Two Updates

Photo: Sunrise on the volcano

Photo: Basecamp - only 2,000 more meters to go

Photo: Put one step in front of the other

Photo: Before the start on the climb

Photo: Basecamp (at 15,700 FASL); AKA: The Moon

Photo: Team HBI on the summit (Ben, Karen and Wayne)

Photo: Summit - oh boy is it cold (and really beautiful)!

Photo: The summit Crater - otherworldly

Photo: The summit team

Photo: The Team

Photo: The long climb up to base camp

I am just back in the U.S. awaiting a connecting flight to Portland from LAX. Another sleepless night from intercontinental travel.

I am, in spite of my sleep deprived state, excited to report on two big HBI updates. First, the Conectando Arequipa group that developed from the January Arequipa Connect Conference is going great. HBI was an invited participant in a monthly meeting of the group - a meeting that included 19 organizational members from all over Arequipa. The group is moving steadily forward in their goal of creating a forum for collaboration and communication to better serve the poor and marginalized of Southern Peru. It was really impressive to see the commitment and interest on the part of the group to push forward the discussions and learning's from the January Conference.

My second update is a bit more personal. On Friday and Saturday of last week the HBI team (sans one of our core team members - no need to mention names) climbed "El Misti." It was . . . in a word - HARD! Okay, a bit more flowering language - it was really spectacular; with great views of the entire lower volcano range and a magnificent nighttime view of the lights of Arequipa and the southern celestial sky. Okay, seriously - it was really hard. And, it was a whole lot of fun.

A full update of the Alto Cayma Health care Conference and Training Symposium will be posted to the HBI Blogspot and the HBI Website in the next week. Thank you, as always, for your support of HBI.

2nd Annual Alto Cayma Healthcare Conference and Training Symposium - A HUGE SUCCESS!

Photo: Small group discussion on Evidence Based Nursing by Dr. Kae Livsey from the University of North Carolina Wilmington

Although our turn-out was much less than we had expected - the 2nd Annual Alto Cayma Healthcare Conference and Training Symposium was a huge success. We owe a very big thank you to our presenters from Wisconsin and North Carolina.

The 2-days of didactic and hands-on instruction were very well received - and in the words of one participant, "no one has ever taught us like this before." From the numerous questions asked in each of the workshops to the fantastic post-conference surveys – this was a “big hit” event.

Our training was separated into two distinct tracks of instruction - nursing and medicine. Everyone, regardless of their discipline of training seemed to really enjoy themselves. Our audience totaled almost 45, and included a broad range of healthcare professionals. A preliminary review of the post-conference surveys indicates that overwhelmingly the participants really enjoyed their depth and wide range of instruction.

The HBI team is already planning for the 2010 conference. Our goal is to expand the curriculum to include training opportunities for the broad array of professionals in attendance. Tomorrow is our team “debrief” meeting, and I am certain that the staff will come up with some great ideas to better prepare for our 2010 event.

For now, our team of presenters are headed off for their Machu Pichu excursions and back to the USA. Our sincere appreciation goes with them for taking time from their busy lives to help support this educational experience. Thank you Dr. Joe McCormick, Dra. Jennifer Marshall, Dra. Michelle Ong, Dra. Kae Livsey, Dr. Bob Gehringer, Physical Therapist Janine Boldra and Nurse John Marshall – you are fantastic!

We will tabulate the responses from the post-conference survey and post the data on this BlogSpot. Thank you for your continued support of HBI. If you are interested in joining the 2010 3rd Annual Alto Cayma Healthcare Confernece and Training Symposium – please contact HBI at: info@HBInt.org

Busy in Arequipa

Photo: Dr. McCormick speaking at Goyeneche Hospital Grand Rounds; Advancements in Hip Resurfacing Techniques

The last couple of days have blown past like a tornado. Over the past 48-hours we have completed the organization for our event, greeted our team of presenters and special guests from North America, and had managed the frustrations of having too much to do and not enough time to get it all done.

With that said - it has been a great start to this trip. Our conference "officially" starts today (21 April); but really started yesterday morning - as Dr. Joe McCormick presented a Grand Rounds lecture to the faculty and staff of Hospital Goyeneche (the largest public hospital in Arequipa).

In the evening Dr. McCormick was busy once again presenting an "impromptu" lecture on Sports Medicine to a group of professionals at the monthly meeting of an investigative special interest group. Okay - I think I need to be a little clearer - first, I used the term "impromptu" regarding Dr. McCormick's lecture because he thought he was going to speak about Hip Resurfacing Procedures, the same lecture he delivered in the morning to the Goyeneche staff. As we learned later in the morning - the "investigational interest group" had sent out invitations to Dr. McCormick's lecture and advertised the talk as a "Sports Medicine" talk. Thankfully, Dr. Joe is quick on his feet and put together a new PowerPoint in less than 4-hours yesterday afternoon.

My second point of clarification is around the "investigational special interest group." It seems that the group is a para-professional organization that works to bridge together various disciplines to discuss unique concepts and ideas related to healthcare, science and technology in Peru. The audience, about 40 people in total, was a spirited group with a broad array of questions and ideas.

A big thank you goes out to Dr. McCormick and his keen skills of adaptability.

The group, we have 10 guests and speakers from the U.S. joining the HBI team in Arequipa for the conference, were busy yesterday helping in the clinic, performing home care visits and preparing their lectures and talks for the conference. I think I am fair in saying that everyone really enjoyed themselves. I hope they feel that same way after 2-days of intense trainings for some 75 Peruvian nurses and physicians. Please stay tuned to this BlogSpot for updates on the conference.

Arm Rest "Rules"

I travel a lot. I am not trying to be boastful or misrepresent myself as a travel expert - rather, I am just stating a fact.

Throughout my travels I have had the fortunate experience of collecting a broad assortment of seatmates. Perhaps the most telling aspect of sharing the coach seating of intercontinental flights with another person is their "possession" of the armrest.

You see, I think of the armrest as a metaphor for life. There are those who consider the center armrest as a territory to capture and defend. There are those who consider the armrest to be a minor inconvenience for their expanding waistlines - and always want to lift the armrest to allow ease of seating. And, there are those who view the armrest as communal property that should be shared in a parsimonious manner. I prefer the later method an effective tool to make friends and influence others.

I like to take my armrest interactions one step further. I have always thought of the armrest as a chance to get to know the person seated next to me - without ever speaking a word. I think we can really send some pretty profound messages without ever opening our mouths. I prefer to keep my elbow within the allotted seating configuration of my assigned space. As my seatmate settles into their area - I adjust my posture to accommodate theirs. If we are both a bit uncomfortable and fidgety - I will slide slight to the side (away from the center rest) and allow my new friend more room to get comfortable. Inevitably we always end up sharing the armrest - allowing each person just the right amount of elbow time.

I just got off an 8-hour flight during which time my seatmate decided that the armrest was just not enough space. He continually jabbed his elbow into my side for the entire flight. Not great fun; and yet, a great lesson.

Sharing requires communication. At no time did I turn to him and say, “Can we split our flight into shared segments of time so that both of us have equal ‘center armrest’ time?” Rather, I huffed and twisted and turned. Hoping my body language would convey the message I neglected to vocalize with my words. As such, it was really my fault that I was jabbed the entire trip.

The metaphor, the lesson if you will, of the armrest is really quite simple. If we are ever going to change the world and allow for a more egalitarian distribution of resources – we need to learn to share the armrest . . . or communicate when things are just not working toward our needs.

CME and CNE Conference

Yet another early morning trip to the airport in preparation for the Second Annual Alto Cayma Healthcare Conference and Training Symposium. On April 21 and 22, HBI will be again facilitating a 2-day training for physicians and nurses working with underserved populations in the Arequipa, Peru area.

We have a phenomenal group of presenters from around the U.S. who have graciously volunteered their time (and incurred great expense) to come and present to our invitation only conference audience of over 100 people. The goal of the event is to continuing developing and refining the critical skills needed for the delivery of safe, effective and evidence driven healthcare services to marginalized populations.

Stay tuned to this Blogspot for updates on the event and further updates on the happenings of HBI during our April trip to Peru.