For many Centra providers, a passion for medical missions and serving others has led them far beyond central Virginia. Physicians and advanced practice providers such as Dr. Matthew Sackett, Morgan McDowell, Dr. Thomas Forsberg, Melissa Shaffron, Megan Castro and Tessa Roulston have all given of their time to serve on cross-cultural trips. This month, we’re sharing about Dr. Peter O’Brien and Haley Russell’s work in East Africa and exploring how their trips to this region have not only brought lifesaving care to underserved populations but have also shaped their perspectives on patient care back home.
Peter O’Brien, MD, CPPS, FACC, who is the Medical Director of Centra Stroobants Cardiac Catheterization Laboratory and Chief Quality Officer of Centra’s Heart and Vascular Institute, isn’t exactly sure what first motivated him to get involved with medical missions, but when Dillan Ellegala, a neurosurgeon and the founder of Madaktari Africa reached out to him and other HVI providers in 2011, he knew he wanted to be involved. “He [Ellegala] asked if we could help start a cardiac catheterization lab in Tanzania. I had no clue what I was getting into, but it felt like the right time to give back," Dr. O’Brien shared. This opportunity turned into an ongoing partnership that helped build one of the busiest cardiac catheterization labs in Sub-Saharan Africa.
Reflecting on the mission's "train forward" philosophy, he explained, "The hope was that these providers and staff would then train others and carry forward this program, thereby creating sustainable medical capacity that would endure long after we were gone. It was part medical mission, part proof of concept and it worked.” Now, 80% of the procedures the center performs occur without foreign help.
While completing the first cardiac catheterization in Tanzanian history, and then the first coronary stent at a public hospital are experiences Dr. O’Brien will never forget, he went on to describe one patient that had a lasting impact on him. This gentleman was a Catholic priest from a rural community, who traveled nine hours to get to our cardiac center.
“He had a tight blockage in a coronary artery and was having recurrent shortness of breath and chest pain. He was really panicked, not for himself, but because he was afraid he would not be able to look after his fellow villagers. We put a stent in his left anterior descending coronary artery, and he did really well; he was so appreciative,” remarked Dr. O’Brien.
Dr. O’Brien isn’t the only provider from Centra who has spent time in Tanzania. Haley Russell, MSN, NP-C who serves as the Lead Cardiac Electrophysiology Advanced Practice Provider at Centra’s Heart and Vascular Institute. traveled to the country for the last two years to work with Madaktari Africa in providing cardiac electrophysiology education to the medical community in Dar Es Salaam at Jakaya Kikwete Cardiac Institute (JKCI).
During her time there, she focused on continuing prior efforts to expand cardiac electrophysiology education to cardiologists, fellows, nurses, technologists and medical staff. Additionally, she worked alongside leaders of JKCI to assist with program development and process improvement.
Haley noted, “Each day I rounded on patients in the cardiac ICU and medical wards and participated with medical decision making and education. The majority of the conditions I treated were cardiac conditions to include heart rhythm conditions such as atrial fibrillation, complete heart block, bradycardia, SVT and PVCs as well as cardiogenic shock and heart failure.”
Like Dr. O’Brien, she continues to be impacted by her experiences in Tanzania. She recounted one of the most rewarding parts of her most recent trip which was seeing a 10-year-old boy whom she and her team had performed a pacemaker implant on last year.
She went on to recount, “We had the privilege of seeing this patient again this year for his device follow up. He shared how well he was doing and was enjoying being back in school and ‘playing karate’. When looking at this patient, I thought of my own children and how helpless it can feel as a parent when your children are sick, but when people and organizations dedicate their time and resources to help someone, they don’t even know it is so heartwarming. I am grateful to be a small part of his story and to continue to work towards making a difference in the lives of the people in Tanzania.”
There is no doubt that providing care in this setting has deeply impacted Haley and how she approaches her own patients. She explained that because of her experiences in in Tanzania, she has a greater appreciation for the access to medical care in the United States along with continued motivation and desire to provide care for underserved populations right here in central and southern Virginia.
Likewise, Dr. O’Brien expressed, “There are studies showing that medical service can be a good antidote to physician burnout–I found that to be true. I came back jet lagged, but with a renewed appreciation and enthusiasm for patient care back home. For one thing, you realize that despite problems in our own healthcare environment, we are incredibly blessed and fortunate. So, it cultivates gratitude and reminds you of the reasons you went into medicine in the first place.”
