Jamaica Service Learning Project 2010

Introduction

Jamaica Project for the Students Engaged in Global Health (SEGH – a MSA-recognized student organization). We recently received approval for our group to work with the Blue Mountain Project (BMP) at Hagley Gap and Penlyn, Jamaica. Our group consists of 5 global health-minded students from the business, policy, and public health schools in Students Engaged in Global Health (SEGH). The BMP works with the local communities in healthcare, education, and other community development such as co-ops for women.

Brief Overview of Our Project and BMP

The BMP operates 2 clinics with only 1 RN and 1 administrative staff for both the Hagley Gap and Penlyn communities. The only time that the community receives primary medical care is when medical student groups or retired physician groups visit. The majority of our time in the field will focus on developing protocols and an operational efficiency strategy for the 2 clinics. As part of the project, we will working in collaboration with the clinic leadership and local staff to conduct a current-state and impact analysis to create a set of implementable recommendations to improve operations and coordination of volunteer medical groups. There are also opportunities to improve the quality and access of healthcare by standardizing practices, decreasing hassle factors, decreasing costs, and thus, improving community health. A part of our time will also be spent talking with local staff to better understand their concerns regarding operational issues at the health center, and working with them to design and implement a set of recommendations.

We are going to be working with the medical students (the main stakeholders) to find a feasible strategy that will implemented for BMP and beneficial to BMP and the surrounding community. This project is designed to be high-impact and actionable – not merely a report that will describe the ideal to BMP.

In addition, this project was designed with the support of the Blue Mountain Project, and we aim to collaborate with those at the clinics to implement sustainable changes that will be valued by both patients and health clinic staff. Please see the following page information on the logistics of the trip.

Project Objectives

· Develop an operational efficiency strategy for medical professionals including an evaluation of current-state operations and impact, and a set of recommendations to improve standardization across volunteer groups

· Train 2 FT nurses that are currently at 2 sites – Hagley Gap and Penlyn Castle on above strategy and begin implementation of recommendations

· Follow-up on a water filtration project begun by engineering students

· Teach healthy behaviors to primary school children

· Develop student leadership skills in the field

The group will be departing for Jamaica on May 5th and returning May 10th. We will have a post about our team before we leave and more posts to come regarding different aspects of our projects and life living with host families when we return.