Insights on International Collaborative Health
Countries worldwide are facing unprecedented challenges related to health and health care. This is made worse by a global shortage of 17.4 million qualified health care workers (2.6 million doctors and more than 9 million nurses), according to the World Health Organization. Half of all hospitals are operating with personnel deficits today. If current trends(...)
Each year at Johns Hopkins Medicine International’s Partners Forum, leaders from our global affiliates discuss ways to improve health and health care for the collective good. This year’s theme, “The Evolution of Health Care: Predictions and Practices in a Changing Environment,” helped us better understand the context and landscape of health care today. We wrestled(...)
We were thrilled to host the recent Johns Hopkins Medicine International Partners Forum, an annual meeting that brings together leaders, care providers and researchers from our nearly 20 affiliates in 15 countries. Looking at the past 20 years of my involvement with Johns Hopkins Medicine International when these relationships developed, this is an event I(...)
As a Johns Hopkins faculty member, I have the privilege of teaching medical students and residents in the classroom and on the wards. I love participating in the learning process—helping students grapple with information, evaluate its potential for impact, and finally put it into play in their own careers and lives. Through my role as(...)
Health care professionals have always been attracted to developed countries in search of better career and educational opportunities, political stability, and greater personal freedom, among myriad other factors. However, we’ve seen this trend go up significantly in recent years. The perceived need to relocate starts early for young people who dream of becoming nurses, physicians,(...)
Blood clots cause the world’s top three cardiovascular killers, and they are the leading cause of preventable death during a hospital stay. Altogether, blood clots kill more people each year than AIDS, breast cancer and car crashes combined. Continuing our discussion on accreditation and uniform health standards in our globalized world, regulatory agencies around the(...)
Like me, you probably check reviews before trying a new restaurant or hotel. If we research these small decisions, it’s only logical that when it comes to big decisions like choosing a health care provider, we look for both qualitative and quantitative data to guide our choices. Accreditation is one set of standards we use(...)
As we began our work with Al Rahba Hospital in the United Arab Emirates, leaders there laid out their main priorities—clinical care, research and education—which are the foundation of much of our international collaborative work. However, Al Rahba had an additional request: support for emergency preparedness. The hospital is located near a major highway between(...)
The devastating wake of hurricanes across the United States and Caribbean. Two destructive earthquakes striking central Mexico within a two-week span. Deadly outbreaks of Middle East Respiratory Syndrome across Saudi Arabia, UAE and other countries in the region. Multiple terrorist attacks in Spain. These are real examples of recent emergencies affecting all corners of the(...)
My colleague John Ulatowski wrote about the inherent risk of homogenization as we share ideas about health and the delivery of health care around the world. At Johns Hopkins, we do our best to listen and learn before we begin an international affiliation, rather than foisting pre-conceived ideas and processes that work here or in the(...)