Published on September 03, 2019
Caring hearts
No matter where you travel in the world, a few things are certain. One of those things is the need for great patient care.
Recently, Owensboro Health hosted six members of a delegation from El Salvador’s Universidad Autónoma de Santa Ana (UNASA), which included three medical students, two professors and a university liaison officer.
Their weeklong visit was coordinated by G. Scott Reader, MD, a cardiologist at Owensboro Health Medical Group – Cardiology, who met several of the delegates during a medical mission trip. Dr. Reader’s mission work in El Salvador inspired him to partner with medical staff from the country to provide a mutual learning exchange. Jose “Mike” Hernandez, a learning-abroad officer at UNASA, said the visit is really about building relationships.
Delegates had the opportunity to observe procedures using equipment not commonly available in El Salvador. Laura Rosa, a professor of clinical laboratory at UNASA, saw the laboratory at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital and said she was very impressed. “It’s incredible. The laboratory is very large and receives lots of tests, but they are so well-prepared technologically,” Rosa said. “This was a good experience for me and my students.”
Marcos Quintana, MD, director of the School of Medicine at UNASA, agreed. “In El Salvador, we’re never going to see a heart catheterization procedure, and it was amazing,” Dr. Quintana said.
However, the UNASA delegates weren’t the only ones learning. Staff at Owensboro Health had the opportunity to get to know the delegates and found common ground in caregiving — a calling that drew Dr. Reader and the delegates together in the first place. While his expertise is coveted in El Salvador, his ability to work with peers across cultures is what makes the partnership work.
Keren Valle, a fourth-year medical student, noted her experience “wasn’t just about the technology and the treatments in the hospital. It was the people,” Valle said. “They have treated us like equals.”
Hernandez echoed that sentiment with his hope for a strong, ongoing relationship. “This experience goes beyond the classroom,” he said. “I want everyone at Owensboro Health to know that we’re thankful.”
The program was such a success that Laura Cienfuegos, a medical student in her final year, said she plans to apply for the Family Medicine Residency Program that will open at Owensboro Health in 2020, and she also expects other students to apply. “We would love to be medical residents here,” Cienfuegos said.
This story was originally published in Owensboro Health's quarterly issue of Lift, read the entire publication for more great stories.
About Owensboro Health
Owensboro Health is a nonprofit health system with a mission to heal the sick and to improve the health of the communities it serves in Kentucky and Indiana. The system includes Owensboro Health Regional Hospital, nationally recognized for design, architecture and engineering; Owensboro Health Muhlenberg Community Hospital; Owensboro Health Twin Lakes Medical Center; the Owensboro Health Medical Group comprised of over 350 providers at more than 30 locations; three outpatient Healthplex facilities, a certified medical fitness facility, the Healthpark; a weight management program, and the Mitchell Memorial Cancer Center.
On average each year, we have more than 19,000 inpatient admissions, deliver 2,000 babies and provide the region’s only Level III NICU. Owensboro Health physicians perform nearly 33,000 surgical procedures, including nearly 150 open-heart surgeries. Our physicians and staff have 90,000 Emergency Department visits and more than 1.25 million outpatient visits annually. Visit our home page for more information.