Mediglobo and Gordon Center at the University of Miami Forge Global Partnership to Advance Simulation-Based Healthcare Education Worldwide
Mediglobo and Gordon Center at the University of Miami Forge Global Partnership to Advance Simulation-Based Healthcare Education Worldwide
Miami, Florida, September 16, 2023 – Mediglobo, a pioneering leader in healthcare innovation, and the Gordon Center for Research in Medical Education at the University of Miami have announced a transformative partnership aimed at enhancing simulation-based education for healthcare professionals on a global scale. This collaboration brings together cutting-edge technology and world-class medical education expertise to revolutionize healthcare training and ultimately improve patient outcomes.
A Global Force in Healthcare Education
Mediglobo is renowned for its innovative simulation solutions that have already benefited healthcare professionals worldwide. The Gordon Center, part of the prestigious University of Miami, is internationally recognized for its expertise in medical education and simulation-based training. By joining forces, these two giants are poised to reshape healthcare education for the better.
Advancing Simulation-Based Learning
Simulation-based education is a cornerstone of modern healthcare training, allowing professionals to gain practical experience in a controlled environment. This partnership aims to take simulation to the next level, leveraging state-of-the-art technology, artificial intelligence, and immersive learning environments to provide healthcare workers with even more realistic and effective training.
Enhancing Patient Care
The ultimate goal of this collaboration is to enhance patient care globally. By offering healthcare professionals highly realistic and immersive training experiences, the Mediglobo-Gordon Center partnership intends to produce more confident, skilled, and prepared healthcare workers who can deliver the highest standard of care to patients.
A Commitment to Innovation
Both Mediglobo and the Gordon Center share a strong commitment to innovation in healthcare education. By combining their expertise, resources, and knowledge, they aim to continually push the boundaries of what is possible in simulation-based learning, ultimately benefiting healthcare professionals, institutions, and, most importantly, patients. Establishment of the iSIM Course and faculty base in Brazil and the South American continent, wherever needed, under supervision and mentorship of Gordon Center. Explore the possibility of further collaborative projects in the areas of simulation-based education, crisis and disaster management, global health, and climate change etc. Explore the possibility of getting access to Harvey in Brazilian medical schools. Establishment of joint research projects in the area of healthcare simulation. Establishment of other simulation-based courses in Brazil, which are currently running at Gordon Center.
About Mediglobo
Mediglobo is a leading healthcare technology company dedicated to improving patient care through innovative simulation solutions. With a focus on realism, immersion, and effectiveness, Mediglobo’s products have been instrumental in training healthcare professionals worldwide. About the Gordon Center for Research in Medical Education The Gordon Center is a designated Center of Excellence of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. It was established more than 45 years ago for the application of advanced technology to medical education for medical students, physicians, physician assistants, nurses, paramedic/firefighters, and instructors. More than 2,000 medical centers and agencies worldwide
A Global Force in Healthcare Education
Mediglobo is renowned for its innovative simulation solutions that have already benefited healthcare professionals worldwide. The Gordon Center, part of the prestigious University of Miami, is internationally recognized for its expertise in medical education and simulation-based training. By joining forces, these two giants are poised to reshape healthcare education for the better.
Advancing Simulation-Based Learning
Simulation-based education is a cornerstone of modern healthcare training, allowing professionals to gain practical experience in a controlled environment. This partnership aims to take simulation to the next level, leveraging state-of-the-art technology, artificial intelligence, and immersive learning environments to provide healthcare workers with even more realistic and effective training.
Enhancing Patient Care
The ultimate goal of this collaboration is to enhance patient care globally. By offering healthcare professionals highly realistic and immersive training experiences, the Mediglobo-Gordon Center partnership intends to produce more confident, skilled, and prepared healthcare workers who can deliver the highest standard of care to patients.
A Commitment to Innovation
Both Mediglobo and the Gordon Center share a strong commitment to innovation in healthcare education. By combining their expertise, resources, and knowledge, they aim to continually push the boundaries of what is possible in simulation-based learning, ultimately benefiting healthcare professionals, institutions, and, most importantly, patients. Establishment of the iSIM Course and faculty base in Brazil and the South American continent, wherever needed, under supervision and mentorship of Gordon Center. Explore the possibility of further collaborative projects in the areas of simulation-based education, crisis and disaster management, global health, and climate change etc. Explore the possibility of getting access to Harvey in Brazilian medical schools. Establishment of joint research projects in the area of healthcare simulation. Establishment of other simulation-based courses in Brazil, which are currently running at Gordon Center.
About Mediglobo
Mediglobo is a leading healthcare technology company dedicated to improving patient care through innovative simulation solutions. With a focus on realism, immersion, and effectiveness, Mediglobo’s products have been instrumental in training healthcare professionals worldwide. About the Gordon Center for Research in Medical Education The Gordon Center is a designated Center of Excellence of the University of Miami Miller School of Medicine. It was established more than 45 years ago for the application of advanced technology to medical education for medical students, physicians, physician assistants, nurses, paramedic/firefighters, and instructors. More than 2,000 medical centers and agencies worldwide
How Honduras succeeded in performing genomic sequencing for the first time
UN High-Level Meetings must prioritize medical oxygen to save lives, say world’s leading agencies
Microbiologist Soany Avilez was delighted when she was selected to implement genomic sequencing of the SARS-CoV-2 (the virus that causes COVID-19) in Honduras. In the wake of the pandemic, in 2020, she began working at the National Virology Laboratory performing PCR tests for COVID-19 diagnosis. At that time, genomic sequencing to detect variants of the virus was only being performed outside the country. However, a project to provide Honduras and other countries in the region with the capabilities to sequence in situ and obtain quicker results was underway with technical support from the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and financial support from the U.S. Government.
Genomic surveillance provides information on the evolution of viruses and other pathogens as they change over time. Knowing the changes or mutations that can modify their transmissibility and severity can guide public health measures. During the pandemic, it was a key strategy for monitoring the behavior of SARS-CoV-2 and is now being integrated into the surveillance of other pathogens.
Karla Romero, another microbiologist in charge of genomic surveillance, acknowledges that the implementation of sequencing in Honduras has been “a great challenge” that required a lot of “sacrifice and commitment,” both inside and outside the laboratory.
UN High-Level Meetings must prioritize medical oxygen to save lives, say world’s leading agencies
UN High-Level Meetings must prioritize medical oxygen to save lives, say world’s leading agencies
Geneva/New York, September 14, 2023– In advance of the three UN High-Level Meetings on Pandemic Prevention, Preparedness and Response, Universal Health Coverage, and Tuberculosis 20-22 September 2023, about 20 of the world’s leading agencies call on world leaders to prioritize access to medical oxygen in health strategies, policies, and financing.
The Global Oxygen Alliance (GO2AL) was launched in May 2023 with Unitaid and the Global Fund to Fight AIDS, Tuberculosis and Malaria as co-chairs, the Pan American Health Organization (PAHO) and the Africa Centres for Disease Control and Prevention (Africa CDC) as vice-chairs, and Unitaid, the World Health Organization (WHO) and UNICEF sharing the secretariat. GO2AL is calling for world leaders to ensure the 2023 World Health Assembly Resolution on Increasing Access to Medical Oxygen, adopted by all 194 WHO Member States, is reflected in the universal health coverage, pandemic preparedness, prevention and response, and tuberculosis agendas.
“Medical oxygen is a lifesaving medicine that is essential to pandemic prevention, preparedness and response, achieving universal health coverage and the fight against tuberculosis. If we’re going to increase access and affordability of medical oxygen for the people who need it most, we need innovative ways of producing and delivering it, and tools adapted for use in low-resource settings,” said Philippe Duneton, Executive Director of Unitaid.
Medical oxygen is a lifesaving essential medicine without substitute, used to treat both acute and chronic respiratory illnesses, including COVID-19 and pneumonia. It is essential for surgery, trauma, emergency, critical care, and for treating older people, pregnant women with obstetric complications and newborns in respiratory distress; and can support the management of opportunistic infections due to advanced HIV infection and severe forms of tuberculosis and malaria, as well as non-communicable diseases such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and cardiovascular disease.
“Access to medical oxygen and respiratory care is an essential part of resilient and sustainable health systems and a critical element of pandemic preparedness. Investments in oxygen delivery systems will save lives now and build surge capacity for countries to respond against future health threats,” said Peter Sands, Executive Director of the Global Fund.
Severe shortages of medical oxygen have been a problem for decades in many low- and middle- income countries (LMICs) and less than 50 percent of health facilities have uninterrupted access to medical oxygen. This has deadly consequences for the most vulnerable; for example, of the 7.2 million children with pneumonia in critical need of medical oxygen each year in LMICs, only one in five children will receive it. The COVID-19 pandemic exacerbated these chronic shortages, leading to many preventable deaths and straining already fragile health systems.
“Availability of medical oxygen can be a matter of life and death that requires deliberate political commitment. I stared at death when I was diagnosed with COVID-19 due to delayed access to oxygen therapy owing to cost and inadequate supply. Families experienced preventable deaths that would have been averted with availability of affordable medical oxygen. Without the prioritization and sustained support from governments, access to this crucial resource will remain a hindrance to provision of quality health care and efforts in saving lives.” Said Maurine Murenga, Executive Director, Lean On Me Foundation and the Communities Constituency for GO2AL.
GO2AL calls on governments and health systems to:
- prioritize access to medical oxygen in health strategies, policies, and financing in support of universal health coverage and pandemic prevention, preparedness and response.
- ensure that people (especially children and newborns) with pneumonia or other respiratory and critical illnesses, pregnant women and surgical patients, have reliable access to medical oxygen therapy.
- develop comprehensive guidance for the use of medical oxygen for tuberculosis patients to support holistic care.
Access to a sustainable, reliable supply of medical oxygen in low- and middle-income countries is critical to achieving the health-related targets of the Sustainable Development Goals by 2030, particularly to achieving universal health coverage, supporting pandemic preparedness, prevention and response, and ending epidemics including tuberculosis.
Additional quotes from GO2AL members:
“The pandemic highlighted how important it is to guarantee access to a sustainable, reliable supply of medical oxygen in LMICs. This is a crucial aspect to achieve universal coverage and access, based on a strong and renewed primary health care.” said Jarbas Barbosa da Silva Jr., Director of PAHO.
“The COVID-19 pandemic has laid bare a long-ignored aspect of health capacity in LMICs. Therefore, sustainable investments in medical oxygen must be prioritized in the ongoing global discussion on pandemic prevention, preparedness and response and universal health coverage,” said H.E. Dr. Jean Kaseya, Director General of Africa CDC.
Editor’s note: For more information about this call to action, please see the GO2AL briefing note titled “Medical Oxygen: Essential for saving lives today and tomorrow”. For more information about GO2AL and its new Strategy: executive summary, please visit the GO2AL website.
Global stakeholders agree to a new charter on patient safety rights
Global stakeholders agree to a new charter on patient safety rights
Press Release Subititle
Geneva, Switzerland, 14 September 2023 (WHO) – The WHO-hosted global conference on patient safety and patient engagement concluded yesterday with agreement across a broad range of stakeholders on a first-ever Patient safety rights charter. It outlines the core rights of all patients in the context of safety of health care and seeks to assist governments and other stakeholders to ensure that the voices of patients are heard and their right to safe health care is protected.
“Patient safety is a collective responsibility. Health systems must work hand-in-hand with patients, families, and communities, so that patients can be informed advocates in their own care, and every person can receive the safe, dignified, and compassionate care they deserve,” said Dr Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, WHO Director-General. “Because if it’s not safe, it’s not care.”
Patient safety is an ethical and moral imperative grounded in the health care principle ‘First, do no harm!’, which lies at the heart of efforts to ensure high-quality health care systems and achieve universal health coverage. Yet, an estimated one in every 10 patients experience harm in health care facilities and each year there are more than three million deaths globally due to unsafe health care.
Most of the patient harm is preventable, and the engagement of patients, families and caregivers is one of the most important strategies for reducing harm. This year’s World Patient Safety Day seeks to highlight the critical importance of listening to patients, families and caregivers, learning from their experiences, and involving them in every aspect of care, to avoid harm, lower the risk of errors and reduce the impact of harm when it does occur. This requires a shift in paradigm, from care designed for patients to care designed with patients, their families and caregivers.
“Our health systems are stronger, our work is empowered, and our care is safer when patients and families are alongside us,” said Sir Liam Donaldson, WHO Patient Safety Envoy. “The journey to eliminate avoidable harm in health care has been a long one, and the stories of courage and compassion from patients and families who have suffered harm are pivotal to driving change and learning to be even safer.”
The global conference on patient engagement for patient safety was the key event to mark World Patient Safety Day (WPSD) which will be observed on 17 September under the theme “Engaging patients for patient safety”. Meaningful involvement of patients, families and caregivers in the provision of health care, and their experiences and perspectives, can contribute to enhancing health care safety and quality, saving lives and reducing costs, and the WPSD aims to promote and accelerate better patient and family engagement in the design and delivery of safe health services.
The conference was held on 12 and 13 September at WHO headquarters in Geneva and online, with the participation of more than 2 300 people from all six WHO regions, including patient advocates and representatives of patients’ organizations, who took an active role in the development of the Patient safety rights charter, a significant step forward in the global commitment to safer health systems. Its advanced version will be released and open for public consultation as part of the activities to commemorate World Patient Safety Day 2023.
At the conference, WHO unveiled two new resources to support key stakeholders in implementing involvement of patients, families and caregivers in the provision of health care. Drawing on the power of patient stories, which is one of the most effective mechanisms for driving improvements in patient safety, a storytelling toolkit will guide patients and families through the process of sharing their experiences, especially those related to harmful events within health care. The Global Knowledge Sharing Platform, created as part of a strategic partnership with SingHealth Institute for Patient Safety and Quality Singapore, supports the exchange of global resources, best practices, tools and resources related to patient safety, acknowledging the pivotal role of knowledge sharing in advancing safety.
“Patient engagement and empowerment is at the core of the Global Patient Safety Action Plan 2021–2030. It is one of the most powerful tools to improve patient safety and the quality of care, but it remains an untapped resource in many countries, and the weakest link in the implementation of patient safety measures and strategies. With this World Patient Safety Day and the focus on patient engagement, we want to change that”, said Dr Neelam Dhingra, head of the WHO Patient Safety Flagship.
According to the interim results of the 2023 survey of WHO Member States on the implementation of the global patient safety action plan, only 13% of responding countries have a patient representative on the governing board (or an equivalent mechanism) in the majority of their hospitals. The survey also highlighted the income-based implementation gap, with good practices largely concentrated in higher-income countries.
