Back to Table of Contents | April 2010

Pulse

Teaching Missionaries

A dozen Minnesota physicians traveled to Limuru, Kenya, in February to be part of the faculty for a continuing medical education conference sponsored by the Christian Medical and Dental Associations. The annual 10-day event, started in 1978, helps missionary physicians maintain their licensure and keep up professionally without having to return to the United States to do so.

Although the Internet has made it easier for overseas physicians to stay abreast of new developments in their fields, the conference continues to attract a large number of health professionals, most of whom practice in church-based hospitals and clinics in Africa and Asia. This year, the 300 attendees included health care providers from 37 countries, according to Mayo Clinic pediatrician Philip Fischer, M.D., who helped organize the event and has taught at it a dozen times.

One of the appeals of the conference is that the sessions are geared toward practice in the Third World. Presenters are encouraged to talk about the latest treatments and research as well as what is practical in settings that have limited access to technology and medications. “We tell the presenters that two-thirds of the content needs to be cutting-edge and one-third needs to be relevant,” Fischer says.

He notes that it’s important for doctors everywhere to have the latest information even if they can’t use it right away. As an example, Fischer tells how a number of years ago, there was debate over whether a session on HIV should include information about antiretroviral drugs that weren’t yet available to people in many countries. “We decided we needed to teach it,” he says. “Two years later, everybody had them.”—Carmen Peota

Creating a Caring Culture

Health care organizations that are looking to become more sensitive to the needs of patients from different parts of the world can find help through Stratis Health’s Culture Care Connection (www.culturecareconnection.org).

The online resource was launched last September to extend the work on cultural competency that Stratis Health has done at primary care clinics around the state.

The website offers demographic information about all 87 counties in Minnesota including details about residents’ socioeconomic and health status; profiles of different ethnic groups that cover their social structure, diet, religious beliefs, health concerns, and views on death and dying; a brief online quiz to gauge understanding of Minnesota’s cultural diversity; a more extensive assessment of compliance with the federal Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) standards; and information about educational opportunities, organizations, and resources that can help organizations become more familiar with the CLAS standards and provide more culturally competent care and services.

“It’s a one-stop shop for what’s available in Minnesota,” says program manager Mary Beth Dahl. She adds that people from throughout the United States, Australia, the Philippines, and Canada have accessed the site and its many free resources since the launch. “It’s open to the world.”—Kim Kiser

Patients Going Abroad

Health plans in four states (California, Florida, South Carolina, and Wisconsin) are piloting medical tourism programs for some enrollees. Two states (Colorado and West Virginia) have considered but thus far failed to pass legislation that would provide incentives for state employees to obtain care at a foreign medical facility.

Source: Deloitte Center for Health Solutions. Medical tourism: update and implications. 2009. Available at www.deloitte.com/centerforhealthsolutions