Ethiopian clinicians both teach and learn during recent bioethics visit
As the first in the nation to offer a certificate program in pediatric bioethics, Children’s Mercy Kansas City is committed to working with clinicians and families across the nation — and, recently, the world.
The Division of Neonatology and the Bioethics Center welcomed Dr. Mahlet Abayneh, a neonatologist, and Redeat Workneh, a neonatal nurse educator, from St. Paul’s Hospital Millennium Medical College, located in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. The two clinicians recently completed the Children’s Mercy Certificate Program in Pediatric Bioethics and came to Kansas City to attend the closing ceremony.
During their visit from May 13-26, the two also provided education to CMKC team members – including an Ethics Committee Brown Bag Workshop, Pediatrics Grand Rounds, Resident Lunch Lecture and the Pediatric Bioethics Podcast – as well as present their projects, conduct clinical observations, make connections and, of course, sample some famous barbecue.
“These activities provided diverse perspectives and new insights to clinicians at Children’s Mercy,” said Dr. Stephanie Kukora, Assistant Professor of Pediatrics, “and hopefully impacted their ability to consider cultural differences, resource limitations and global equity in ways they previously had not.”
These lessons can be especially helpful in situations such as medication shortages, an increasingly likely challenge for NICUs in the United States. Team members also were able to learn about the pair’s experience with cultural and language barriers, health literacy gaps and health beliefs that go against accepted medical practice.
Of course, the two returned to Ethiopia with plenty of lessons of their own.
“While visiting, they observed clinical care in the NICU and Fetal Health Center, and met with experts in simulation, quality improvement and bioethics,” said Dr. Kukora. “They will bring back what they’ve learned to advance clinical care at the bedside and enhance education of interprofessional clinicians and trainees in Ethiopia.”
CMKC was also able to demonstrate emerging technology making a difference in clinical care – including innovations that do not yet exist in Ethiopia – and how clinicians can communicate with families about complex situations and decision-making.
The visit was part of a formalized partnership between Children’s Mercy and St. Paul’s to further the collaboration in research, education and clinical care. Dr. Kukora, Dr. Mahlet and Redeat are also involved with various U.S.-based nonprofits working to improve newborn care, and these groups work together to support each other’s work, both in the U.S. and in Ethiopia.
Want to know more? Listen to our podcast Ethics in Ethiopia: Navigating Challenges in Pediatric Clinical Care.