By Cecilia Patton | Executive Director
Team Heart will focus on education for specialty caregivers in cardiac surgery, cardiology, critical care anesthesia, and nursing in partnership with the University of Rwanda and King Faisal Hospital.
1. Bringing small mentoring teams to support the new in-country cardiac surgery program, Team Heart will bring six teams to Rwanda to serve along side the existing team to provide mentoring, expert advice, and skill transfer.
2. Team Heart will work with Rwanda Heart Foundation, University of Rwanda, and other international partners to provide specialist education to a cohort leading to a fellowship in cardiology and critical care. Staffed with local and ex-pats cardiologists.
3. To address expanding and increasing access to screening for heart disease, Team Heart will partner with Rwanda Heart Foundation and the Rwanda Biomedical Center to provide skills to caregivers at the district hospital level for detecting early rheumatic heart disease using handheld devices.
4. To improve postoperative care, Team Heart will explore innovative ways to promote mHealth to ensure patient needs are met for follow up care and critical medication.
In Rwanda, every family member is expected to participate in support for the family. Picture young a young boy, only 15 and unable to support himself or contribute to his family. Following cardiac surgery to replace his valve for rheumatic heart disease, returning to school is his best choice to prepare for future work. However, his family feels he should withdraw from school and work as a day laborer to help cover the cost of travel to a clinic and spending the day, buying life-dependent medication and testing required monthly. The parents are resentful about having spent so much money on this one child, that needs so much care when the budget to provide food is so tight. Team Heart steps in to help deliver medication and testing and some support to continue his education. It is not a perfect solution, but then there is no one.
Addressing the critical needs of the patients are just as important as training a cardiologist in different ways, and one is as important as the other. Help us meet the incredible need to save young lives.
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