Global Off-Site Care   SSU Rotaract Projects

Andrea Aviles and Yomme Jones from the Rotaract Club at Sonoma State University presented a brief program on Global Off Site Care, a telemedicine program that is sponsored by the Rotary club of Sebastopol Sunrise. Currently Sonoma State University Rotaract club has three projects going, a nurse training telemedicine project in Uganda, the Otouke telemedicine project, also in Uganda and the Terra Telemedicine project in Ghana.

 

These projects involve finding a hospital in a country of need that has capabilities for online access. Once discovered, these facilities receive training and equipment to allow them to communicate with physicians in the United States for educational as well as consultative services.

 

Dr. James Gude, a local internal medicine specialist, is the medical coordinator of the program and facilitates learning by holding grand rounds on a weekly basis that are shared with members of the telemedicine community. Consultative services are also available, including images of patients, on an as-needed basis.

 

To participate, hospitals need to have Internet access, tablet computers, laptop computers, and cameras to allow real-time sharing of information and cases.

 

The program has brought state-of-the-art medical technology and consultation to these often difficult to reach communities in areas that are underserved in terms of high quality medical care. Each of their programs requires a certain amount of funding for getting started, as well as some minimal ongoing costs.

 

At a previous program at our club, the details of the program were reviewed. Members are encouraged to visit their website, http://globaloffsitecare.org/ for further details regarding contributions or how you might otherwise be involved in their programs.