Global health experts from throughout Indiana University united on Global Health Scholars Day to showcase the work being done by faculty, staff and trainees to improve health and human flourishing around the world.
The event kicked off with IU School of Medicine Department of Medicine Grand Rounds presented by Virginia Caine, MD, director of the Marion County (Indianapolis) Public Health Department and associate professor of medicine at IU School of Medicine. Dr. Caine received the Global Health Equity Award from the IU Center for Global Health Equity (IUCGHE) during the event.
“The Consortium of Universities for Global Health defines global health as ‘a field of study, research and practice that places a priority on achieving equity in health for all people,’” said Adrian Gardner, MD, MPH, director of the IUCGHE. “There’s no one more fitting to receive this award for their work here in Indiana than Dr. Caine.“ He lauded her work related to health equity in Indiana including initiatives that bridge gaps in healthcare access and championing policies that prioritize marginalized communities.
The award is presented annually to someone who has made significant contributions to the field of global health by demonstrating a commitment to equity, responding to the needs of a population or community and providing long-term engagement and partnership through their global health work. The inaugural recipient in 2023 was Dr. Roger I. Glass, global health pioneer and former director of the Fogarty International Center at the National Institutes of Health.
In her presentation entitled “Health Equity and Addressing the Needs of Underserved Populations,” Dr. Caine discussed health metrics which highlight the cost of poor health in Indiana; health disparities between various socioeconomic groups in Marion County; and the role that public health can play in addressing some of those gaps.
“We find that only approximately 3% of medical expenditures are related to public health or population health, despite 75% of our overall health care costs being related to preventable health conditions,” she said. “We're not going to improve health outcomes without addressing the social determinants of health.” The social determinants of health that Dr. Caine highlighted are low education, racial residential segregation, low social support, poverty and income inequality including food insecurity and unstable housing.
The Marion County Public Health Department conducts a community health assessment to identify health inequities. “As a result of that, we have about five community health needs that we try to address and we set up a community improvement plan,” said Dr. Caine. The priorities include maternal health and infant mortality, childhood obesity, youth violence prevention and mental health.
She thanked Governor Holcomb for establishing the Indiana Commission for Public Health that looked at Indiana’s public health infrastructure and found it to be the second lowest funded in the nation. She also thanked the Indiana Legislature for allocating $250 million to improve the public health infrastructure. “Next year, our health department is going to be getting about $22.5 million. I'm making a commitment for everyone to hear that I will give about $10 million of that money to community-based organizations, hospital systems, different groups out there working on anything that will help address our community health improvement plan and our priorities.”
Dr. Caine concluded her remarks by quoting Dr. Martin Luther King who said, “Of all the forms of inequality, injustice in health care is the most shocking and inhumane.”
Following Dr. Caine’s presentation, attendees networked and viewed several dozen academic posters related to care, education and research on various global health topics. Winners of the annual global health poster contest were:
Noor Abdullah representing “The Impact of Early Interruption of Exclusive Breastfeeding on Growth and Development in Children Born to Mothers Living with HIV”--Authors: Noor Abdullah, Eren Oyungu, Ziyi Yang, Ben Mosong, Roselyn A. Ombitsa, Emily Abuonji, Megan S. McHenry
Mary Slaughter representing “Development of a Person-Informed Orientation Manual for Moi University Medical Trainees Rotating in North America--Authors: Betty Sirera, MBChB, Jenny Baenziger, MD, Mary Slaughter, Amira Nafiseh, Mary Ann Etling, Grace White, Bilal Jawed MD, Shamim Ali, MD, Megan S. McHenry, MD, MS, Palka R. Patel, MD
Kaitlyn Roberts representing “Evaluation of a Pediatric High-Flow Nasal Cannula Training Program for Providers at Moi Teaching and Referral Hospital in Eldoret, Kenya”—Authors: Kaitlyn A. Roberts, Emaan G. Bhutta, Adnan Bhutta, Megan S. McHenry, Polycarp Mandi, Eric Ngetich, Faith Sila, Hellen Jemeli, Sarah Kimetto, Laura J. Ruhl, Joram Nyandat, Julika Kaplan.
Lauren Roop representing “In-Theatre Simulation as a Training Tool for Laparoscopic Salpingectomy in Eldoret, Kenya”—Authors Lauren Roop, Samson Iliwa, Jenny Yang, Wan-Ju Wu
“Dr. Caine’s presentation highlights the real need for healthcare professionals who are trained to provide care for people from underserved communities, not just in other countries, but also here in our state and community,” said Debra Litzelman, MD, MACP, director of education for IUCGHE. “Global Health Scholars Day gives us an opportunity to share the important work being done at IU by faculty, staff and trainees and strategize about future partnerships and collaborations.”
Jenny Baenziger, MD, associate director of education for IUCGHE, emphasized the ongoing global health community activities at IU. “We invite those interested in global health equity to attend our quarterly research speaker series, join us for Tusker Tales, subscribe to our newsletter or apply to the center as an affiliated faculty member. The global health community at IU has so much expertise and passion to share.”
Link to Dr. Caine's presentation
