October 2023 Report

AMPATH Kenya:

• Global Health in Kenya:
  • Currently selecting Dell Med students for 4 spots in spring Kenya elective. Dr. Rob Neely is leading another CT surgery group to Kenya in early December. Currently working with them and Victoria on their logistics.
• Moi Nursing Students: Dr. Julie Zuniga in the UT School of Nursing is hosting two Moi nursing students in Austin for 5 weeks (non-clinical elective) with the support of the President’s Award student team that was in Kenya this summer. Julie reports that they are doing well, have connected with Dell Med students, and has accompanied the students to a Houston conference for four accepted posters. Our team hosts weekly check-in with Julie to offer logistical thought support, etc.).
• Kenya student stories:AMPATH Blog post featuring Glory and Mobisa is now posted and shared with Pop Health newsletter/Texas Global comms.

ADMINISTRATIVE:

• BUAP-UT Executive Committee monthly meeting: BUAP and UT leaders continue to meet monthly to focus on collaborate strategic guidance and decision-making.
• We hired Stephanie Anderson as our first full-time Senior Administrative Program Coordinator.

• Texas Global shared this article about FILUNI (in addition to the two we shared last month).
• First Mexico Travel Orientation: Seemed to go smoothly, and we have a recording now saved in Box.

EDUCATION:

• Monthly seminars:
  • o September 21, 2023 6-7:30pm CT seminar: 111 people attended. Edith Alvarez Melchor of BUAP and Maestro Bulmaro Gonzalez of Universidad Intercultural Indigena de Michoacan (UIIM) focused on the use of traditional medicines community traditions and how they relate to medical care in marginalized communities in Puebla, Mexico and Central Texas, USA. Click here to view the recording.
  • o October 19, 2023 6-7:30pm CT seminar: Arelia Morales of BUAP and Kimmie Ellison of UT Austin will focus on breast cancer and oncology and how they relate to medical care in marginalized communities in Puebla, Mexico and Central Texas, USA. Click here to register.
• With AMBIA seed grant and The Hogg Foundation support, the Mental Health Education Working Group launched of the first UT Dell Med-BUAP Project ECHO for AMPATH/MAPAS México. The collaboration between Dell Med and BUAP Medical Schools will result in two cohorts of primary care providers (one in Puebla, Mexico and one in Central Texas, US) learning about evidence-based approaches to treating mental health conditions in the primary care clinic.
• Global Health Grand Rounds Year 3: October 2 Dr. Shanti Nulu of Dell Med shared her perspective on “Decolonizing Global Health.” We had the most registrants (35) and attendees (23) that we’ve ever had including Dell Med faculty and students, Ascension practitioners, and few alumni, and Glory Mutheu from Moi University. Click here to view the recording.
• One of our Student Ambassadors,Alexander Chu, is receiving coverage and acknowledgement for his global health work in Peru and with us in Mexico and with the bilateral exchange here in Austin. He presented related posters at this Monday’s Dell Med Educational Innovation, Research & Awards 2023 Symposium.

RESEARCH:

• SOPs: We continue to complete the relevant SOPs.
• Working Groups: Our team continues to support the six existing and two new Working Groups to meet and plan their community projects, and plan for in-person time at Puentes 2023.
• Puentes October 23 and 24, 2023: We continue to plan for this collaborative research summit.

CARE:

• September 6 and 7: We held the second “Jornada” multidisciplinary outreach to serve two of our rural communities with the participation of 66 BUAP and AMPATH/MAPAS México volunteers (faculty, residents, and students) and 321 multidisciplinary consults.
• Our clinical team, including the four AMPATH/MAPAS México pasantes, have been busy analyzing the results of the health outreach, planning follow-up, and preparing to launch two new projects in the community this fall:
  • o A community-based research project on the health impacts of ecostove utilization (funded by a pilot grant from the UT CHEER/Center for Health & Environment: Education & Reserach)
  • o A community-based model for health education, prevention, and early detection of high-burden cancers (breast, cervical, and prostate) (funded by the Astellas Access to Health Initiative)
• In October, the AMPATH/MAPAS México Care team is also supporting the Mental Health “Bienestar” Working Group to implement their AMBIA grant of a photovoice project focused on the emotional well-being and mental health of youth.