“Global health is an area for study, research, and practice that places a priority on improving health and achieving equity in health for all people worldwide. Global health emphasizes transnational health issues, determinants, and solutions; involves many disciplines within and beyond the health sciences and promotes interdisciplinary collaboration; and is a synthesis of population-based prevention with individual-level clinical care.”-Koplan et al. Consortium of Universities for Global Health Executive Board: Towards a common definition of global health. Lancet. 2009; 1993-1995

Global Health is a varied and rich discipline to which many health care providers, researchers and faculty aspire to being professionally engaged. With our being a globally connected world, this on-going programming through the Office of International Programs is designed to feature those in our KUMC community engaged in the field of global health - KUMC's faculty, researchers and clinicians; our international partners and our community partners.

Presenters will share their personal journeys. educational backgrounds,  mentors, books and articles that gave inspiration, challenges, lessons learned, successes, epiphanies, life-changing moments and even the heart breaks. 

The series is meant to provide a platform for both presenters and participants to participate in conversations while developing foundational knowledge and exploring best practices for engagement in the discipline of global health.

If you would like to give a Foundations of Global Health presentation, please email Miss Alexa Smith at asmith5@kumc.edu for the application.

Foundations of Global Health Objectives

1. The participant will gain foundational information on pathways into global health and understand that the discipline is without borders, existing locally and globally.

2. The participant will be challenged to deepen knowledge on equity and mutualism  and to pursue true collaboration and global health exchange for everyone’s benefit. 

3. The participant will examine existing attitudes around global health so that we at the University of Kansas Medical Center move beyond the “us compared to them” mentality by honoring the strengths of different systems.

4. The participant will understand free-trade collaborations and ethical learning  principles and will be able to appraise global health including global health research, philosophy, approaches, attitudes, and the varied efforts locally and internationally in the areas of health disparities, health inequities, and community health.

KU Medical Center students who participate can earn points toward the Global Scholars Distinction Program. All who attend the sessions can earn a certificate of attendance from the Office of International Programs.

2024-2025 Schedule*

In conjunction with the International Orthopedic Trauma Collaborative (IOTC)
“Partnering to solve the New Trauma Epidemic” Series

Fall 2024
Tues. Sept. 24
Tues. Oct. 1
Tues. Oct. 22
Tues. Nov. 5
Tues. Dec. 3

Spring 2025
Tues. Feb. 4
Tues. Feb. 25
Tues. Mar. 4
Tues. Mar. 25
Tues. Apr. 1
Tues. Apr. 22
Tues. May 6

*Additional Speakers and Dates announced as scheduled.

Resources

View past sessions: 
FGH Playlist 2023-2024
FGH Playlist 2022-2023
FGH Playlist 2021-2022 
FGH Playlist 2020-2021
Global Health at KUMC.

Past Speakers

“Honduras Health System”
by Aracely Banegas Núñez, MD, Christian Castillo Mairena, MD, Jose Ricardo Bulnes Ferrera, MD, Esperanza Corea Dubón, MD, Ana Gabriela Reyes Núñez, BSN Central American Medical Outreach Honduras
Thursday, April 25, 2024 | 12:00 p.m.

Global Health and International Educational Exchange Faculty Forum
“Fair-Trade Health Partnerships: Leaping our Talk”
by Dr. Jessica Evert, Global Medical Director Child Family Health International 
Thursday, February 29, 2024 | 12:00 p.m.

“Beyond the Next Village: A Year of Magic and Medicine in Nepal”
by Dr. Mary Anne Mercer, Professor Emeritus University of Washington
Wednesday, May 3, 2023 | 12:00 p.m.

“Health Indicators in Guatemala”
by Dr. David García, Third Year Resident at Mariano Gálvez University of Guatemala
Tuesday, April 25, 2023 | 12:00 p.m.

Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and Community Health, and Infectious Disease
Global Health Pathway’s Series
“Global Health Career Chat”
by Dr. Ivan Damjanov, KUMC Professor Emeritus of Internal Medicine-Infectious Disease
Wednesday, March 8, 2023 | 12:00 p.m.

“The Impact of COVID in the Rural Area”
by Dr. Francisco Méndez, Medical Director of Hospital San Pedro
Tuesday, December 6, 2022 | 5:30 p.m.

Foundations of Global Health presents The 4^thAnnual Dr. Mani Modale Mani International Educational Exchange and Partnerships Presentation 

“Physical Therapy Education and Practice in India”
by Samuel Durairaj,  MPT
Thursday, November 17, 2022 | 12:00 p.m. 

Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and Community Health, and Infectious Disease
Global Health Pathway’s Series
“Histoplasmosis is as common as TB in people with HIV in South/Central America - did you know that? An example of a career focuses on neglected diseases in global health.”
by Dr. Nathan Bahr, KUMC Professor of Internal Medicine-Infectious Disease
Wednesday, October 19, 2022 | 12:00 p.m.

"Breast Cancer and Nicaragua Health System"
by Dr. Jeannine Nilges | Friday, May 6 | 12:00 p.m. 

"Career Chat"
with Super Bowl LIV champion Dr. Laurent Duvernay-Tardif
Friday, April 22, 2022 | 12:00 p.m.

"Bottom-Up Approach to Healthcare Delivery for Kenya"
with His Excellency the Deputy President of Kenya Honorable William Samoei Ruto, PhD
Friday, March 4, 2022 | 12:00 p.m. CST/9:00 p.m. EAT

Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and Community Health, and Infectious Disease
Global Health Pathway’s Series
"Disparities in the Global Covid Response-Experiences from Southern India"
with Dr. Haarshdeep Acharya, KUMC Visiting Researcher Family Medicine and Community Health
Wednesday, February 16, 2022 | 12:00 p.m.

"Global Health Career Chat"
with Ms. May Maloba, RN, MPH, CRC, PhD Fellow, Country Director for Global Health Innovation-Kenya
Thursday, December 2, 2021 | 11:00 a.m.

"Global Health Career Chat"
with Dr. Halinder Mangat, KUMC Associate Professor of Neurology Division of Neurocritical Care
Wednesday, October 10, 2021 | 12:00 p.m.

"Fulbright Experience in Kyrgyzstan"
by Dr. Lisa Mische Lawson, KUMC Professor of Occupational Therapy Education
Thursday, October 28, 2021 | 12:00 p.m.

Internal Medicine, Family Medicine and Community Health, and Infectious Disease
Global Health Pathway’s Series
"Global Respiratory Health"
by Dr. Mario Castro, Professor of Medicine, Vice Chair for Clinical and Translational Research, Department of Medicine, Chief, Division of Pulmonary, Critical Care and Sleep Medicine
Wednesday, September 15, 2021 | 12:00 p.m.

"Post-Covid Global Health"
with Dr. Nicholas Comninellis, Dean of Institute for International Medicine (INMED)
Thursday, June 3, 2021 | 12:00 p.m.

"A Student Panel on International Educational Global Health Experiences"
Thursday, April 22, 2021 | 5 p.m.

"Introduction to the School of Medicine at Universidad de Antioquia"
with Dr. Julián Franco, Director of International Relations, Universidad de Antioquia, Medellín, Colombia
Tuesday, May 4, 2021 | 12:00 p.m.

"International Exchange between Peru, Ghana and the USA"
with Dr. Anthony Kovac, KUMC Professor of Anesthesiology
Thursday, April 15, 2021 | 12:00 p.m.

"Lessons Learned from THEM"
with Dr. Mani M. Mani, KUMC Professor Emeritus of Plastic Surgery
Thursday, April 1, 2021 | 12:00 p.m.

"Cross-Cultural Relations: Where are the fellow Global Citizens?"
with Dr. Gabrielle Malfatti, Director of Global Engagement, University of Missouri
Wednesday, March 10, 2021 | 12:00 p.m.

"Global Health Career Chat: An insider's secrets to starting a career in Global Health"
with Dr.  Eric Halsey, Captain, U.S. Public Health Service
Infectious Diseases Physician with the Malaria Branch
at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention in Atlanta
Monday, Feb. 8, 2021 | 12:00 p.m.

"Infectious Disease Global Health Research"
by Dr. Nathan Bahr, KUMC Professor of Internal Medicine-Infectious Disease
Monday, Jan. 25, 2021 | 12:00 p.m.

"A Day in the Life of Dr. Méndez"
by Dr. Francisco Méndez, Medical Director of Hospital San Pedro
Tuesday, Jan. 19, 2021 | 5:30 p.m.

"Global Health Career Chat"
with Dr. Allen Greiner, KUMC Professor of Family Medicine
Tuesday, Dec. 1, 2020 | 4 p.m.

"Shaped by experience: International Experiences Guiding US Clinical Practice"
by Dr. T. Ryan Smith, KUMC Associate Professor of Pediatrics
Monday, Nov. 9, 2020 | 12:00 p.m.

"Mayan Epidemiological Profile"
by Dr. Francisco Méndez, Medical Director of Hospital San Pedro
Wednesday, Nov. 18, 2020 | 5:30 p.m.

"Traditional Mayan Medicine"
by Dr. Francisco Mendez, Medical Director of Hospital San Pedro
Tuesday, Oct. 27, 2020 | 5:30 p.m.

"Global Health Career Paths and Options"
with Dr. Sarah Finocchario Kessler, KUMC Professor Family Medicine
Wednesday, Sept. 30, 2020 | 12:00 p.m.