Global Health Guatemala February 2019

This February, four residents, alongside program faculty, medical students and a public health student traveled to rural Guatemala. Wu Qu Kawoq, also known as the Maya Health Alliance, continues to be out fantastic NGO. The organization formed with the goal of providing grassroots healthcare delivered in native languages to many of the rural communities of Guatemala who previously were unable to access care. They are now one of the largest providers of healthcare in Guatemala and we are proud to work alongside them for in a culturally sensitive and continuity minded partnership.

You can see more more highlights of our Guatemala trip below. To learn more about our Global Health Curriculum click here. You can read more about the Mayan Health Alliance here.

Our core resident team along with two of the women most important to the health of Chocola, one of the communities we serve in Guatemala.

We traveled first to the small rural, coffee and chocolate farming town of Chocola. The team sets up clinic for the week in a small building centered in the community and provides care to numerous children and families – everything from treating acute infections, to minor injuries, chronic diabetes, hypertension and mental health conditions like depression and anxiety.

This model allows for follow up within the same week and we had several patients return for additional check ups or medications.

For the second week we traveled to the city of Tecpan which served as our base for daily clinics in more remote and outlying communities.

Places like Chichimuch, Chutiestantia, and Santiago were reached only after a long bus ride, and we set up day long clinics treating many of the same things as we did our first week.

We encountered more Mayan language speaking people when working in the Guatemalan highlands outside of Tecapn and gained a better understanding of the inspiration behind the Mayan Health Alliance. With incredible interpreters and a strong team we were able to provide care in those native languages.

All in all, we cared for 331 patients and will be able to provide follow up and continuity of care when our next team arrives in April.

Global Health Book Club

The global health book club group— enjoying snacks, conversations and a baby!

Latest book club book.

Looking for a book to read while you’re traveling to interviews? You might want to consider the latest read from our global health book club! Factfulness by Hans Rosling encourages the reader to look beyond the headlines and see what the data says the world is actually like— not just what we think it’s like. You might be pleasantly surprised at how much progress has been made. If you want to start to test your world view take the GapMinder quiz by clicking here.

We have a twice yearly book club, one book focused more of domestic health and the other with a more global perspective. This is part of creating well rounded family medicine physicians.

[Editors Note: If you are a fiction fan, you will find more than a few residents at our program who love YA novels. We are eagerly awaiting the release of the final Throne of Glass!]

Global Health July 2018 Trip

Our July 2018 team recently returned from 2 weeks in Guatemala working with in-country partner Wuqu' Kawoq. We continue to focus in two main areas, the highlands outside of Tecpan and on the Boca Costa, and now even have some continuity patients. While it's hard to capture the experience in photos we think those below help tell the day to day story. To learn more about Wuqu' Kawoq, the second largest provider of health care in Guatemala, after the Ministry of Health, you can click here. 

Making sure to promote literacy… both in Guatemala and in the US

Walking to Clinic

No matter where you are in the world how you get to your doctor (on foot, by bus or car) will affect ease of access.

While this may look like a “stock” photo, we swear it’s not even staged!

Sometimes the best way to make the doctor less scary is via stickers!

We always try to meet patients where they are, and in their preferred language.

You know you are a family medicine (or FMP) doctor when you bring the baby to staff the mother with your attending.

We feel the same way about bubbles as she does.

Going on a home visit- fanny pack and all!

Our team in front of the Chocola clinic.

Global Health Reflection

Photo featured in the most recent Team Newsletter from our Guatemalan partner organization Wuqu' Kawoq

"Durante el viaje a Guatemala, me acordé del fantástico grupo de personas con las que tengo el privilegio de trabajar y cuánto podemos lograr como equipo. Esta foto fue tomada en la Clínica Miller en Chocolá.  Mientras estaba sentado detrás de la estación de farmacia pude presenciar a todos los miembros de mi equipo en el trabajo todos a la vez, cumpliendo un papel esencial. A pesar de algunos desafíos que surgieron durante el viaje, la fuerte ética de trabajo del equipo y su disposición para trabajar juntos permitieron que cada día de la clínica fuera un éxito.  Tengo la gran bendición de trabajar y aprender con personas tan maravillosas". - Miembro, Equipo de Cincinnati, Febrero

"During the trip to Guatemala, I was reminded of what a fantastic group of individuals I am privileged to work with and how much we can accomplish as a team.  This photo was taken at Clinica Miller in Chocolá.  As I sat behind the pharmacy station, I was able to witness many members of my team at work all at once, each fulfilling an essential role.  Despite some challenges that arose during the trip, the team’s strong work ethic and willingness to work together allowed each clinic day to be a success.  I am so blessed to work and learn with such wonderful people.". - Cincinnati Team Member, February

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These were the reflections of one of our residents, as featured in the most recent newsletter from our Guatemalan partner organization. To read more about our global health program, click here. You can learn more about our partner by following the link Wuqu' Kawoq.

Global Health Check In

Our local partners at Clinica Miller with some members of the November team 

Headed to a home visit

Three times a year our residency hosts global health trips to Guatemala with residents and attendings working with our partner organization, Wuqu' Kawoq. By visiting more frequently we hope to increase on-the-ground capacity while also retaining continuity of care. The most recent group traveled this past November and consisted of 4 attendings and 7 residents (spanning from PGY1-5) from the FM, FM-Psych, and EM programs in Cincinnati. 

The Guatemalan Highlands

This two week trip started in Chocola where our team worked at Clinica Miller. The clinic's full-time nurse, Glenda, and community health worker, Irma-both Chocola natives- utilized the extra hands and supplies to expand care to more community members. The second week found the team near the headquarters of Wuqu' Kawoq in the Guatemalan Highlands. Each day they worked in a different community where, due to high need, not all patients can be seen in a monthly physician visit (the goal which Wuqu' Kawoq usually provides.) The amazing local nurses care for these patients year round and act as out leads to help maintain local continuity.  Joining the team were extra interpreters who ensured these patients would receive healthcare in their native language, a right often unavailable in Guatemala. 

The resident team saw between 25 and 40 patients each day and improved their POC ultrasound and tropical medicine skills while also maintaining the balancing act of delivering care in a resource-limited environment. Two of the team (Suzanne and Shanna) used elective time to stay 2 additional weeks and study medical Spanish classes at a Spanish school in Antigua, Guatemala.