Resources

This workshop includes a number of case presentations, which were events reported to us from multiple sources over our years of medical missions service. It is also our desire to review some of the problems caused by mission teams so we can mitigate the potential harm teams can do while working in communities. The idea of potential harm resulting from medical missions may be difficult for some to grasp; but it does exist and in a much more real way than most of us care to acknowledge.

The Comprehensive Rural Health Project (CRHP), Jamkhed, India, has been a pioneer in developing sustainable comprehensive community-based primary health care (CC-BPHC) since 1970, which has empowered communities to address their own health problems and development. Villages are transformed into caring and sharing communities, working together to improve the health of the whole community, especially poor, marginalized and women. Over the years it has continued to be innovative in its work in various aspects of health, now including non-communicable conditions and mental health, as well as various aspects of development. The program is based on the building capacity of communities, especially through village health workers, and dealing with root causes (social determinants of health). Its principles are equity, integration and empowerment. The Jamkhed Institute shares this experience with people from all over the world, training leadership in CC-BPHC. Its experience influenced the Alma Ata Declaration on Primary Health Care by WHO/UNICEF in 1978, which is currently being revitalized by WHO and others worldwide. The session will describe the philosophy, principles and practice developed by the CRHP staff and villagers of the Jamkhed area, and discuss the effectiveness and sustainability of this approach, which has been shared with people all over the world, including religious organizations.

As a health professional you?re trained to take control and rely on your training and experience to accomplish your work. In ministry, Jesus notes, ?apart from me you can do nothing.? More, he told the disciples to not even leave for the mission field until they had the power of the Holy Spirit. How does that power work and how do you get that into your own life? Don?t leave for ministry until you get this one down.

This workshop will discuss the differences between provision of community health and coping with individual diseases via cure, relief or palliation. The ethics of the two systems are quite different and raise pointed problems about the proper use of limited resources.

This workshop will discuss the relationship between ethics and faith and how conversion leads to only slowly to the development of ethical behaviour consistent with the new faith. It will also discuss the rising recognition amongst non-christian intellectuals that attention must be paid to ethical regeneration in the west.

Unfortunately, these case presentations demonstrate how many short-term medical missions work against the health development process. The traditional medical mission model often diminishes confidence in the local health system. It can also adversely affect local health care providers economically and subvert their place of authority in the community. Short-term medical missions need to be cognoscente of these potential effects in order to utilize mission models that minimize or eliminate them. By working with local providers to facilitate health programs, and utilizing WHO standards and guidelines to facilitate the health development process. Working alongside local providers allows them to set the priorities demonstrate respect and promote community confidence in their knowledge and abilities. The volume of aid resources doesn matter as much as the implementation philosophy that the aid is being channeled into. The old adage that ideas have consequences is quite true untested and shallow ideas often have negative consequences on those that are being served. This session will explore the difference between a dependency philosophy and an empowering strategy, and these ideas will be shared in such a way to be applied to any aid related work.

The volume of aid resources doesn matter as much as the implementation philosophy that the aid is being channeled into. The old adage that ideas have consequences is quite true untested and shallow ideas often have negative consequences on those that are being served. This session will explore the difference between a dependency philosophy and an empowering strategy, and these ideas will be shared in such a way to be applied to any aid related work.

This will be combined lecture and discussion on the spiritual, emotional, and personal challenges of physician training. Two married physicians will discuss the challenges and opportunities that face medical students, residents, and their spouses. [this will be an evolution of the presentation I gave at the 2008 Conference entitled Post-Graduate Medical Education and Faith. It is different in that my wife will present, and able to discuss women's issues. We will tinker with the material based on the questions I received during the session as well as the people I spoke with afterwards.]

Spiritual Survival Tips for Short-Term Medical Missions Team