N. Valencia-Rojas1, D. A. Lanning1,2, C. Bagwell1,2, P. Lange1,2, J. L. Rhodes1,2, P. Ferrada1, J. L. Bohl1, L. J. Hampton1, R. Autorino1, C. Herndon1, A. L. Pozez1, M. B. Aboutanos1, V. Kasirajan1, E. B. Rodas1, S. Jayaraman1 1Virginia Commonwealth University,Department Of Surgery,Richmond, VA, USA 2Children’s Hospital of Richmond at VCU,Richmond, VA, USA
Introduction:
Surgical trainees increasingly seek global surgery experiences during training. VCU surgeons have had a long history of engagement in surgical care around the globe from military service during both World Wars as well as locally in the American Civil War. Currently, department faculty from trauma/acute care surgery, plastics, pediatrics, urology and colorectal surgery engaged in global surgical collaborations in 17 countries with 7 unique non-governmental organizations and various academic partners. We describe the creation and progress of a Department-wide Program for Global Surgery that acts as an umbrella to organize, support and fund global surgical activities through our institution.
Methods:
Multiple meetings with the Dept. of Surgery’s leadership team were held between 2016-2017 to highlight the variety of global surgery activities conducted by faculty members and residents in the different specialty areas in previous years. Faculty were individually consulted to obtain feedback on the idea of establishing an umbrella program to jointly create opportunities for collaboration, capacity building, research, and advocacy. VCU Program for Global Surgery (PGS) was formed in 2017 to create and foster: existing global surgical collaborations at VCU and sustainability and capacity building in those efforts, educational opportunities for local and global students, trainees and faculty through education, mentorship and research, health systems strengthening for delivery of surgical care including evaluation, needs assessments and capacity building, engage in advocacy, disseminate and publicize the work and attract funding.
Results:
Consensus on the goals and vision was reached and the PGS was officially launched in August 2017. The PGS’ aims to showcase current global surgical collaborations (Ecuador, Jamaica, Rwanda, St. Vincent and the Grenadines, Vietnam, Haiti, Colombia, Ethiopia), offer structured academic opportunities for trainees through Global Surgery Scholar tracks with defined expectations of output and identify and engage with internal and external partners engaged in global health activities. Progress along administrative management and operations; 2) formal academic opportunities for trainees; 3) programmatic; and 4) funding is described in the table below.
Conclusion:
A formal Program for Global Surgery has allowed our institution’s ongoing and historic efforts to become more visible internally and externally, has allowed more collaboration across faculty, opened up structured opportunities for trainees and facilitated philanthropic support to encourage trainee engagement. As the field of academic global surgery matures, institutions need to create formal processes to ensure ethical, coordinated and bilateral engagements with domestic and global partners, generate the greatest value for stakeholders and have maximal impact on addressing surgical needs around the world.
