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Following through on a promise
The alliance will be funded by donations pledged by UPMC physicians and staff members as well as a contribution of $50,000 provided by the health system. The total amount of money raised and interest on those funds exceeds $90,200. Days after a series of tsunamis struck Southeast Asia, UPMC convened a multinational voluntary advisory group, which included physicians and staff from Thailand, Sri Lanka, and India — some of the countries devastated by the horrific natural disaster that claimed more than 200,000 lives. The group quickly reached a consensus that immediate relief and assistance was already being made available, and UPMC’s response should concentrate on meeting long-term needs. "Our group, which includes members with loved ones in these hard-hit countries, agreed that UPMC should use the money contributed and our resources to support a single, focused project to maximize the impact of our response,” says Loren Roth, MD, MPH, senior vice president, Quality Care, and chief medical officer, UPMC. "As a major academic medical center, UPMC represents a diverse workforce that draws professionals from around the world. The alliance with the Batticaloa hospital reflects our commitment to fulfill our mission as a leading international academic medical center,” says Dr. Roth. Sharing medical expertise "Training of health care professionals has the most impact,” he says. Dr. Ramanathan envisions residents and other health care professionals from Batticaloa visiting UPMC and learning a variety of skills, including how to properly start peripherally inserted central catheters, also known as PICC lines. Typically inserted in the arm, PICC lines are a safer alternative for delivering intravenous medication because they result in fewer infections than catheters placed near the neck or the groin. "The people we train will go back and take this knowledge with them to train 10 of their colleagues on how to properly complete this technique,” says Dr. Ramanathan. Health care professionals from UPMC also could travel to Sri Lanka to provide educational sessions. The first step in moving forward will be a meeting between UPMC officials and an administrator from the Batticaloa hospital. At that time, a priority list will be developed. One pressing need is laboratory equipment to analyze blood chemistry, determine liver function, and complete other tests. Currently, the hospital must send specimens to a testing center in the capital city of Colombo, a 10-hour trip, says Dr. Ramanathan. UPMC Tsunami Advisory Group Colombia Thailand Sri Lanka India United States Return to list of stories in this issue
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UPMC will form an
alliance to provide educational support and other assistance to a hospital
located in Batticaloa, Sri Lanka, a district battered by last December’s
tsunamis.
Ramesh Ramanathan, MD, associate professor, Division of Hematology/Oncology,
University of Pittsburgh Cancer Institute, and a native
of Sri Lanka, spent a week at the Batticaloa hospital in late
February.