USA | Community Connections Hosting | 30 Apr 2009

The focus of this program will be on sharing and learning about “infection prevention and control and blood safety issues in hospitals, clinics and medical settings”. As such, the overall objective of this three week program is to expose healthcare professionals from the Kyrgyz Republic to the best methodologies and options available regarding blood safety, infection control and waste management issues in the U.S. In order to meet this objective, participants will be given the opportunity to observe the blood transfusion process from the screening process through to the actual donation, engage with infection control and blood safety experts in order to gain an understanding of the systems for promoting infection control management, visit various institutions and learn how to manage and implement the infection control systems therein, gain knowledge on USG and non-profit organizations’ policies and regulations that support and improve infection control systems, learn how the blood banking system is managed, how the mechanisms and methods of Infection Control Reporting are used in the U.S., learn about safer medical practices through quality assurance measures and better monitoring and supervision mechanisms, and experience how encouragement of healthy life styles is incorporated into the medical profession. To ensure the success and encourage the sustainability of this program, PH International will work with professionals from three New England states. In Vermont, the delegation will interact and share information with the Vermont Department of Health (VDH), the Director of Health Surveillance and Infectious Disease, the VDH Health Testing Laboratory, Northern Vermont Chapter of the American Red Cross and Blood Donation Center, Vermont CARES, Planned Parenthood of Northern New England, Fletcher Allen Health Care, the University of Vermont College of Medicine Infectious Diseases Unit and Comprehensive Care Clinics and the Head Epidemiologist at Fletcher Allen Health Care. In New Hampshire, participants will spend a day with medical staff at Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center/ Infectious Disease & International Health Division. To experience similar work in a larger, metropolitan area, the group will spend two days in Boston, Massachusetts, experiencing the Codman Square Health Center, Massachusetts General Hospital and the Boston Center for Disease Control Quarantine Station (CDCQS). The participation of these experts foster the development and implementation of a comprehensive itinerary that will expose Kyrgyz health care practitioners to U.S. best practices regarding blood safety, infection control and waste management. Participants will be provided with interactive learning opportunities that will allow for the use of all senses. PH will work diligently with our professional partners to provide volunteer opportunities for all participants as well. As the goals of this program include both a professional and cultural component, the participants will become immersed in American culture and communities by living with host families during their stay in Vermont. They will be given the opportunity to experience the every day life, diversity and culture of America. While living in a typical American home will help to redefine perceptions of America for our international guests, it will also provide a unique opportunity for Americans to learn about the culture, history and people of the Kyrgyz Republic.