in 

2018. This growth in demographic means that the Latino vote continues to gain 

the ability to influence elections in the United States, most recently playing a 

significant role in the outcomes of elections in key battleground states. 

The growing Latino population in the United States presents significant 

opportunities to influence policy and participate actively in politics. With the 

potential to shift the political landscape through active participation, Latinos 

can influence policy decisions on key issues like immigration, education, and 

healthcare. Additionally, Latinos can play an active role in shaping the future 

of the United States by being involved in community-based organizations, 

participating in political campaigns, or even running for office. With around 

6,600 of them holding elected office across the country at all levels. 

The power of the Latino vote in the United States cannot continue to be 

underestimated. With a growing demographic, a strong cultural influence, and 

significant political opportunities for the future, the Latino community has the 

potential to shape federal and state policies for generations to come. As more 

Latinos become eligible to vote, it is essential that they register and exercise that 

right to vote. Making their voices heard and ensuring that their diverse priorities 

are being represented in government. 

Calendar 


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OUR MISSION 

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The Voice of 

Ugandan Students 

Section Editor: Joshua Matusuko 

Mental Health in Uganda 

Written by Joshua Matusuko 

Medical student at MaKCHS 

A middle aged woman is admitted to the A&E ward of 

Mulago National Referral Hospital with complaints of 

abdominal pain, non-bilious vomiting, and progressive 

weight loss. This is not the first time she is presenting with 

similar presentations to the A&E ward of the Hospital. 

In 2021, she presented with similar presentations after 

multiple admissions in different private hospitals. Then, several investigations 

were first done with inconclusive results. Upper GI endoscopy revealed multiple 

foreign bodies in the stomach causing gastric outlet obstruction and an erect 

abdominal x-ray was then done to rule out distal gastrointestinal involvement 

and/or perforation. Her uncle reported that most of these objects she could 

have picked from his store at home since he is an electrician. Her past psychiatric 

history as per the 2021 admission revealed a diagnosis of schizophrenia which 

was made 4 years before this admission from Butabika National Referral 

Hospital where she was managed as an Out-Patient on antipsychotics for six 

weeks. Unfortunately, documents detailing this were not carried along with the 

patient and therefore, we couldn’t ascertain the antipsychotics she was given. 

However, it was reported that following the initiation of this therapy relatives 

noted that she spent most of her time sleeping and showed no improvement. 

For this reason, they sought a second opinion from a family friend, a Psychologist 

who upon the patient’s reassessment advised discontinuation of antipsychotics. 

He, however, recommended patient counseling which they did but was not 

helpful. Unfortunately, no further interventions have been tried since then. She 

had normal developmental milestones and started school at the age of 5 years. 

However, in her primary 2 and 

4, she lost her mother and 

father respectively. Since then, 

she has lived in different homes 

including her grandparents’, 

her uncle’s in Uganda, and her 

aunt’s in Kenya. An emergency 

laparotomy was performed 

and over 170 different metallic 

objects of varying sizes were 

evacuated. 

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On this second admission, this prior history quickly raises suspicion of a similar 

diagnosis and Upper GI endoscopy confirms the suspicion as multiple foreign 

bodies in the stomach were seen causing gastric outlet obstruction. Erect 

abdominal x-ray also confirms GI perforation. The patient reported hearing 

unfamiliar voices compelling her to ingest nails and other metals within her reach 

which she obeyed. The patient was prepared for an emergency laparotomy. 

Intra-operatively, a midline incision was made on the anterior abdominal wall 

and found a distended stomach with two nails perforating through its wall. A 5 

cm gastrostomy incision was then made 4 cm away from the greater curvature 

and found over 143 metallic foreign bodies of varying sizes and types. These 

were completely evacuated as shown in the pictures below. Gastric lavage was 

done using normal saline and Decasan before repairing the defect, closing the 

gastrostomy incision, and closing the anterior abdominal wall. The patient was 

then transferred to the Post Anesthetic Care Unit (PACU) for post-operative 

monitoring from where she was subsequently moved to the surgery ward under 

the care of the surgical team and a psychiatrist. Patient had an uneventful 

recovery post operatively. 

Mental health is an active state of mind which enables a person to use their 

abilities in coordination with the common human tenets of society. Mental 

health disorders include depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, anxiety, 

other psychoses, dementia, developmental disorders like autism etc. However, 

despite its importance, it is often the least prioritized amongst health conditions. 

In low- and medium-income countries like Uganda where disease, ignorance, 

and poverty are common, a demand for a steadfast mental healthcare can 

seem a luxury. Uganda is ranked among the top six countries in Africa in rates of 

depressive disorders (4.6%; Miller et al., 2020), while 2.9% live with anxiety disorders 

(WHO, 2017). About 5.1% of females and 3.6% of males are affected. Statistics 

from the ministry of health and Uganda counseling association revealed than 

an estimated 14 million Ugandans (35 out of every 100) suffer from a certain 

form of mental disorder. If each person from this category interacts with two 

people, that means the country is directly or indirectly affected by mental health 

disorders. This is worsened by the hiking cost of living and increased economic 

stress. Medical students, given their usually stressful schedules are one particular 

group of people with increased likelihood of mental health disorders. More is 

needed to be done in tackling mental health challenges as they continue to rise 

day in day out in Uganda. 

Link to the Video 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1YHrjIawGi86kHLNOcfML3weH9jl-oh9x/ 

view?usp=sharing 

https://drive.google.com/file/d/1Zqc1WvizuwJF5zZAXY-9KIurn9O2nL5w/ 

view?usp=sharing 

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Global Health 



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in Global Health 

Written by Swapnil Parve, MD 

Director of International Affairs at the NH/ 

UVMLCOM Global Health Program 

Over the past several years, we have seen a wave of emerging technologies, 

from blockchain and Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to artificial intelligence (AI), 

demonstrate significant potential to alter and disrupt multiple sectors, including 

healthcare. Recognizing the huge potential of AI in global health, The Rockefeller 

Foundation and United States Agency for International Development’s (USAID) 

Center for Innovation and Impact (CII) have partnered, in close coordination with 

the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, to develop AI in Global Health: Defining 

a Collective Path Forward. This report identifies opportunities for donors, 

governments, investors, the private sector, and other stakeholders to explore 

and accelerate the appropriate development and cost-effective use of AI at 

scale in global health. 

AI in Global Health: 

Section Editor: Swapnil Parve, MD 

Artificial Intelligence in Global Health: 

Defining a Collective Path Forward 

• Explores the current state of the art of AI in healthcare to determine use 

cases with the highest potential in the global health context 

• Assesses the most critical challenges to scaling AI in low and middle 

income countries to understand which barriers may require more strategic 

and deliberate intervention 

• Explores potential investments as part of a coordinated approach to 

funding this space effectively 

Artificial intelligence (AI) has begun to create change in healthcare across 

developed markets, and has potential to drive game-changing improvements 

for underserved communities in global health. From enabling community-health 

workers to better serve patients in remote areas to helping governments in 

low and middle-income countries (LMICs) prevent deadly disease outbreaks 

before they occur, there is growing recognition of the tremendous potential 

of AI tools to break fundamental tradeoffs in health access, quality, and cost. 

Health systems in LMICs face obstacles including daunting shortages of workers, 

medical equipment, and other resources that require strategic and innovative 

approaches to overcome. AI tools have exciting potential not only to optimize 

existing resources and help overcome these workforce resource shortages, but 

also to greatly improve healthcare delivery and outcomes in low-income settings 

in ways never previously imagined. 

Link to the Article: AI in Global Health 

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Section Editor: 

Dilyara F. Nurkhametova, MD, PhD 

Director of Nuvance Health Global Health Electives Program 

for AUC/RUSM 

This new column exhibits the beauties of our planet earth 

and our everyday destructive actions against it. We are 

witnessing Earth undergoing a profound transformation. 

In this recently launched section, we appreciate the gems 

of our planet while raising awareness of climate change. 

We invite our global health community to share photos, 

videos, inspirational resources, and stories. We want to 

hear from you how climate change affects people and 

health in your part of the world. 

Forests and Trees for Human Health: Pathways, Impacts, 

Challenges and Response Options. A Global Assessment Report 

“Human health does not exist 

without forest health. It is 

pivotal that this message be 

communicated to, and fully 

understood by, politicians, 

decision-makers, and everyone 

living on this planet because, 

despite the simplicity of the 

message, the way we treat 

our forests demonstrates 

that we are very far from 

having achieved this simple 

realization, and an outdated, 

anthropocentric worldview 

prevails.” 

Read the full report here 

Planet continued on next page >> 

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Who We Can Be 


Announcement 

Upcoming events 

The Future of Planetary Health: Emerging Research Areas and 

Opportunities for Change (Dr. Andrea MacNeill) 

Thursday, April 13, 2023, 5:30 PM - 6:30 PM EST (virtual) 

This is one of the webinar series, presented by the International and Global 

Health Office at uOttawa, and Planetary Health, is designed for Faculty members, 

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

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

Register via this link 

The University Panel Symposium on Planetary Health for the 

G7 Hiroshima Summit 

Friday, April 21, 2023 (hybrid) 

The IDEC Institute is organizing the University Panel Symposium on Planetary 

Health, “Planetary Health for a Sustainable Global Environment: Open Up the 

Future by Interdisciplinary Research” in response to the G7 Hiroshima Summit 

(May 17-21, 2023). Based on the recommendations for the G7 Hiroshima Summit, 

the panel will discuss the role of universities in planetary health. 

Read more about the event here, register here 



Welcome 



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EARTH DAY “INVEST IN OUR PLANET” 

Saturday, April 22 

Join the World’s Largest 

Environmental Movement and 

read how to do Earth Day 2023 

here 

Earth Day Action Toolkit 

Tell about your plans for this year 

Earth Day to Planetary Health 

Alliance so that they can share 

them with the Planetary Health 

community in the lead-up to this 

annual demonstration of support 

for environmental protection 

23 

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OUR PEOPLE, 

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World Nature Photography Awards 

“Celebrating the world’s best nature photographers, as they highlight the 

wonders of our planet” 

Animal portraits 


Perspectives 


Highlights 

Reflections 








Who We Can Be 

© Jens Cullmann 

JENS CULLMANN, GERMANY - GOLD WINNER AND GRAND PRIZE OF WORLD NATURE 

PHOTOGRAPHER OF THE YEAR 


Announcement 


Behaviour - Mammals 


Welcome 



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© Hidetoshi Ogata 

GOLD: HIDETOSHI OGATA, JAPAN Planet continued on next page >> 

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Who We Can Be 


© Staffan Widstrand 

BRONZE: STAFFAN WIDSTRAND, SWEDEN 

Behaviour - Birds 

Announcement 



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© Tamas Aranyossy 

SILVER: TAMAS ARANYOSSY, HUNGARY 

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Plants and Fungi 

Global Health 



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©Julie Kenny 

GOLD: JULIE KENNY, AUSTRALIA 

Check out more photographs and stories behind at this link 

26

OUR PEOPLE, 

OUR MISSION 

Global Health 



Perspectives 


Highlights 

Art To Remind Us 

of Who We Can Be 

Co-Editors: 

Mitra Sadigh 

and 

Elina Mukhametshina, MD 

Reflections 








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. 


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Oscar Wilde 

Written by 

Elina Mukhametshina 

Spring has arrived! Its longer days and 

warmer temperatures brought a sense 

of hope and optimism after the cold, 

dark winter. With trees in blossom, 

birds singing beautiful songs, and the 

air carrying a sweet spring scent, I felt 

happy to finally notice and admire 

the little things that life brings us. As I 

walked the streets of Dublin, I stumbled 

upon the monument of Oscar Wilde in 

Merrion Square Park and remembered 

his beautiful poem about spring. 

Art continued on next page >> 

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Oscar Wilde was an Irish writer, poet, and playwright who was born in Dublin 

in 1854. He wrote a lot about love, beauty and morality and is remembered 

as a pioneer of the aesthetic movement in literature. Oscar Wilde suffered 

from persecution and legal consequences due to his homosexuality. He was 

sentenced for 2 years, with a subsequent deterioration in his health before he 

died of meningitis. 

Magdalen Walks 

Oscar Wilde - 1854-1900 

The little white clouds are racing over the sky, 

And the fields are strewn with the gold of the flower of March, 

The daffodil breaks under foot, and the tasselled larch 

Sways and swings as the thrush goes hurrying by. 

A delicate odour is borne on the wings of the morning breeze, 

The odour of leaves, and of grass, and of newly upturned earth, 

The birds are singing for joy of the Spring’s glad birth, 

Hopping from branch to branch on the rocking trees. 

And all the woods are alive with the murmur and sound of Spring, 

And the rose-bud breaks into pink on the climbing briar, 

And the crocus-bed is a quivering moon of fire 

Girdled round with the belt of an amethyst ring. 

And the plane to the pine-tree is whispering some tale of love 

Till it rustles with laughter and tosses its mantle of green, 

And the gloom of the wych-elm’s hollow is lit with the iris sheen 

Of the burnished rainbow throat and the silver breast of a dove. 

See! the lark starts up from his bed in the meadow there, 

Breaking the gossamer threads and the nets of dew, 

And flashing adown the river, a flame of blue! 

The kingfisher flies like an arrow, and wounds the air. 


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OUR PEOPLE, 

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This poem, along with my walks in the rare Irish sunlight and taking photographs 

of the blossoming trees and flowers in Dublin inspired me to create a collage of 

daffodils, lilac cherry and apple tree blossoms. I used the spring flowers to spell 

out the word “peace” to symbolize the hope that this spring and the following 

year will bring peace to all of us worldwide. 


Perspectives 


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Reflections 








Who We Can Be 


A Letter to You by Bruce Springsteen 

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“Letter To You” is the first single 

from Bruce Springsteen’s studio 

album “Letter To You”. The song 

was premiered on September 

10, 2020. Springsteen told about 

the song and the album as a 

whole, “I love the emotional 

nature of ‘Letter To You’. And I 

love the sound of the E Street 

Band playing completely live 

in the studio, in a way we’ve 

never done before, and with no 

overdubs. We made the album 

in only five days, and it turned 

out to be one of the greatest 

recording experiences I’ve ever 

had.” The song was recorded at 

his home studio in New Jersey. 


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“Letter To You” 

‘Neath a crowd of mongrel trees I pulled that bothersome thread 

Got down on my knees, grabbed my pen and bowed my head 

Tried to summon all that my heart finds true 

And send it in my letter to you 

Whoa! 

Things I found out through hard times and good 

I wrote ‘em all out in ink and blood 

Dug deep in my soul and signed my name true 

And sent it in my letter to you 

In my letter to you 

I took all my fears and doubts 


All the hard things I found out 


All that I found true 

And I sent it in my letter to you 

I took all the sunshine and rain 

All my happiness and all my pain 

The dark evening stars and the morning sky of blue 




I took all my fears and doubts 


All the hard things I found out 


All that I found true 


I sent it in my letter to you 

Lyrics: A Letter to you by Bruce Springsteen 

Video: A Letter to You; Bruce Springsteen 

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OUR PEOPLE, 

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Video of 

the Month 

Mainstreaming Gender in the National Climate Change 

Management Policy in Malawi-Green Girls Platform 

Perspectives 


Highlights 

Reflections 








Who We Can Be 


Announcement 



Welcome 


Mainstreaming Gender in the National Climate Change Management Policy in 

Malawi-Green Girls Platform 


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Click here to visit the Nuvance 

Health Global Health Program 

COVID-19 Resource Center 

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Who We Can Be 


Announcement 


Announcement 

Join us in wishing Michael F. Simms, MD 

HAPPY RETIREMENT! 

May 19, 2023 at 12:00 pm 

We will have a special noon conference in 

the auditorium located at St. Mary’s hospital 

dedicated to our passionate teacher, Dr. Simms. 

Virtual option will also be available. 

At 6:00pm please join us at La Bella Vista 

for dinner, cocktails, memories and laughs. 

380 Farmwood Rd, Waterbury, CT 06704 

We kindly ask you to RSVP before April 21, 2023 

to ensure that your seat is reserved. 

Please RSVP to 

stephanie.perez@trinityhealthofne.org 

Questions? Please call 203-709-8685 



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Click here to view 

Click here to view 

32

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A brief history of colonisation in global healthDespite being given several names 

throughout his-tory, from its roots in colonial medicine [1] to tropi-cal medicine, 

international health, and even planetary health, the field of global health 

continues to uphold colonialist structures. From its use as a scientific rationale 

for assigning racial superiority or inferiority to its restrictions on the movement 

of indigenous people in the name of infection control, the exploita-tion of 

local remedies, to the injustices against people of color in the name of medical 

progress, stories of inequity have long been woven into the history of global 

health [2]. Every act of colonialism, be it enlisting of indigenous populations into 

hard labor, usurping of ancient culture and faith practices, or the imposition 

of divisive borders, has inevitably led to negative health outcomes [3].French 

colonial strategist Herbert Lyautey described medicine as the ‘most effective 

of our agents for penetration and pacification’ [4]. History demonstrates that 

colonial powers promoted medical research and advancements when diseases 

affected their own people, and only did so for locals when in the colonies’ best 

interests, such as the case of malaria control in the construction of the Panama 

Canal [5]. In fact, in the United States, there are many examples of medical 

advancements that relied on exploitation of vulnerable populations. The 

vesicovaginal fistula surgery was crafted by Marion Sims who became known 

as the ‘father of modern gynecology’ without any credit given to the enslaved 

black women who were operated on without anesthesia [6]. The devel-opment 

of chemotherapy by Cornelius Rhoads earned him countless accolades while 

the 60,000 US soldiers of African, Japanese, and Puerto Rican des-cent who 

suffered lifelong consequences of his mus-tard gas experiments went unnamed. 

33 

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Perspectives 

The Tuskegee Study, the Guatemala Syphilis Study [7,8], forced sterilisations 

in Virginia [9], and the Stateville Penitentiary Malaria Experiments [10] among 

count-less others evidence the nation’s long and gruelling medical history. Even 

in modern times, forced ster-ilisations and separation of families continue in border 

communities [11]. This history is critical in evaluating the actions of the United 

States as a proclaimed leader in global health. 

Link to the Article: 

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/16549716.2023.2186575 


Highlights 

Reflections 








Who We Can Be 


Welcome 

On March 6, 2023, Dr Luis Alberto Castillo 

Nunez - cardiology resident from Heart 

Institute, Santo Domingo, Dominican 

Republic, arrived in Danbury hospital 

for 4-week training in Cardiology 

department under supervision of Dr. 

Robert Jarrett, the President and the 

Founder of the Heats Around the World. 

We welcome Dr Castillo to Danbury 

hospital! 

Announcement 



Welcome 



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Click here to visit 

the Nuvance Health 

Global Health Program 

COVID-19 

Resource Center 

34 


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Perspectives 


Highlights 

Reflections 


Thank you very much for an exceedingly interesting article. I will keep reflecting on 

the truth contained therein. One thought that comes to my mind is the apparent 

acceptance of the inferiority colonization assigned to them. They have endured 

disadvantage for so long that they strive to to cross over to the other side and 

live as if that is where they belong. That compromises them and disarms them 

so instead of resisting subjugation they seem to be working to promote it. For 

example it’s such a privilege to win or be recruited to work on a project funded 

from HIC grants, that they have no choice but to play by the rules. It is a very 

complex issue. Maybe we should organize a series of international debates on it. 

Once again thank you very much. 

Sam Luboga 







Who We Can Be 


Announcement 



Following the Global Health blog and e-Magazine over the past year has 

been such an impressive tale. The writing found here is powerful, poetic, and 

informative. Further, interludes like these updates solidify the potential and 

obvious gains that this Global Health Program is set to make on the International 

scene as a leader in medical practice and education. It’s not possible to put into 

words how impressive it is to observe: the development of interdisciplinary work, 

round the world collaboration, the initiation of the Medical Educators without 

Borders Program, and ever more expansion! This organization is one to watch 

for guidance and for reference when moving into any work in the field of Global 

Health. Cheers to you all. 

Ryan McLoughlin 

Saba Medical School 

Welcome 



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I was able to join the morning report regularly. The chief residents were friendly, 

and I learned new lessons every day. They also sent me the link to join the journal 

club. 

Because of the bad weather, I decided to go only a short distance and stop at 

Norwalk on the weekend. I visited the Maritime Aquarium, which is so amazing, 

and went around the shopping mall. Walking took a lot of time, but it allowed me 

to view the street and enjoy the atmosphere there. 

I worked with many doctors at ICU and they’re all so nice to me. The discussion is 

wide open for us to share our thoughts and experiences. And the residents too. 

They found some aspects of the ICU quite challenging and I did give them a brief 

review as well as instructions to help them over the problems. 

Du Quoc Minh Quan, MD 

Global Health Scholars from Cho Ray Hospital, Vietnam 

35 

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Highlights 

Reflections 







I was very impressed by the rheumatology experience at ChoRay Hospital. Also 

just so impressed by the amazing people our global health scholars are. Too 

many stories to tell by email, but each is an incredible human. 

Dr. Robyn Scatena 

Executive Director of the PT Teaching Academy 


To Dr. Robert Kalyesubula the receiver of the 

Distinguished Service Award from the Uganda 

Kidney Foundation. 

To Maysoon Hussain and Mitra Sadigh for 

publication of the article on “Colonization and 

Decolonization of Global Health: Which Way 

Forward?” In the Journal of Global Health 

Action. 


Who We Can Be 


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“Gentlemen at an irish pub”, Dublin, 2023 (Ellina Mukhametshina) 

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Thailand 

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Who We Can Be 


Announcement 


Dr. Scholand at the podium, Walailak University 


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Dr. Scholand at Walailak University 

ThaSalaTown 

Walailak University Hospital 

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Who We Can Be 


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Calendar of Events 

Nuvance Health 

March 01: Meeting with Wendi Cuscina, the manager of the global health 

program, to review the Nuvance Health Global Health Academy budget 

March 01: Meeting with Dr. Dilyara Nurkhametova, the assistant director of the 

global health program, to review a revised version of a manuscript for peer 

reviewed publication 

March 01: CIFC resident, Alla Jusufi started her GH elective in Naggalama, 

Uganda 

March 01: Zoom meeting with Elvis Nova to discuss his role during the global 

health day. 

March 03: GME transition and new leadership 

March 03: Zoom meeting with Dr. Dereck Deleon to discuss the next steps in the 

newly established partnership with NIH in Armenia 

March 05: Finalized the global health diaries with Mitra Sadigh and Amanda 

Wallace 

March 06: Weekly debriefing meeting with Wendi Cuscina, the manager of the 

global health program 

March 06: Welcoming Dr. Luis Castillo, a cardiology resident from Heart Institute 

in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic 

March 06: Meeting with Dr. Elina Mukhametshina to review a revised version of a 

manuscript for peer reviewed publication 

March 06: Telephone call with Dr. Mariah McNamara, the director of the global 

health at UVMLCOM, to discuss the format and content of the educational 

sessions of the 2nd Annual Nuvance Health/UVMLCOM Global Health Day in 

early June of 2023 

March 06: Interview session for an article about the global health and global 

health academy with Wendi Cuscina and the members of the Nuvance Health 

Foundation Department 

March 07: Telephone call with Dr. Swapnil Parve, the director of the international 

affairs office, to discuss the status of his visa entry to the USA 

March 07: Team Meeting with a member of the legal/immigration office and 

Wendi Cuscina, the manager of the global health program, to discuss the current 

status of Dr. Parve’s visa 

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Highlights 

Reflections 








Who We Can Be 


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Welcome 



Photo News 

Calendar 


Resources 



March 07: Luncheon meeting with Dr. Rudy Ruggles to discuss the current and 

future direction of the global mental health project and Rudy Ruggles Scholars 

in global mental health. 

March 09: Luncheon meeting with a generous donor and the members of the 

Nuvance Health Foundation to review the content and the structure of the 

global health academy 

March 10: Meeting with Dr. Asghar Rastegar to seek his opinion on the global 

health academy and challenges of medical education in current healthcare 

system 

March 12: Meeting with Dr. Stephen Winter in preparation for his trip to Vietnam 

March 12: Finalized Global Health Diaries with Mitra Sadigh and Amanda Wallace 

March 13: Debriefing meeting with Wendi Cuscina, the manager of the GHP 

March 13: Debriefing meeting with Dr. Dilyara Nurkhametova, assistant director 

of the GHP 

March 13: Monthly meeting with Dr. Dereck DeLeon, the CAO at Nuvance Health 

March 13: Zoom meeting with the UVMLCOM Global Health Leadership Team 

to discuss the logistics of the global health day and to start forming a ”Writing 

Group” 

March 14: Meeting with Dr. Sandra Mini who is interested in supervising medical 

students during summer in one of the international sites and to host a colleague 

from international partners at her home 

March 14: Meeting with Dr. Stephen Scholand in preparation for his trip to 

Thailand for conducting educational talks and workshops and addressing the 

logistics of hosting several students during the summer 

March 14: Meeting with Dr. Elina Mukhametshina, to discuss how to proceed with 

our partnership with NIH in Armenia 

March 15: Participation in PT Teaching Academy 

March 15: Debriefing session with Wendi Cuscina 

March 18: Discussion around a new manuscript with members of ACCESS and 

Mitra Sadigh 

March 18: Zoom meeting with a global health faculty 


Wallace 

March 20: Visiting the global health academy with Wendi Cuscina 

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Reflections 








Who We Can Be 


Announcement 



Welcome 



Photo News 

Calendar 


Resources 



March 20: Discussion around the global health annual report and the global 

health day with members of the NVH Foundation 

March 20: Debriefing session with Dr. Dilyara Nurkhametova, the assistant 

director of the global health program at NVH 

March 20: Debriefing session with Wendi Cuscina, the manager of the global 

health program 

March 23: Discussion around supervision of the residents from Heart Institute at 

Danbury Hospital with Dr. Robert Jarrett, the founder and president of Hearts 

Around the World 

March 23: UVMLCOM Emergency Medicine Grand Rounds 

March 25: Zoom meeting with one of the global health faculty to discuss the 

advantage of AI in global health 

March 26: Discussion around Thailand site visit by Dr. Stephen Scholand 

March 26: Finalized February issue of eMagazine with Mitra Sadigh and Amanda 

Wallace 


Wallace 

March 27: Weekly meeting with Wendi Cuscina 

March 27: Meeting with Dr. Dereck DeLeon to discuss the next steps toward 

partnership with NIH in Armenia 

March 27: Meeting with Dr. Dereck DeLeon and Dr. Charles Herrick to discuss the 

potentials of establishing global mental health in Armenia 

March 27: Meeting with Dr. Elina Mukhametshina, to make a tentative plan for the 

global health day in early June 

March 28: Finalized the April issue of eMagazine with Mitra Sadigh and Amanda 

Wallace 

March 28: Zoom meeting with UVM medical students interested in global local, 

particularly out reaching to Latinx community at Danbury 

March 29: Debriefing zoom meeting with Dr. Bulat Ziganshin, the director of 

innovation and research at Nuvance Health Global Health Program 

March 29: Commitment signing by a donor in presence of Grace Linhard, and Dr. 

John Murphy, CEO and President of Nuvance Health at Summit 

March 30: Zoom meeting with the Nuvance Health Foundation staff; an update 

on the global health day 

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OUR PEOPLE, 

OUR MISSION 

Global Health 


March 31: Zoom meeting with UN representatives interested to learn more about 

Nuvance Health Global Health Program and participation of global health 

leadership at UNGA78 

March 31: Farewell meeting with Dr. Du Quoc Minh Quan, scholar from ChoRay, 

and Dr.Luis alberto Castillo Nunez, a cardiology resident from Heart Institute in 

Santo Domingo 


Perspectives 


Highlights 

Reflections 








Who We Can Be 


Announcement 



Welcome 



Photo News 

UVMLCOM 

March 10: Three UVM students completed their GH elective in Zimbabwe 

March 13: Global Health Leadership Team meeting 

March 27: Global Health Leadership Team meeting 

Thirteen UVMLCOM MS1 students selected for 2023 Summer Global Health 

Electives. 

AUC/RUSM 

March 13: Touch base meeting with Dr. Elina Mukhametshina 

March 14: Meeting with Dr. Elina Mukhametshina to work on the manuscript 

March 15: Pre-departure orientation meeting with two AUC/RUSM students in 

preparation to their GHE in Vietnam in May 2023 

March 16: Meeting with Dr. Elina Mukhametshina to prepare the manuscript for 

submission 

March 22: Interviews with AUC/RUSM students 

March 22: Touchbase meeting with Dr. Elina Mukhametshina 

March 31: Four AUC/RUSM students completed their GH elective in Vietnam 

Calendar 


Resources 



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OUR PEOPLE, 

OUR MISSION 


Global Health 



Perspectives 


Highlights 

Reflections 








Who We Can Be 


Announcement 



Welcome 



Photo News 

Calendar 


Resources 



“Dr. Stephen Scholand with his son Henry on his 

5th birthday, and Orrawee Scholand” 

Amanda Wallace’s new rescue cat;, Gizmo 

“St Patrick’s day in Dublin, 2023”, (Ellina Mukhametshina) 

42

OUR PEOPLE, 

OUR MISSION 

Global Health 



Perspectives 


Highlights 

Reflections 








Who We Can Be 


Announcement 



Welcome 



Photo News 

Calendar 


Resources 



Yale Medicine 2008 

Photos and Reflections 2021 

Global Health & the Arts 

Nuvance Health and UVMLCOM Global 

Health Website 

COVID-19 Resource Center 

Nuvance Health and UVMLCOM Annual 

Report 2020 

AUC/RUSM Annual Report 2018 

Cases and Reflections from Mulago 

Climb for a Cause 2018 

Climb for a Cause 2019 

Ebola: Sequences on Light and Dark 

Ebola: Two Doctors Respond to the 2014 

Ebola Epidemic in Liberia: A Personal 

Account 

Global Health Annual Reports 

Global Health Conference 2019 Photos 

Global Health Conference 2019 Videos 

Global Health Conference 2019 Book 

Global Health Diaries and Newsletters 

2015-2016 


2016-2017 


2017-2018 

Global Health Diaries and eMagazines 

2018-2019 

Global Health eMagazines 2020-2021 

Global Health Diaries 2020-2021 

Global Health Program Website 

Global Health at WCHN Facebook 

Ho Chi Minh City and Cho Ray Hospital 

The Homestay Model of Global Health 

Program video 

Kasensero Uganda 

Resources 

Global Health Reflections and Photos 2017 

and 2018 

Global Health Reflections and Photos 2019 

Ethical Dilemmas book 

Nuvance/MakCHS Global Health 

Information Center Booklet 

Paraiso and the PAP Hospital 

Photographs from Uganda, by 

photojournalist Tyler Sizemore 

Presentations By Global Health Scholars 

Previous issues of the Global Health 


Program Partners 

Publications 

Site Specific Information 

Tropical Medicine Booklets (101, and 

202) 

Tropical Medicine Spanish 101 

Tropical Medicine Courses 

The World of Global Health book 

The World of Global Health Video 

Words of Encouragement 

UVM Larner College of Medicine Blog 

Participant Guide in Global Health, 

Thailand 

Cho Ray International Student Handbook 

DRC Facing a New Normal 

Photos and Reflections 2019 

Coronavirus 2019 Important clinical 

considerations for Patients & Health 

care Providers 

Interviews 

A Connecticut Doctor in Africa, by 

journalist Mackenzie Riggs 

Majid Sadigh, MD Interview Regarding 

Ebola in Liberia (Video) 

My Heart Burns: Three Words Form a 

Memoir (Video) 

Two UVM Docs Combat Ebola in Liberia 

(Article) 

43

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