WOUND AND LYMPHEDEMA

Qualifications:

Active or retired physicians, podiatrists, nurses, physical and occupational therapists, and researchers specialized in wound care and lymphedema management are needed.  Qualified volunteers are health care professionals who are involved in providing advanced, evidence-based wound care including edema/lymphedema management and are working with wounds in an academic setting, a clinical practice in any setting, wound research, or infection control. Previous clinical or academic teaching experience is preferred but not required. Clinicians must have a current professional license.  Additional requirements provided by HVO. Assignments are 1 to 2 weeks.

Phnom Penh, Cambodia - Sihanouk Hospital Center of Hope (SHCH)

SHCH is an adult teaching hospital. Volunteers teach basic and advanced wound and lymphedema care, with both basic and advanced supplies. Common wound types include pressure ulcers, traumatic wounds, neuropathic ulcers (due to diabetes and leprosy), arterial ulcers, and wound infections. Volunteers may also have the opportunity to work with the municipal hospital and the leprosy center. Activities may include providing lectures, participating in rounds, conducting prevalence studies, and assisting in the development of patient education materials.

Siem Reap, Cambodia - Angkor Hospital for Children (AHC)

Volunteers train physicians and nurses to improve the quality of care provided, as well as increase their ability to offer wound & lymphedema care training to local facilities.  Patient and family education in wound management is also a priority of AHC.  Common wounds seen in outpatients are abcesses, burns, laprotomies, and fractures.  Volunteers participate in protocol development and implementation, teaching modules, and leading workshops for hospital staff and for family home care.  Training will occur in clinical and classroom settings.  Podiatrists are not recruited for this site.

Deschapelles, Haiti - Hôpital Albert Schweitzer (HAS)

Volunteers will be involved in providing basic wound care training to the nursing staff at HAS. Physicians and Physical Therapists will also be integrated in to the training based on the volunteer's specialty and area of training. HAS sees many kinds of wounds and would benefit in training in the following areas (but not limited to): trauma, diabetic feet / ulcers, abscesses, pressure ulcers, and burns. Volunteers will be sent in teams of two, twice a year between January and March and again in July to September. Assignments are 2 weeks in length.

Vellore, India - Christian Medical College

Volunteers participate in daily lectures, observation and mentoring in clinics or on the ward.  Lecture topics include epidemiology, diagnostics, pathophysiology, and prime wound care principles.  There is a specific need for training in compression for venous ulcers and wounds in general. Venous and diabetic ulcers are common, as are wounds secondary to vehicular trauma, domestic violence, snake and insect bites, and leprosy.

Lima, Peru - EsSalud Hospital System

RECRUITMENT SUSPENDED
Volunteers provide training to physicians, residents, nurses, and therapists in a variety of topics, including: wound healing, infection control, creative offloading, bedside debridement, moist wound healing, wound bed preparation, etc. The volunteer can expect to attend weekly teaching conferences, daily in-patient rounds, daily clinics and a daily mid-day lecture if there is time.

Raxual, India – Duncan Hospital (DH)

Volunteers provide wound care training to physicians, nurses, and other relevant staff at Duncan Hospital through an interdisciplinary training model. Specific areas of training needed are in moist wound healing, vascular surgery, wound assessment, wound debridement, nutrition for wound healing, and burn care. Training and education will be provided through a variety of means including lecture, hands on demonstrations, case studies, and participation in ground rounds with both physicians and nurses. Volunteers will serve as part of a 2-4 person team and assignments will be 2-4 weeks in length (4 weeks preferred) and scheduled once a year in January or February.