Going with to Belize City, Belize for 4 days to teach ultrasound including but not limited to cardiac ECHO and lung to providers at 2 different emergency departments/hospitals. This teaching will involve giving lectures and hands on scanning with providers on all of the days. CT and MRI imaging is not a modality that is readily available in other countries compared to the USA. Ultrasound is a quick, cheaper, definitive measure to help with diagnoses, IV access, and more.
Population of Belize and medical providers of Belize. Belize is an ongoing project with my advanced ultrasound fellowship which I have been given the opportunity to go as I am a new fellow.
The expected impact is spreading awareness/education of ultrasound usage in outpatient and emergency department and more efficient ED visits in terms of timing and diagnoses. Also, allowing providers the comfort of being able to use various ultrasound machines depending on what is available. After I return I will continue to follow up with the providers of Belize and continue to create curriculum and better my own ultrasound skills to be able to continue providing education for others.
Karl Heusner Memorial Hospital (KHMH) is the only tertiary hospital in Belize. They have 1-2 of every specialist and also have a NICU, PICU, and ICU. Dr. Yenisey Cruz is only EM trained physician in Belize and we had the honor of working with her. There is one CT scan (which hasn’t worked since beginning of Covid pandemic). Private hospitals may have a CT scan but very expensive and also works intermittently. Discussing the ultrasound experience there is a range of none to some trained ultrasound before. My co fellow and I had the opportunity to lecture module 1 for an ongoing program and have some hands on scanning. It was great to see the difference between the pre and post test and how much they learned. Was a wonderful experience and can’t wait to go back!
