PHR Student Program Mid-Atlantic Regional Hub

Response has been strong to the invitation to apply to serve as a Regional Chapter Mentor or a Regional Training Coordinator.

Because it is such a busy time of year, and to give all interested students enough time to apply, we’re extending the application deadline by one week to May 31, 2010.

If you’re interested in drawing on your experience, insight, and creativity to inform the work of other Chapters in your region— Northeast, Midwest, West, South, and Mid-Atlantic — and to strengthen the National Student Program, please consider applying.

Visit the original post for more information and to download the application forms.

The New York Coalition Against Torture (NYCAT) — a group of concerned doctors, psychologists, lawyers, students and citizens — was formed in response to the shocking human rights abuses and gross violations of health professional ethics that have taken place during the “war on terror.” The well-documented participation of doctors, psychologists and other health care professionals in the torture, abuse and interrogation of prisoners in US custody raises serious concerns about the integrity and the future of health care professions in this country.

Working in conjunction with the Center for Constitutional Rights, The Bellevue/NYU Program for Survivors of Torture, and Physicians for Human Rights, NYCAT has been at the forefront of education and advocacy efforts intended to address this issue at the state level.  One of the group’s primary goals is to see the passage of the Gottfried-Duane Anti-Torture Bill (S. 4495-A /A. 6665-B), which is pending in the New York State Legislature. This bill is the first of its kind in the nation and explicitly addresses the role of health professionals in the abusive treatment of prisoners.

The bill explicitly states that NY-licensed health professionals’ duty to do no harm applies to their relationships with all patients and employers, and affirms that they are prohibited from any involvement in torture or other abuse of prisoners. This can be a way to help health professionals resist unlawful instructions that may expose them to risk of criminal prosecution and civil damages lawsuits.

“As future doctors, we are committed to restoring trust in our profession and respect for the rule of law. We look forward to garnering additional support for the bill and to raising awareness about this critical ethical and human rights issue,” says Hana Akselrod, medical student and member of PHR’s active student chapter at Mt. Sinai School of Medicine

Today, NYCAT and interested medical students will go to Albany to meet with legislators to advocate for the Gottfried-Duane Anti-Torture Bill. They have been gathering signatures for the petition to demonstrate widespread support for the legislation, including at the PHR National Conference in February, and will present the petition today.

Show your support by sign the petition now.

Congratulations to the new Student Advisory Board members!

• Alexandra Coria, M3, Dartmouth Medical School
• Lakshmi Krishnan, M2, John Hopkins University School of Medicine
• Mona Singh, M3, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University
• Shaheja Sitafwalla, M2, Rush Medical College
• Fiona Somers, M3, Mt. Sinai School of Medicine

They will join these continuing SAB members:

• Jake Imber, M4, University of Kansas Medical Center
• Aliza Norwood, M4, University of Texas School of Medicine at San Antonio
• Sujal Parikh will be doing a Fogarty Fellowship in Uganda before returning to the University of Michigan Medical School for his fourth year.

PHR would like to sincerely thank the graduating SAB members who have devoted so much time, critical thought, and energy to the ongoing improvement of the National Student Program:

• Ali Khan, Medical College of Virginia, Virginia Commonwealth University has matched in Internal Medicine at Yale University.
• Saranya Kurapati, Loyola University Stritch School of Medicine will pursue a Master’s degree at Harvard.
• Katie Ratzan, Dartmouth Medical School has matched in Pediatrics at the University of Michigan.
• Sohil Sud, Tufts University School of Medicine has matched in Internal Medicine at the University of California, San Francisco.

Are you interested in demonstrating your leadership in PHR? Apply now to become a Regional Chapter Mentor or a Regional Training Coordinator.

Have five minutes to help right now? Fill out an evalution survey for the 2009-2010 National Student Program.

Today, as we celebrate International Nurses Day, the health workforce crisis remains one of the greatest hurdles to realizing the right to health for all in developing countries.

The Global HEALTH Act can help. The GHA, introduced in Congress by Representative Barbara Lee on March 24, would provide $2 billion over five years to increase the number of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other health workers in developing countries, and to improve primary health care for all. The bill not only authorizes new resources, it also calls for the creation of a US Global Health Strategy that will complement the goals of developing countries and ensure our aid money is effectively used to save the lives of hundreds of thousands of people.

That is why PHR is uniting with more than 15 other US organizations to hold a national Call-in Day TODAY to support the Global HEALTH Act. Be part of the movement. Tell your Representative to support Global Health by co-sponsoring this bill.

It’s easy. Call the Congressional Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask to be connected to your Representative’s office (if you don’t know who your Rep. is, find out). Then, make your case. Use the script below, and/or bring your own experiences into the call:

Hi, my name is XXX and I live in Town, State. I am calling to encourage Representative XXX to co-sponsor HR 4933, The Global HEALTH Act, which will help fix broken health systems in developing countries. The Global HEALTH Act calls for the development of a US Global Health Strategy to harmonize aid, and provides $2 billion over 5 years to help countries in Africa hire, train and retain more doctors, nurses and other health workers. The Global HEALTH Act will save lives: I hope Rep. XXX will consider co-sponsoring this bill today.

As of today, the global health community has secured nine co-sponsors: Reps. John Conyers (MI), Lynn Woolsey (CA), Raul Grijalva (AZ), Keith Ellison (MN), John Garamendi (CA), Fortney Pete Stark (CA), Diane Watson (CA), Jesse Jackson, Jr. (IL) and Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC). Help us secure more.Commemorate International Nurses Day by taking action. Join thousands around the country today who are making a difference. Call your Representative and encourage them to co-sponsor the Global HEALTH Act today.

To be increasingly responsive, innovative, and effective at the regional level, PHR’s National Student Program needs one more thing:

You.

Please consider applying to become a Regional Chapter Mentor or a Regional Training Coordinator.

Both Regional Chapter Mentors and Regional Training Coordinators will work with Chapters in their region ­­­­— Northeast, Midwest, West, South, and Mid-Atlantic — to strengthen the National Student Program and improve their region’s experience and impact.

Regional Chapter Mentors offer critical peer-to-peer support, advice, and problem-solving assistance to their region’s student Chapters, and help student Chapter leaders advance their Chapter development and activities. Regional Chapter Mentors provide the personal communication and online presence to ensure the chapters feel supported, appreciated, and connected to one another and to the National Student Program.

Regional Training Coordinators ensure that PHR’s National Student Program offers effective trainings in health and human rights advocacy. Regional Training Coordinators work with the National Student Program Coordinator to plan, run, and follow up on an engaging Regional Advocacy Institute. Therefore, the bulk of the work will be done August through November. Regional Training Coordinators will also support the regional community by supporting PHR’s direct communication and online presence.

Use your creativity, sense of humor, ability to organize, and dedication to human rights to serve as a liaison between your region’s Chapters, the PHR offices in Cambridge, and the halls of legislature.

Please complete the following applications and send them to applications[at]phrusa[dot]org by Monday, May 24 Monday, May 31. You can also contact me with any questions!

As of today, the global health community has secured seven co-sponsors for the Global HEALTH Act: Reps. John Conyers (MI), Lynn Woolsey (CA), Raul Grijalva (AZ), Keith Ellison (MN), John Garamendi (CA), Fortney Pete Stark (CA) and Diane Watson (CA).

PHR wants to double this number — and double it again. To gain more support for the GHA, PHR is organizing a Global HEALTH Act National Call-in Day on May 12th, International Nurses Day.

So far, more than 15 organizations have pledged to participate. We’d love more. If your organization/school/workplace is interested in taking part, contact us at ghacallinday[at]phrusa[dot]org.

And checkout the Call-in Day toolkit (doc), which contains all the information you’ll need to organize a great call-in day.

This week the theme of the PHR Student Blog is student leadership and strengthening your PHR Chapter.

Fundraising — now, over the summer, or early into the next school year — can help your PHR Chapter get off to a strong start next fall. Some students have told us that being short on funds interfered with hosting events. If you’d like to raise some money, PHR is here to help.

Some of the most popular methods are listed in the Fundraising section of the Chapter Toolkit:

• Grants: Research tools include Foundation Search or searching for “[your city]” or “[your state]” and the word “foundation.” Grants may be available on your campus. Follow the directions carefully, and if the grant offers TA (technical assistance), go ahead and call to ask for help.
• Ticketed events: You could host a gala, a dessert tasting, or a talk by an esteemed professor.
• Almost famous: Local celebrities can attract considerable attention. Consider a cocktail reception, a speech, a dunking booth, or a car wash.
• Sponsorship: Remember grade school bowl-a-thons? Ask supporters to sponsor something new: a stair climb in the tallest building on campus, a bike- or walk-a-thon, or a penny for every mile you’re traveling this summer to practice your clinical skills.
• Raffles or silent auctions: Put together a couple of big-ticket items and some fun theme packages and gift certificates.

The Toolkit reveals one of the big secrets to raising money: Don’t be afraid to ask. Try to remember that friends and family like to be involved in the causes that you support, and this is a good way for them to contribute. Local businesses like to be associated with student activities. Build relationships over time so that you feel relaxed about asking and the donor enjoys the chance to help and will want to give again.

Still nervous about asking? Tell yourself, “They won’t give unless I ask.”

What has your Chapter done to raise money? Share your ideas in the comments section below. And email me at hobrien[at]phrusa[dot]org for more ideas and support.

Stay tuned! Tomorrow I’ll outline opportunities for student leadership in your region and announce the new Student Advisory Board.

The National Student Program’s main purpose is to strengthen Chapters’ advocacy and education skills and support the Chapters’ connection to PHR’s human rights work. As the school year draws to a close, the PHR National Student Program is considering how to make next year better, and we need your help. Take a moment to fill out an evalution survey for the 2009-2010 National Student Program.

Please complete the appropriate survey. Chapter Leaders, you do not need to fill out the evaluation survey for All Students, only your own. Many thanks!

• All Students
• Chapter Leaders

Your response will enable us to provide the skill-building, educational materials, and advocacy opportunities that you want and need.

Thank you for all you’ve done this year with
PHR!

Later this week, more about student leadership and strengthening your PHR Chapter for next fall:

• Putting the Fun into Fundraising for a Strong Start Next Fall
• Opportunities for Student Leadership in Your Region

Stay tuned!

This week on the PHR Student Blog we’re talking about student leadership and strengthening your PHR Chapter for next fall.

First order of business: selecting new leadership for your Chapter. Chapter Leaders offer their Chapter vision and direction, while also taking care of the logistics, relationships, and finances for Chapter activities. Your Chapter may have already chosen Chapter Leaders for 2010-2011 — If not, now is the time!

Once you’ve chosen your leaders, please let us know. Email hobrien[at]phrusa[dot]org with the leaders’ names, year of graduation, and contact information — email addresses, phone numbers, and the best address to mail packages to.

I want to offer my sincere thanks to the outgoing leaders and all PHR members who are entering residency or graduating and moving on. The PHR National Student Program is sustained by your passion for protecting and promoting human rights, your dedication to educating others, and your willingness to speak up to end injustice. Please stay involved with PHR and continue to fight for your convictions in the years to come.

Later this week:

• Finals Getting to You? Help PHR Make the Grade.
• Putting the Fun into Fundraising for a Strong Start Next Fall
• Opportunities for Student Leadership in Your Region

Stay tuned!

In Malawi, it’s no surprise that the families of rural farmers and residents of Lilongwe’s slums have such limited access to health care. The country has only one doctor for every 50,000 people. For a range of economic, political, social and historical reasons — including AIDS and brain drain to NGOs, the private sector and wealthier countries — Malawi has only 260 doctors to care for a population of 13 million.

However, Malawi is making progress. In 1992, it opened the College of Medicine at the University of Malawi in Blantyre, and 168 doctors graduated in the first ten years. There was a 137% increase in doctors between 2004 and 2009. Malawi is also training more nurses than ever before.

Despite this success, Malawi still faces significant challenges. It must retain these doctors and nurses while persuading them to work in isolated, underfunded and overcrowded clinics and paying them less than they would make in other English-speaking countries. According to the WHO, 57 countries have critical shortages of doctors, nurses and midwives. How can you help? Support the Global HEALTH Act.

The Global HEALTH Act will guide and fund the development of a stronger workforce in countries like Malawi. Countries will develop plans for their health systems to build up their human resources for health. A stronger workforce means greater access to care, which is essential to realizing health as a human right. You may not have chosen the Global HEALTH Act for your Global Health Week of Action, but you can still sign the petition to ask your Representative to cosponsor the bill.

Want to take it a step further? Ask your Dean to join other prominent health professionals in signing the letter that PHR will send to your Representative — Members of Congress are busy people, but they respond to experts. Present the sign-on letter (pdf) to your Dean or interested faculty member, either directly or via email. You can use this email template (doc) and include this fact sheet (pdf) if you’d like. IMPORTANT: email me at hobrien[at]phrusa[dot]org to let me know when your Dean grants permission to use her or his name.

Your efforts on this important Act can have a big impact both in Congress and to the people of Malawi.