International Activities Abound at Cincinnati Children's
There's no question about it: the Cincinnati Children's community is a global one. Patients from 38 countries have come through our doors, we employ faculty and staff from around the world, and we are working on a number of international programs.
This issue of Research Horizons delves into some of these programs, including our International Adoption Center which has aided adoptive families since its opening in 1999, and the new Bang Bao Research Scholar Program, a joint venture with Procter & Gamble. It also introduces some of our faculty from outside the United States, including researchers from Egypt, Latvia and the Netherlands.
"There's a natural demand and need for international programs. We can't become the leader in improving child health if we are too narrow in our vision," says Ardythe Morrow, PhD, chair of the Bang Bao Research Scholar Steering Committee. "We want to apply our vision internationally, and find mutual strengths and needs."
Finding Common Connections
To understand the many international projects underway at Cincinnati Children's and to find common connections, an International Health Coordinating Committee was created. This group serves as an internal resource for thinking internationally and helps to ensure that all activity leads to improving child health in a purposeful and fruitful way.
Among these international projects are efforts in patient care, education and research, all of which fit with our long-term mission. These projects allow us to explore the best way to serve our patients, whether they are from Greater Cincinnati or another country.
"Looking and thinking globally helps us recognize how we can utilize our resources better," says Mary Staat, MD, MPH, founder and director of the International Adoption Center. "We are better able to fulfill our mission by having an impact around the world."
Recognizing our Responsibility
In regard to patient care, traveling gives our physicians exposure to illnesses that they may see in the United States only rarely or not at all. Hosting trainees from overseas offers us a healthy information exchange with individuals who have life experiences and training to augment our own.
On the education front, the first Bang Bao Research Scholars from China begin their training with our faculty this fall. The medical center also is looking into setting up training programs and seminars in developing countries.
In the research realm, international partnerships give us the chance to do parallel studies. To really explore gene and environment interactions, we can gain better insights by conducting research in environments both within and outside of Cincinnati. In places with different diets and different patterns of life, we have that opportunity.
"Children are the very center of our world," says Thomas Boat, MD, director of the Cincinnati Children's Research Foundation. "We're enthusiastic to be able to contribute to medical science and research to benefit children not only here but around the world."
