PGSSC (Spring 2022)

Project Background

Organizational Background: The Program on Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC) is a collaborative effort between the Harvard teaching hospitals, Harvard Medical School/ Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) and Partners In Health (PIH).  This organization emerged from work of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, led by Dr. John Meara at Harvard Medical School (and a 1986 ND graduate).  PGSSC’s objective is to advocate for Universal access to safe, affordable surgical and anesthesia care when needed. Their  strategy is two-fold:

Global Surgical Systems Strengthening through Research, Advocacy, and Implementation Science, using the Frameworks developed as part of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery.       

Developing Leaders in Global Surgical and Health Systems through Research, Advocacy, and Care Delivery.  

PGSSC research focuses on surgical and health systems strengthening that is measurable, transparent, and locally-driven.

Definition of Opportunity

The PGSSC has worked across the globe with governments to develop and implement National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia Plans (NSOAPs) to expand access to surgery particular for poor and rural communities. The Government of Ecuador (and specifically the country’s vice president, a neurosurgeon) has reached out to explore PGSSC working collaboratively with the MInistry of Health and other public officials in Ecuador to develop an NSOAP for Ecuador. An important first step of the process is to identify and map key health sector stakeholders who will take part in consultations to understand the context and build support for the NSOAP process.

Definition of Success

It will be very important to get the input of the scholars as early and often as possible. Dr. Juliana is very supportive of this and will help you set up those meetings either through zoom or Whatsapp. 

1. The RRF scholars will share their stories and in the process work with the ND students to create a learning platform.

Meet the Team

Final Deliverable

PGSSC (Fall 2020)

Project Background:

The Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC) is a collaborative effort between the Harvard teaching hospitals, Harvard Medical School/ Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) and Partners In Health (PIH). This organization emerges from work of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, which was led by Dr. John Meara at Harvard Medical School (Dr. Mearas is a 1986 ND graduate). PGSSC’s objective is to advocate for Universal access to safe, affordable surgical, obstetric, and anesthesia care when needed. The strategy is two-fold: 1) Global Surgical Systems Strengthening through Research, Advocacy, and Implementation Science, using the Frameworks developed as part of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, and 2) Developing Leaders in Global Surgical and Health Systems through Research, Advocacy, and Care Delivery. PGSSC's research focuses on surgical and health systems strengthening that is measurable, transparent, and locally-driven. Click here for the Strategic Plan that focuses on implementation science, research, advocacy, and training leaders.

Opportunity:

The Pacific Community (SPC) and the Royal Australasian College of Surgeons (RACS) are working with the PGSSC to support the development of National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia Plans (NSOAPs), as outlined at the 2019 Pacific Health Ministers Meeting and in alignment with the regional vision of the World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO). For this past year, an i-Lab team and other colleagues have been working with PGSSC to help do baseline research on a series of Pacific Islands (Cook Islands, Fiji, Tonga, Palau, and Vanuatu) to help prepare to build out NSOAPs for each of the islands. One of the products of their work is to synthesize collected data and help produce the NSOAPs. An important part of the process is to work with and share all the information gathered with key stakeholders, through a series of stakeholder meetings, as part of the process of building out the NSOAP.

PGSSC is interested in developing a standard process and templates for developing the stakeholder meetings across the work that they have done to date in more than a dozen countries, with particular focus on the on-going work in the Pacific Islands.  This DAT may also assist the i-Lab and PGSSC teams in finishing the situational analysis in several countries (particularly in Palau) and/or specific research in preparation for the stakeholder meeting.

Definition of Success:

The development of research to support a set of the models for the most effective pathways for engaging stakeholders and carrying out the stakeholder meetings, that will lead to the development of a model template for conducting stakeholder analysis that both provides concrete structure and advice, while also allowing flexibility to adapt to different situations. 

Meet the Team:

Final Deliverables

Working Version_ Palau Poli... by DAT

Palau NSOAP Ch. 2 v3 by DAT

Palau NSOAP Chapter 3 by DAT

Question Bank - Disaster Pr... by DAT

Expanding Global Surgery as Part of the Global Health Agenda - Program of Global Surgery and Social Change, Philippines, (Fall 2019)

Organizational Background:

The Program in Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC) is a collaborative effort between the Harvard teaching hospitals, Harvard Medical School/ Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) and Partners In Health (PIH). This organization emerges out of work of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, that was led by Dr. John Meara at Harvard Medical School (and a 1986 ND graduate). PGSSC’s objective is to advocate for Universal access to safe, affordable surgical and anesthesia care when needed. The strategy is two-fold: 1) Global Surgical Systems Strengthening through Research, Advocacy, and Implementation Science, using the Frameworks developed as part of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, and 2) Developing Leaders in Global Surgical and Health Systems through Research, Advocacy, and Care Delivery. PGSSC's research focuses on surgical and health systems strengthening that is measurable, transparent, and locally-driven. Click here for the Strategic Plan that focuses on implementation science, research, advocacy, and training leaders.

The Opportunity:

The World Health Organization (WHO) Western Pacific Regional Office (WPRO) has developed a strategic health plan for the region. At the recent World Health Assembly in Geneva, the Regional Director for WPRO indicated his interest to integrate surgery into the regional health plan, and specifically promote the National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia Plan (NSOAP) model for countries of the WPRO region, potentially including Philippines, Malaysia, Cambodia, Laos, Viet Nam and/or Mongolia.

Initial Steps:

One of the initial steps in the development of NSOAPs is a baseline analysis of a country’s current surgical capacity. Review the Tanzanian background research document that created a baseline for the Tanzania NSOAP as a first step to moving forward on the NSOAP process in the WPRO.

Identify with the client the most relevant countries to research.

Conduct a systematic review of academic literature and government policy documents, including form the Ministry of Health websites, to build a baseline on access to and the state of surgery in each of the selected countries.

What does success look like?

The development of research to support a set of future scenarios or pathways that PGSSC might use for potential partnerships with the WHO regional office to support the development of surgical policy, as well as the strategic use of their experience, expertise, and capacity to maximize their organization’s impact on global surgery goals.

Meet the Team:

Building a new university-based, interdisciplinary center for global health - ITESM, Mexico (Fall 2018)

Client Profile

The Tecnológico de Monterrey and its network of campuses throughout Mexico is committed to providing quality education, world-class research, and building innovative models for the benefit of society. With the leadership of ITESM’s School of Medicine and the School of Government, the University is looking to build a new interdisciplinary center for global health training and research with strong links to practice.

The DGHSM aims to be a global center of excellence that generates health through training, research, innovation and knowledge translation, addressing in a profound and interdisciplinary way the existing inequities in Mexico and the world, based on health as a human right.  The DGHSM aspires to lead in training, research, implementation and public policy development in Global Health and Social Medicine in Latin America, through the creation of integral solutions to address social factors and strengthen health systems with a preferential option for vulnerable populations.

Definition of Opportunity

ITESM’s DGHSM is currently exploring the possibility of partnerships with the Program on Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC) and the Partner In Health’s sister organization, Compañeros en Salud in Chiapas, Mexico.  The Program on Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC) is a collaborative effort between the Harvard teaching hospitals, Harvard Medical School/ Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) and Partners In Health (PIH).  This organization emerges out of work of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, tled by Dr. John Meara at Harvard Medical School (a 1986 ND graduate).  PGSSC’s objective is to advocate for Universal access to safe, affordable surgical and anesthesia care when needed. Compañeros en Salud is affiliated with Partners In Health and works in rural Chiapas Mexico to provide quality health care to underserved communities and hopes to serve as an inspiring model to train and accompany health professionals and community health workers, and to deliver quality health care in low resource settings in Mexico and elsewhere. Both PGSSC and PIH have deep ties to Notre Dame, and have served as clients on DAT projects over multiple semesters.

Initial Ideas

The ITESM Department of Global Health & Social Medicine is looking for models of university-based, interdisciplinary centers that work in the international context in close partnership with health service providers and policy makers.

●      ITESM is interesting in exploring different models of partnership that have been established for developing, first-rate, interdisciplinary global health centers that have strong links to practice, that highlight different institutional structures, incentives, and potential partnerships.

●      ITESM hopes to explore and expand partnerships with international development and health organizations, such as Compañeros en Salud, the Harvard Medical School and the University of Notre Dame, consistent with its strategic objectives.

●      ITESM is interested in implementing a framework to develop international partnerships.

Definition of Success

That ITESM uses the systematic examination of different examples and models for building an interdisciplinary, university based Center for Global Health with a strong link to practice in ways that it might serve as a roadmap for a path forward.

Recommendations

Expanding Global Surgery - PGSSC (Fall 2017)

Client Profile

The Program on Global Surgery and Social Change (PGSSC) is a collaborative effort between the Harvard teaching hospitals, Harvard Medical School/ Department of Global Health and Social Medicine, Boston Children’s Hospital (BCH) and Partners In Health (PIH).  This organization emerges out of work of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery, that was led by Dr. John Meara at Harvard Medical School (and a 1986 ND graduate).  PGSSC’s objective is to advocate for Universal access to safe, affordable surgical and anesthesia care when needed. Their  strategy is two-fold:

• Global Surgical Systems Strengthening through Research, Advocacy, and Implementation Science, using the Frameworks developed as part of the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery.       

• Developing Leaders in Global Surgical and Health Systems through Research, Advocacy, and Care Delivery.  

PGSSC research focuses on surgical and health systems strengthening that is measurable, transparent, and locally-driven. 

Initial Ideas & Options

PGSSC has been opportunistic about the issues and countries where they have engaged, trying to take best use of the capacity they have to promote their strategic objectives. The PGSSC is interested, in its planning for the future, to explore and expand partnerships with international development and health organizations, such as Partners In Health and the World Health Organization, as well as universities, such as the Harvard Medical School and the University of Notre Dame, consistent with its strategic objectives.

Definition of Success

The development of a set of future scenarios or pathways that PGSSC might explore for potential partnerships, as well as the strategic use of their experience, expertise, and capacity to maximize their organization’s impact in the future.

Development Advisory Team

Recommendation