Every year the NPHI Medical Services Team organizes a workshop with all doctors and other healthcare workers from the nine countries where NPH works. It is the only time we all gather yearly and we take advantage of it!
The NPH homes count on great professionals to take care of the health of our children. During five intensive days, the last week of January, doctors, nurses and clinic administrators attended the workshop in the Dominican Republic at the NPH home called Casa Santa Ana.
The agenda was full of initiatives aimed to improve the health programs in the NPH homes as well as continuing training from guest speakers with experience in international forums for the Latin America region. Team building, friendship and professional bonds are also an important part of these encounters, and after some years of working together, it becomes a lot easier to have common understanding.
Our special guest shared with us their expertise on:
- managing epidemics and the most common ones we are facing
- how the health ministries are getting ready if Ebola arrives to any of the Latin American countries
- what lessons were learned from the unexpected /unpredicted Chikungunya outbreak spread across the Caribbean islands
- emergencies and its management
- nutrition in early childhood and adolescence
- mental health management for HIV patients
In addition and as a new subject, we included some time for reflexion and to talk about Father Wasson and his principles, who most of us never met in person, and also about the special family and organization we are part of.
Every country had their pre-meeting work done and presented for discussion very scientifically interesting medical cases that brought time for discussion as in any hospital in developed countries.
Furthermore, a day and a half was dedicated to the EMR (Electronic Medical Records) and advance training. Soon we will be able to include therapies that are offered to our children in the records.
Overall, it was very regarding and inspiring for all of us to keep working on providing the best healthcare possible for the NPH children, thus allowing them to be healthy and productive members of their communities and families.
Congratulations to all NPH health teams and keep up the good work!
Pilar Silverman, MD
Executive Director, NPHI Medical Services
NPH Medical Services 