Global Health Initiative Scientific Meetings

First Medical Conference in Barranquilla

In May 2021, the Global Health Initiative hosted a medical conference at the new LPR Foundation offices in Barranquilla, inviting physician leaders from all the initiative's active sites.

First Scientific Conference on Congenital Heart Disease

On November 17, 2021, the Global Health Initiative successfully hosted its first bilingual pediatric CHD conference at the Hotel Santa Clara in Cartagena, Colombia. The goal of this conference was to present current efforts by the initiative to expand newborn cardiac screening in Colombia, with the aim of sharing lessons learned and potential synergies with other experts that will further foster local and global efforts toward the early detection of congenital heart disease.

leaders during conference

Colombian Pediatric Society Conference (Sociedad Colombiana de Pediatría)

The GHI attended the VIII Simposio Internacional de Actualización en Pediatría, the largest pediatric conference in Colombia, from June 29 through July 2, 2022. The event, hosted by the Pediatric Societies in Colombia (Sociedad Colombiana de Pediatría), was attended by more than 3,000 professionals in pediatrics from throughout the region.

Cartagena Regional Conference

On May 26, 2022, the GHI hosted a regional conference in Cartagena for its Bolívar department collaborating sites to share data and connect on opportunities to improve access to CHD screenings in the region. As a result of the input and surveys completed during the sessions, GHI has implemented additional improvements that have had an immediate impact on increasing the percentage of births screened at each site. As of the end of June 2022, the GHI program is screening 26% of the total newborn population in Bolívar for CHD.

ELSO Certification for Hospital Infantil San Vicente Fundación

A team of nine medical staff members from the integrated cardiovascular surgery team of Hospital Infantil San Vicente Fundación are becoming internationally ELSO certified with support from Nicklaus Children's and the GHI. This initiative will involve the development of a formal ECMO management protocol for pediatric critical congenital heart disease cases that develop potentially recoverable cardiogenic shock after corrective cardiac surgery. Nicklaus Children's plays a central role in the development and support of this ECMO training program, including providing the theoretical and practical knowledge needed to establish an effective ECMO program.

 
Dr Bolivar, Dr Sonia Echevarria & Dr Burke in their green surgical scrubs.
technician at echocardiography machine.