Collaborations with Colombia
Heart Centers, ICU Remote Consultation, Neuro-Disease Program Initiation, Physician and Nursing Training
Fundación Cardiovascular de Colombia. Bucaramanga, Colombia
In 2009, Fundacion Cardiovascular (FCV) in Colombia — one of Colombia's foremost heart centers - joined with UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh (CHP) to develop a Comprehensive Heart Centre to treat pediatric congenital and vascular diseases.
To ensure seamless care for patients with heart diseases, CHP will provide the FCV advanced medical expertise and technologies, including:
- Telemedicine
- Virtual monitoring
- Clinical management skills
- Physician
The two organizations will collaborate in the planning and design of the Comprehensive Heart Centre that will serve as a regional hub, similar to UPMC’s successful hub-and-satellite model, extending services to other regions in South and Central America and the Caribbean.
Under the agreement in Bucaramanga, CHP also will assist FCV in expanding its current capacity to provide clinical services for patients, as well as clinical and translational research.
Fundación Valle de Lili. Cali, Colombia
In 2008, Fundación Valle de Lili ( FVL)- entered into an agreement with CHP to further develop a Pediatric Liver Transplant Center and a Pediatric Heart Center of Excellence.
Under the agreement CHP will improve FVL centers of excellence and population health through:
- Cardiac ICU virtual rounding
- ICU and Pediatric Liver telemedicine consultations
- Scientific innovation
- Clinical care
- New program development
- Training of clinicians and nursing personnel
Clinica Congregación Mariana. Medellin, Colombia
In 2010, Clínica Congregación Mariana and CHP joined together to provide consultative centers for its Pediatric Heart Center via remote monitoring and ICU virtual rounding
The affiliation will help to promote knowledge transfer and research between the institutions. It will include the implementation of innovative programs and explore opportunities for expansion.
Under the agreement, CHP provides services including:
- ICU virtual rounding
- Consulting: Perioperative services performance improvement, case reviews and mentoring
- Development of a multidisciplinary Pediatric Heart Center
- Joint conferences on: Catheterization, CT Surgery, Perfusion, Extracorporeal membrane oxygenation, Anesthesia, patient safety, etc.
- Observerships and Training
Fundación Cardioinfantil. Bogota, Colombia
In 2013, Fundación Cardioinfantil (FCI) and UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh signed an agreement to develop a Comprehensive Neuro-developmental program to treat pediatric patients with rare neurodevelopmental disorders and to further advance FCI's Pediatric Liver Transplant Program.
The Program for the Study of Neurodevelopment in Rare Disorders (NDRD) is committed to helping families search for answers surrounding their children's rare disorders.
Under the agreement, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh will:
- Help FCI develop its own Neurodevelopment program in Rare Disorders.
- On site Program Assessment and clinical management skills.
- Multidisciplinary Telemedicine consultations.
- Improve the quality of life for children with rare neurodegenerative disorders through education, innovative research, and clinical interventions.
- Train FCI faculty and clinical personnel in the diagnosis and comprehensive management of these disorders, and build awareness throughout the general population and the scientific community.
- Pediatric Liver Transplant program development.
- Pediatric Liver Transplant telemedicine consultations.
Collaborations with Mexico
ICU Remote Consultation, Knowledge Transfer, Education, and Physician Training
Hospital Infantil México Federico Gómez. Mexico D.F, Mexico
In 2012, Hospital Infantil Mexico Federico Gomez ( HIMFG) and UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh, signed an agreement to provide remote consultation for its pediatric heart patients in critical care units. Experts from our cardiac intensive care unit (CICU) oversee HIMFG's Cardiac Intensive Care Unit and provide consultations to help improve knowledge, skills, and clinical care.
Under the agreement, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh provides:
- Telemedicine and ICU virtual consultations
- Clinical program development
- Consulting related to development of new clinical activities
- Educational observerships
- On-site specialty lectures for physicians
- Patient referral services to the United States for highly complex cases
Collaborations with Kazakhstan
Knowledge Transfer, Education, and Physician Training
In an agreement with the National Research Center for Maternal and Child Health in Astana, Kazakhstan. CHP provides clinical teaching, curriculum, and faculty development to NRCMCH for the hospital's physician programs. CHP's relationship with NRCMCH began in 2013 when UPMC was selected to conduct a feasibility study and outline plans for developing a national oncology treatment and research center.
Under the agreement, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh provides:
- Telemedicine consultations
- Onsite Program Assessments
- Consulting related to development of new clinical activities
- Educational observerships
- On-site specialty lectures for physicians
Collaborations with Italy
Transplant, Knowledge Transfer, and Tele-Health
ISMETT
For more than a decade, UPMC has partnered with the Region of Sicily to offer transplantation services at Istituto Mediterraneo per i Trapianti e Terapie ad Alta Specializzazione (ISMETT) in Palermo, Italy.
ISMETT has brought transplantation services to an area in the Mediterranean basin that did not have wide access to such procedures and therapies. Previously, many Sicilian patients had to travel to other regions for treatment.
Under the agreement, UPMC Children's Hospital of Pittsburgh provides:
Telemedicine
Real-time telemedicine connects patients and doctors in Palermo to health care providers in the United States. Using videoconferencing equipment, patients receive:
Pediatric Liver Transplant telemedicine consultations.
Fast and secure image transmission for interpretation.
High-quality care without having to travel far distances.
