Global Health Cooperation

I was honored last week to facilitate the closeout session for a U.S. Department of State-sponsored professional exchange group of healthcare professionals representing 19 countries on the topic of “Global Health Cooperation.” The international visitors were in the U.S. for a multi-city tour to explore public health management, urban and rural healthcare, health system management, and addressing communicable disease outbreaks.

The “Global Health Cooperation” program visitors are invited to the United States under the auspices of the Department of States International Visitor Leadership Program (IVLP) | Exchange Programs

This program is arranged by the Institute of International Education (Homepage | IIE ), and the Cleveland session was coordinated by the CCWA – Cleveland Council on World Affairs.

We had a lively discussion that provided our international visitors with the opportunity to:

• Reflect on their key takeaways from the Global Health Cooperation program themes, site visits, and discussions
• Apply these key takeaways from this program to their home country
• Share what we in the U.S. can learn from their own countries’ experiences related to the topics and themes covered in the program.
• Share overall lessons learned 

 This is the fifth program over the last 15 years that I have had the honor to either facilitate sessions and/or coordinate site visits for the Department of State’s International Visitor Leadership Program. These international programs have provided me with the opportunity to connect with healthcare professionals across the world. Prior programs involved international healthcare professionals from Azerbaijan, Ukraine, and the Czech Republic, as well as the Fulbright Visiting Scholar Enrichment Seminar on Public Health Innovations.

LIST OF PARTICIPANT COUNTRIES

• Azerbaijan
• Brazil
• Burkina
• China
• Denmark
• Ghana
• Hong Kong
• Israel
• Jamaica
• Kyrgyz Republic
• Moldova
• Mongolia
• Pakistan
• Palestinian Territories
• Rwanda
• Samoa
• Thailand
• Trinidad and Tobago
• Ukraine

Site Visits Included:

Washington D.C.

• Department of State’s Bureau of Global Health Security and Diplomacy - Sharing their work on strengthening global health security to prevent, detect and respond to infectious diseases
• Global Health Policy Center, Center for Strategic and International Studies – Sharing their work on strengthening global health security to prevent, detect and respond to infectious diseases
• American Public Health Association - Overview on the state of public health in the United States, with a particular focus on the relationship between global health and national security.

BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS

• U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration - DEA’s role in community-based outreach programs to improve public health
• Massachusetts Department of Public Health, Bureau of Community Health and Prevention - Public health programs organized and implemented on a statewide basis
• Boston Public Health Commission - Strategies utilized to implement public awareness campaigns during health crises
• City of Boston, Emergency Management Office – Emergency preparation and educating the public about emergency preparedness via training exercises and drills
• Suffolk County Sheriff’s Department, Jail - Wellness efforts and practices for inmates and how they provide access to care
• Boston University, Center for Global Health Development - Global health initiatives through innovation in public-private partnerships
• Tufts University Initiative for Forecasting and Modeling of Infectious Diseases – Prevention and forecasting of emerging infectious diseases based on technology development and computational projections

ATLANTA, GEORGIA

• Georgia Department of Public Health, Epidemiology Section - How they collaborate with local and national entities to combat diseases, and how they disseminate health information from state level to the public
• DeKalb Public Health - Partnership strategies at the local, state and regional levels
• Emory University’s Global Health Institute and The International Association of National Public Health Institutes – Discussion of their goals to develop stronger and more coordinated public health systems
• The Carter Center, Health Programs - Global public/private partnerships
• Georgia State University, Prevention Research Center - Community initiatives to address the social determinants that impact the health and well-being of residents in Clarkston, which are guided by the principles of community-based participatory research

MILWAUKEE AND MADISON, WISCONSIN

• Health Workshop for Local Community Members at the International Institute of Wisconsin, Milwaukee – The range of vital resources to individuals facing significant challenges in accessing community services
• Epic Systems Corporation – Patient management software systems that facilitate comprehensive care and seamless and secure exchange of electronic health information
• UW-Madison Global Health Institute – Institute's mission to embrace a global health ethic that promotes a deeper understanding of the complex determinants of health and disease across people, animals, and ecosystems
• The Wisconsin Center for Nursing - Critically assessing and monitoring nursing workforce and education trends and promoting nursing career pathways and leadership development
• Case Study on Milwaukee’s Response to 2024 Hepatitis A Outbreak - Milwaukee’s response plan to the Hepatitis A outbreak in 2024

AKRON, OHIO

• Ohio Rural Health Association - Developing the Ohio Rural Health Improvement Plan for addressing rural health needs for the community
• Hartville Migrant Ministry Medical Clinic - Sharing how every spring, over 350 workers and their families receive care, with services including acute, chronic, and preventative treatments
• Rural Medical Education (RMED) Pathway, Northeast Ohio Medical University – Providing medical students the opportunity to train in rural communities, master rural health content, and become advocates for rural health

CLEVELAND, OHIO

• Cleveland Clinic Discovery Accelerator - The world’s first quantum computer dedicated to healthcare and life sciences research, highlight ground-breaking medical research projects and the future of quantum computing and its potential applications in cross-disciplinary healthcare innovation and research
• University Hospitals Seidman Cancer Center and The Case Western Reserve Comprehensive Cancer Center - Healthcare initiatives in artificial intelligence, predictive modeling, and data warehousing to enable better care for patients
• Case Western Reserve University Cardiovascular Research Institute – Utilization of AI to analyze environments from satellites and street-view images to accurately predict the prevalence of coronary heart disease and other conditions
• MetroHealth Community Health Center - Providing affordable comprehensive primary care
• The Centers - Community clinic providing primary care, mental health, dental, and HIV services to patients regardless of their ability to pay and their innovative programs to address drug addiction and reduce overdose risks
• The Cleveland Foundation - Grantmaking strategies to affect positive changes on society in general and specifically improve access to healthcare
• MedWish International - Working alongside MedWish staff to sort and pack medical supplies that would otherwise end up in local landfills