About the Trip

University of New England faculty and 16 students from the College of Health Professions are participating in a two-week transcultural immersion experience to Ghana, West Africa from August 8-22.

Jennifer Morton, MS, MPH, RN, nursing, and Regi Robnett, PhD, OTR/L, occupational therapy, and 16 interdisciplinary students from the College of Health Professions including: nursing, social work, occupational therapy, health services management, and physician assistant will be joining Hilarie Jones, MS, APRN from Ghana Health Mission. They will work with clients of all ages in a primary care clinic initially established by the faculty of the University of Massachusetts, Amherst and the people of Sekondi, Ghana.

This experience will introduce the students to health care as it is delivered in a developing country while they provide valuable healthcare services and community health education to the people of Sekondi, Ghana. The course tied to this experience, “Transcultural Immersion in Health Care,” will assist students in recognizing and heightening their skills as culturally sensitive health professionals through self reflection prior to, during and after the immersion experience.

Students will participate in activities that include:

• Participation in the delivery of direct patient care
• Community health education as a partnership with community health workers
• Becoming versed in the use of interpreters

One example of the community outreach the students will be doing is educating people about the need for safe drinking water and staying hydrated. In meetings prior to the trip, students discussed ways to do this and developed an oral hydration packet, which consists of ½ tsp. salt, 8 tsp. sugar and one liter of water, which they will be handing out to people waiting in line at the clinic with interpreted instructions. “Although the students will participate in healthcare delivery services to approximately 1,500 patients during their visit, the community health education they deliver to the community will be passed on to many more people, and could have a even bigger impact on the community’s health,” said Morton.

Ghana
The twin cities of Sekondi and Takoradi represent the third largest urban area in Ghana with a population of about 400,000. Although Ghana represents one of the more developed countries in Africa, the city of Sekondi is considered urban, poor. Its people suffer many of the health disparities that are often associated with limited economic resources and poor access to clean water. These health disparities include but not limited to malnutrition, dysentery, malaria, and HIV/AIDS.

For more information about the country of Ghana, click here.

Ghana Health Mission
More than a decade ago, Leda McKenry, a nursing professor at UMass, met the Rev. Robert Andoh, of International Missions Foundation and a native of Ghana, while waiting in an airport. Their conversation led to McKenry asking what she could do to help. He cited a need for vaccinations and health screenings, so in 1997 she flew to Ghana with a team of nursing students. Each year, Ghana Health Mission (GHM) partners with Rev. Andoh to provide primary health care to the people of Sekondi. The number of patients seen in the clinic is contingent on the number of health professionals/students participating. On average, the clinic sees about 1,500 patients over a two-week period. For many, GHM represents the only source of health care that is available to them. Moreover, community health education that is integral to healthcare delivery and often void in underserved areas serves a greater need as the patients themselves disseminate this valuable information to family and friends.

The sixteen health professions students from UNE and three medical students from the University of Utah will make up the cohort of participants. Hilarie Jones, MS, APRN from Ghana Health Mission will serve as the group leader for this mission. Jones has made this trip seven times. UNE faculty member Jennifer Morton will be making her fifth trip and first with UNE students interested in learning more about health care in Ghana and building cultural competence skills that they can take with them into their future practice.

A typical day at the International Mission clinic begins at 0800. The waiting line begins to form at 0400 with some people walking miles for a clinic spot. The patients are given at clinic card and wait patiently until their number is called. They are first seen in triage where a history and pertinent screenings are obtained. From there, consistent with a primary care model they are assessed by a provider whereby appropriate treatments and recommendations are made. There is also an onsite pharmacy available for the patients. This year, Regi Robnett from the department of Occupational Therapy and 6 OT students will provide something very unique to the clinic – rehabilitation services for persons with functional disabilities, a population often marginalized in developing countries.