Radiology Education Days Exceeds Expectations

The trip, now complete, exceeded our expectations. During our last trip to Haiti, Drs. Paul Ellenbogen, Chair, ACR Board of Chancellors, and Jim Borgstede, Chair, ACR Foundation International Outreach Committee, established a plan for our involvement in Haiti. The first part of that plan was to provide learning opportunities to medical personnel in the country.

Our two-day trip to Haiti included 13 didactic sessions for the physicians attending on a broad array of mainly plain film and ultrasound procedures focusing on common diseases and conditions typically found in Haiti. Concurrently, representatives from the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (including ASRT Chairman of the Board Jim Temme, M.P.A., R.T.(R)(QM), FASRT, and Director of Education Kevin Powers, Ed.D., R.T.(R)(M), provided didactic sessions for radiologic technologists on subjects such as image quality, image enhancement and radiation safety.

Dr. Ernst Garcon (Columbia University Medical Center) shown teaching didactic physician sessions at Grace Children's Hospital.

Attendees intently follow lecture during physician didatic sessions. 

Kevin Powers, ASRT staff (left), Jim Temme (right) and interpreter provide a session on radiation safety during radiologic technologist didactic session. 

Radiologic technologist faculty with students. 

The afternoon sessions each day featured hands-on training utilizing portable ultrasound units generously loaned by GE and Sonosite and image review stations. Representatives from the Society of Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (Tammy Stearns, MS, RDMS, RVT, RT (R) and Ted Whitten, BA, RDMS, RVT) joined our outstanding radiologist faculty to provide practical hands-on training training using multiple transducers. Radiologists included Robert Harris, M.D. of Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, NH, Douglas "Rusty" Brown, M.D., Program Chair for Radiology Education Days in Haiti from the Mayo Clinic, Rochester, MN, and James P. Borgstede, M.D., Chair, ACR International Outreach Committee from the University of Colorado, Aurora, CO. 

 

Robert Harris, M.D., (Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center, Lebanon, New Hampshire) works with students while providing ultrasound procedures during the hands-on training sessions. 

The image review stations were taught by John "Jack" Harris, M.D., of Tampa, FL, Anna Rozenshtein, M.D., Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY, Ernst Garcon, M.D., Columbia University Medical Center, New York, NY and Charles "Chuck" Phelps, M.D., private practice radiologist and long-term volunteer at Grace from Dennison, TX. 

Jack Harris, M.D. and Chuck Phelps, M.D. review images with physicians at Radiology Education Days at Grace Children's Hospital--photo courtesy of Melanie Brierre.

Faculty and students review images in interactive hands-on sessions--photo courtesy of Melanie Brierre.   

Dr. Gina Joachim, radiologist at Grace Children's Hospital, seen here with Dr. Anna Rozenshtein (faculty) assisted with both the didactic and on-site training during the conference--photo courtesy of Melanie Brierre. 

The level of interest in the didactic and hands-on sessions was extraordinary.  While we were told that the conference would hold up to 60 attendees, over 90 students actually attended.  Those students represented over 20 facilities from throughout Haiti including Cap Haitian, St. Marc, Fond des Blancs and the Central Plateau.  The students arrived early, stayed late and were both thankful to the faculty and proud to receive their certificates of completion from the 2-day program. 

Attendees receive a certificate of completion for the two-day program.

Footnote:  After arriving in Haiti I realized early on that I would not have reliable access to the internet and thus my blog. With the help of Lauren Alfero (and my cell phone), I was able to provide a couple of posts.