Two recent medical volunteerism trips, organized by the ACS Health Outreach Program for Equity in Global Surgery (ACS H.O.P.E.), helped surgeons from the US and Africa exchange valuable expertise and knowledge
In December, the ACS H.O.P.E. team attended the College of Surgeons of East, Central, and Southern Africa (COSECSA) national scientific conference in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
One highlight of the event was the celebration for the nine 2023 ACS-COSECSA Women Scholars. The scholarship program, cosponsored by ACS H.O.P.E. and the Association of Women Surgeons Foundation, promotes gender equity in surgical training across the COSECSA region.
With a goal of increasing regional participation of women in surgery to 25%, the program provides substantial support to women embarking on their surgical careers by offering scholarships to cover a range of educational expenses, including accreditation, fellowship examinations, and memberships in COSECSA and the ACS.
In addition, a joint ACS H.O.P.E. and COSECSA education session, “Technology Innovation & Surgical Care in Africa,” offered a dynamic blend of panel discussions and workshops. With a focus on integrating technology into the global surgical community, the session covered topics such as telementoring, digital portfolios, and technology’s role in surgical education. It featured Kevin Pei, MD, FACS, Kristin Long, MD, MPH, FACS, and Beth Hochman, MD, FACS.
Following the COSECSA meeting, a quality improvement course was provided to 25 participants from Hawassa. This course was led by Nabeel Zafar, MD, MPH, FACS, Christopher Dodgion, MD, MSPH, MBA, FACS, Taylor Jaraczewski, MD, MS, and Anoosha Moturu, MD (current ACS Quality Fellow), in collaboration with the local champion, Belay Melese, MD. In addition to this course, the ACS H.O.P.E. team delivered lectures that emphasized critical skills for young professionals, including proficiency in essential software, effective communication, and presentation skills.
In February, a team of doctors and biomedical engineers (Gilchrist L. Jackson, MD, FACS, Ashish Saharia, MD, MS, FACS, Neal Waxali, and Tushar Patel, MS, PA) from the Houston Methodist Hospital system participated in clinical care, repaired malfunctioning equipment, and delivered 12 large boxes of donated medical supplies. Beyond the call of duty, these volunteers even donated blood to enable a patient to undergo a surgical procedure.
For more information on how you can participate in future ACS H.O.P.E. activities, contact acshope@facs.org.
