Imaging The World

Making Things Happen

admin — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 20:29:40 +0000

Second and third year medical students at the University of Vermont are contributing to the development and training of our trauma ultrasound protocol (eFAST). Peter Cooch, Ashley Atiyeh (both seen in this photo) and Amanda Miller took photos for the ITW training poster. These students have also contributed to the research we are conducting in the Emergency Department at Fletcher Allen Health Care on trauma patients to test our trauma protocol. They are really making things happen!

– Mary Streeter

ITW Welcomes New Executive Director

admin — Thu, 19 Jan 2012 20:48:57 +0000

ITW is please to announce the recent appointment of Monica Parikh as the new Executive Director – see Press Release.

ITW Sponsors Student from South Sudan

admin — Tue, 17 Jan 2012 00:31:40 +0000

Thanks to Gail Rouillard, ITW Training Group Leader and generous donor, ITW will sponsor a student from the South Sudan for ultrasound training through ECUREI (Ernest Cook Ultrasound Research and Education Institute). Abraham Kuol Manyror is an employee of the John Dau Foundation and has sixteen years experience working for international NGOs.

Abraham is a 2007 graduate of Yei Medical Training School and a certified nurse midwife. He also attended Clinical Medicine Training at Lobone Rural Hospital in Eastern Equatoria in 2001.

Integrated Community Outreach, Nawanyago

admin — Fri, 30 Dec 2011 23:38:41 +0000

In Fall 2011, a community outreach project took place at Magogo Kisadhaki Primary School in Nawanyago, in the Kamuli District of southeastern Uganda. Our team included the drama group from St. Joseph’s Vocational Training Centre, Sister Angela from Nawanyago Health Center, and Monica from Kamuli Mission Hospital. The day started with a lot of rain – it followed us all the way from Kamuli and we were worried it would keep people from coming to the program the drama team had worked so hard to create. When we reached the center, to our dismay practically no one had come to see us, apart from the schoolchildren who peeped through the windows to see what was happening.

Straight away the team unloaded tents, chairs and the sound system, setting them up while hoping that the rain would stop. By noon, everything was set. The drama team entered the village singing and dancing to some local tunes, hoping to attract people to the function. The news began to spread across the village and at 12:30, the children were invited to work with our counselor to come for a voluntary HIV/AIDS test and immunizations. The drama group did great job, communicating essential information in a very entertaining way. Sr. Monica explained the advantages of ultrasound machines in diagnosing general ailments, including those specific to pregnant mothers, and encouraged all to go for the services at Nawanyago Health Centre. Despite the rain, the day turned into a great success – 174 HIV/AIDS tests were handed out and 612 inoculations were given including de-worming, polio, DPT and measles.

Special thanks goes to ITW, for the support given to this project – it is really making an impact in the rural community of Kamuli district. Last but not least, thanks too for the young adults from the drama group at St. Joseph’s Vocational Training Centre. Their good work is helping to improve the lives of the rural communities through music and drama.

– Br. John Njuguna

ITW Breast Project at UCSF

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:48:33 +0000

Ginger Merry presented “Uganda Breast Project for Earlier Detection of Breast Cancer” at University of California, San Francisco.

Ginger Merry presents ITW breast project at UCSF

admin — Tue, 13 Dec 2011 00:41:16 +0000

Ginger Merry gave a talk today at University of California, San Francisco, titled “Uganda Breast Project for Earlier Detection of Breast Cancer”.

Ginger Merry, MD, a fourth-year UCSF Diagnostic Radiology Resident, presented information on breast cancer in Uganda and her experiences teaching and pilot testing the breast cancer diagnosis algorithm at Kamuli Mission Hospital, a rural hospital. Merry worked closely with Dr. Kristen DeStigter (radiologist and program director at University of Vermont) and physicians in Uganda to develop a breast health care algorithm for rural Uganda incorporating the breast ultrasound volume based protocols.

Merry also volunteered in Kampala, where she gave lectures for the radiology residents at Makerere University (the only radiology training program in the country) and for the sonography students at ECUREI (Ernest Cook Ultrasound Research and Education Institute), lecturing on breast imaging and ultrasound, ultrasound guided procedures, and pelvic ultrasound.

Merry was the recipient of the American College of Radiology Goldberg-Reeder Resident Travel Grant. This grant, which encourages international volunteer service among radiology residents, helped Merry travel to Uganda with Imaging the World.

ITW at 4th Annual ASAP meeting

admin — Tue, 15 Nov 2011 22:46:18 +0000

ITW Executive Director, Andrea Newton, presented ITW’s work at the 4th Annual ASAP Meeting “Building Sustainable Surgical Systems” on November 11th, in San Diego. The concert was hosted by the UC San Diego School of Medicine and focused on bringing … Continue reading →

ITW at IEEE conference

admin — Tue, 01 Nov 2011 22:40:55 +0000

ITW board member, Roy Peterson, presented an ITW methodology paper “Low-Cost Teleradiology for Rural Ultrasound” at the Institute of Electrical Engineers (IEEE) Global Humanitarian conference in Seattle on October 31st, 2011.

Sharing

admin — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:21:06 +0000

This was a week of sharing. The week began with Sister Angela (one of the nurses at Nawanyago Health Center) inviting me into her home to live with her for several days; we shared daily activities (going to church, eating meals, sleeping next to the labor room, delivering babies, treating patients) and she shared her life stories, full of adventures and dreams. I saw the love and passion that she has for life, God, her patients, and those that come in and out of her life. I am thankful for the kindness shared by Sister Angela and everyone at Nawanyago who made me feel right at home.

I then traveled back to Kampala to prepare for two days of lectures at Mulago Hospital for the radiology residents and at Mengo Hospital (ECUREI) for ultrasound students. I lectured on breast cancer, breast imaging, ultrasound-guided breast interventions and pelvic ultrasound. I received such a warm welcome and appreciation! Everyone seemed especially excited about the hands-on practice of ultrasound-guided breast procedures using breast phantoms – it was a rare opportunity to practice skills on a model. I felt very lucky to be the one sharing these lectures with such a bright group of motivated students – the excitement for knowledge was palpable!

– Ginger Merry

ITW Volunteer Receives ACR Grant

admin — Tue, 04 Oct 2011 00:10:22 +0000

Ginger Merry, a fourth year radiology resident at UCSF, has received the American College of Radiology Goldberg-Reeder Resident Travel Grant to support Ginger’s volunteer work on behalf of ITW in Uganda.