Patient Care
Ongoing Programs
Improving Burn Care in the Western Province of Rwanda
Cameron Gibson, MD, FACS
Cameron.2.Gibson@CUAnschutz.edu
Location: Kibogora Level 2 Teaching Hospital, Kirambo, Rwanda
Most recent trip: October 24th - November 10th, 2024
Kibogora serves as a regional referral hospital for nearly 3 million people in Rwanda's Western Province. In December 2022, Dr. Omutoniwase Bernard completed a one-month clinical observership at the Burn and Frostbite Center at UCHealth. Following this, an international partnership was established in 2023 with the aim of enhancing burn care at Kibogora Hospital.
Initial accomplishments include an audit and needs assessment of current burn care practices at Kibogora.
Future initiatives entail organizing a burn reconstruction surgical camp, providing burn first aid training and community outreach, and fostering ongoing educational exchanges between the two institutions.
Nuoy Reconstructive International
Phuong Nguyen, MD, FACS, FAAP
Phuong.6.Nguyen@CUAnschutz.edu
Location: Vietnam
Next trip: March 8th - 22nd, 2025 & September 8th - 19th, 2025
Nuoy's model focuses on direct patient care to address immediate needs, education and mentoring to build long-term capacity, and research development to empower Vietnamese doctors and amplify their international voice. Through these initiatives, we ensure urgent medical needs are met, sustainable expertise is developed, and local doctors are equipped to contribute globally.
Our community's dedication is the cornerstone of our success. The relationships we build - locally with surgical partners eager to learn and provide state-of-the-are care, and globally with our volunteers, donors, and staff - are essential in advancing our mission.
Pediatric Colorectal Surgery Courses Around the World
The Surgical Treatment of Colorectal Conditions such as anorectal malformation and Hirschsprung disease, as well as their long-term management are discussed in details during these interactive courses.
The format includes three live surgical demonstrations with interactive lectures highlighting the pre- and post-operative management. Another important portion is dedicated to the management of constipation and fecal incontinence, common sequelas from these diseases.
Alberto Peña, MD & Andrea Bischoff, MD
If you would like to host a colorectal course in your country with Drs. Alberto Peña and Andrea Bischoff, please email Andrea.Bischoff@ChildrensColorado.org.
Luis De la Torre, MD
If you would like to host a colorectal course in your country with Dr. Luis De la Torre, please email Luis.DelaTorre@ChildrensColorado.org.
Expanding Global Reach
Inaugural Craniomaxillofacial Course at American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons
Phuong Nguyen, MD, FACS, FAAP
Phuong.6.Nguyen@CUAnschutz.edu
Location: Cairo, Egypt
Trip Date: January 24th - January 26th, 2025
Dr. Nguyen served as the chair of the American Society of Maxillofacial Surgeons inaugural craniomaxillofacial course, stemming from a conversation two years prior with an Egyptian plastic surgeon colleague who mentioned that the level of facial trauma expertise available locally wasn't enough to keep up with the needs.
The course content included lectures and hands on portions on cleft lip repair, orthognathic surgery, and facial trauma. International faculty from North America, South Africa, Spain, and Egypt attended along with over 100 learners, many from countries with limited regular access including Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen, Algeria, Saudi Arabia, and Egypt.
Talking with these surgeons, it was incredible to hear their stories of trying to take care of patients in their countries under times of duress and their fortitude and resilience to keep providing care. Timely and hopefully impactful - Egypt is geographically located as a nexus to take care of patients from nearby areas of conflict including Gaza, Sudan, and the rest of the Middle East.
- Dr. Phuong Nguyen
Wound Care and Hand Surgery in Tanzania
Mark Greyson, MD
Assistant Professor, Plastic and Reconstructive Surgery Division
Associate Program Director, Hand Surgery Fellowship
Program Director, Plastic Surgery
Co-Director, Extremity Microsurgery
Accompanied by Caleb Barnhill, MD, Chief Resident
Location: Kilimanjaro Christian Medical Center (KCMC), Tanzania
Trip Date: November 11th - 15th, 2024
This was an important trip which allowed us to introduce the principles of wound care and flap coverage to local surgeons. Currently, there is no one in this hospital, which is the second largest in all of Tanzania and a regional referral center, performing flaps to cover open wounds of the upper or lower extremities. However, this belies a strong interest from local surgeons, and I believe with proper teaching, equipment and guidance, that in the future, these cases will be performed successfully at KCMC.
During our visit, we were able to observe daily morning conference, consult on hospital rounds every day, and assist in the OR on multiple occasions. Regarding educational programming, we gave multiple lectures to the residents at KCMC including upper extremity soft tissue reconstruction, lower extremity soft tissue reconstruction and targeted muscle reinnervation.
Follow our global impact! Check out our Instagram, @CUglobalsurgery, to see highlight's from our faculty's recent trips.