GWU International Emergency Medicine Activities

GWU International Emergency Medicine Activities

The Ronald Reagan Institute of Emergency Medicine at The George Washington University Medical Center was established in 1991, in recognition of both the undisputed excellence of the Medical Center's Department of Emergency Medicine and its role in saving the life of President Reagan after a 1981 assassination attempt. The Reagan Institute serves to strengthen the health and welfare of our local, national and international communities through research, education, training, and consultative support. The objectives of the Reagan Institute are successfully achieved through initiatives related to Injury Prevention and Control, the medical aspects of disaster planning, preparedness and response, and the enhancement of emergency medicine throughout the world.

• The Center for Injury Prevention and Control
The Center for Injury Prevention and Control of the Ronald Reagan Institute of Emergency Medicine is dedicated to the reduction of death and disability from intentional and unintentional injury. The mission of the Center is to develop multidisciplinary intervention, surveillance, and evaluation programs in order to focus greater attention and resources to fight injury in much the same way we fight cancer, heart disease, and AIDS. The Center achieves its goals through a unique collaboration of medicine, public health, sociology, and public policy within a program of research and education.

• Disaster Medicine Service
The Ronald Reagan Institute of Emergency Medicine’s Disaster Medicine Service is a consultation and training resource to national and international organizations responsible for disaster planning, preparedness, and response. Faculty members from the Reagan Institute are actively involved in medical training programs for Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), National Disaster Medical System (NDMS), Office of Foreign Disaster Assistance (OFDA), and the United Nations Relief Organization.
Areas of Expertise
Medical Disaster Planning
Search and Rescue
Collapsed Structure Response
Medical consequence management to hazardous material events
Medical consequence management to terrorist events
Medical preparation for mass gathering events
Confined space medical training

The George Washington University Emergency Health Services Program serves as a resource to the national and international EMS communities. Located in the nation's capital, in close proximity to major federal and national EMS organizations, GW EHS provides exciting, relevant, and high quality education to EMS practices through a variety of methods, including the Internet. GW EHS has been preparing students for careers in emergency health care since the 1987. EHS is an essential component at The George Washington University School of Medicine and Health Sciences, nationally recognized for its involvement in advanced health professions education, patient care, research, and community service.

Past and Present Operations
US Government / International Organizations
The United States Navy:
 Provide predeployment tactical medical training to various Special Forces units
The Department of State, Diplomatic Security Service:
 Provide intensive Remote Emergency Medical courses designed to teach trauma and medical management in austere environments to agents attached to the Secretary of State
The United States Secret Service:
 Provide First Responder Medical training to all agents
Central Asia – NATO sponsored Conference:
 Designed and developed a NATO sponsored Advanced Networking Workshop: “Telemedicine in Central Asia: Applications in Emergency Medicine”
The Environmental Protection Agency:
 Provide intensive Remote Emergency Medical courses designed to teach trauma and medical management in austere environments to scientists aboard the USS Lake Guardian
The World Bank:
 Provide Emergency Response and Incident Command training at Washington headquarters as well as emergency preparedness training for staff.
The International Monetary Fund:
 Provide Emergency Response and Incident Command training at Washington headquarters as well as emergency preparedness training for staff.
The Department of Justice:
 Provide medical direction for Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Program
The Nuclear Regulatory Commission:
 Provide medical direction and training for Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Program
The Transportation Safety Administration:
 Provide medical direction for Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Program and consultation for on-site first aid kits
The United States Postal Service:
 Provide medical direction for Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Program
Immigration and Customs Enforcement:
 Involvement with Office of Protective Medicine and the Casualty Care Research Center at the Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences as instructors for the EMT-T Tactical class within the Counter Narcotics and Terrorism Programs.
The Smithsonian Institution:
 Provide medical direction for Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Program
The Kennedy Center:
 Provide medical direction for Automated External Defibrillator (AED) Program
The Peace Corps:
 Provide Emergency Response and Incident Command training at Washington headquarters as well as emergency medical training for volunteers.
Raytheon:
 Provide 24/7 medical advice to medical providers staffing site in Russia
Computer Sciences Corporation:
 Provide 24/7 medical advice to medical providers staffing remote site in Eastern Europe

The Middle East
Jordan:
 Developing a pre-hospital care training program with the Jordan Ministry of Health for Emergency Medical Technicians and Paramedics
 Working with the Jordan Hospital in Amman to improve emergency department operations, to provide faculty development for emergency medicine physicians, and to conduct training programs for emergency medicine and critical care nurses
 Senior emergency medicine physicians from the Royal Medical Services have trained at the Reagan Institute as international fellows
Lebanon:
 Directed a 3-day Acute and Chronic Wound Management Conference in Beirut with Hammoud Hospital, Saida, Lebanon
 Directed a 2-day Advanced Trauma and Emergency Medical Life Support Course in Beirut with Hammoud Hospital, Saida, Lebanon
Oman:
 Assisting the Sultanate of Oman in the development and training of every aspect of their emergency medical services (EMS) system
 Trained lead paramedic instructors in Washington, D.C.
 Providing ongoing evaluation and examination of paramedic students in Oman
 In 2004, the newly formed National Ambulance service launched ambulances to inaugurate their new system
Iran:
 Currently working with the Iranian Ministry of Health and several major universities in Iran in the development of emergency medicine throughout the country
 Trained the faculty at Iran University who upon completion of our program began the very first academic emergency medicine department in their country
 Providing guidance in EMS system development, trauma care, emergency medicine education and operations
 Additionally, the Reagan Institute and Iran University are conducting research in curriculum evaluation and trauma epidemiology
 Iranian physicians are training as emergency medicine residents at George Washington University
Kuwait:
 Working with the Ministry of Health to improve emergency medical services at federal hospitals through operations assessment, strategic planning, and physician and nurse training programs
 Assisting in the implementation of an Emergency Medicine residency training program
Egypt:
 Provided medical school curriculum development and administrative operations consulting for hospital-based emergency services at Cairo University
United Arab Emirates:
 Conducted assessments of the emergency departments within the Federal Hospitals
 Working with the Ministry of Health to develop an emergency medicine quality improvement program and an education program for physicians and nurses
 Have provided numerous training courses for emergency medicine personnel on multiple topics including wound care management, trauma, adult emergencies, and pediatric emergencies
 Directed a 3-day Acute and Chronic Wound Management Conference in Sharjah with Ministry of Health
Turkey:
 Through 3-year funding from AmeriCares, working with the Emergency Medicine association of Turkey to train general practitioners working in emergency departments in government hospitals.
 Contributed to the development of the emergency medicine curriculum for medical students and residents at Dokuz Eylul University Hospital in Izmir
 Responded to the earthquake in Izmit in cooperation with the Foreign Disaster Assistance Urban Search and Rescue Team, 1999
 Providing faculty development fellowship program in Washington, D.C. for senior emergency medicine physicians

Latin America/Caribbean
Peru:
 Working with the University of Lima to improve emergency medicine training
 Established an Advanced Cardiac Life Support and Basic Cardiac Life Support Training Center for the Newmont Mining Corporation, Minera Yanacocha
Argentina:
 Together with ACINDES (Asociación de Investigación y Desarrollo en Salud), established a cooperative agreement to launch Training Centers throughout Spain, Portugal and Latin America teaching emergency medical, pre-hospital, industrial, maritime, disaster and other certification and continuing education courses
Colombia:
 Providing assessment and strategic direction for emergency department operations and administration at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana in Bogotá, which is the largest private university in Colombia
 Helping develop the Emergency Medicine residency training program and curriculum at Pontificia Universidad Javeriana and conducting a one-year faculty development program for the new faculty in the department of emergency medicine
 Taught the Basic Disaster Life Support (BDLS) course at the International Ibero-American Emergency Medicine Congress in August 2005 in Bogotá. This was the first time BDLS was translated into the Spanish language and taught outside of the U.S.
 Directed a 3-day Acute and Chronic Wound Management Conference in Bogota with Pontificia Universidad Javeriana
Cuba:
 In collaboration with the Cuban Ministry of Public Health and through foundation funding, the Reagan Institute is currently in the process of developing an emergency medicine manual for distribution to physicians and hospitals throughout Cuba
Chile:
 Provided faculty development fellowships for physicians from the Catholic University of Chile in Santiago who are assembling the first formalized academic emergency department in the country and developing student and residency curriculums for the medical school
 Co-sponsored the first Emergency Medicine Conference in Chile in September 2002 that promoted emergency medicine as a specialty and established an annual forum for a national exchange of education and research throughout Chile
Haiti / Dominican Republic:
 Provided on-site medical support and training to multiple NGOs during the Haitian coup, 1992

Asia
China:
 Provided assessments of hospital emergency departments in Shanghai and Beijing
 Through a three-year grant from the China Medical Board, working with Peking Union Medical College Hospital to develop an Emergency Medicine residency training program and enhancing Emergency Medicine in Beijing in preparation for the 2008 Summer Olympic Games
Singapore:
 Providing senior physicians a one-year faculty development fellowship program in emergency medicine and disaster preparedness that will consist of six months in Washington D.C. and six months of distance-based learning in Singapore
Taiwan:
 Responded to the Taipei, Taiwan earthquake in cooperation with the Foreign Disaster Assistance Urban Search and Rescue Team, 1999
Thailand:
 Completed extensive assessment of emergency services delivery in Bangkok
 Delivered 14-day intensive management leadership course to Ministry of Health officials

Africa
Kenya:
 Responded to the U.S. Embassy Bombing in Nairobi in cooperation with the Foreign Disaster Assistance Urban Search and Rescue Team, 1998
Ethiopia:
 Emergency medicine faculty is working with medical students to provide clinical care and education with health care colleagues in Addis Ababa and Gondar
 Developing emergency medicine residency training program at Black Lion Hospital in Addis Ababa
South Africa:
 Working with The University of Pretoria to foster emergency medicine residency training
Liberia:
 Working with JFK Hospital to develop training programs for physician assistants

Europe
Bosnia
 Provided on-site medical support and training to multiple NGOs during the civil war, 1993
Hungary:
 Established an Advanced Cardiac Life Support Training Center for the Hungarian National Emergency and Ambulance Service in Budapest
Eastern Europe:
 Assisted in a multi-year program to develop health care training centers in three countries throughout Eastern Europe: the Czech Republic, Poland and the Slovak Republic