Children's Mercy Signs Exchange Agreement

Children's Mercy recently signed an agreement with a university in Cuernavaca, Mexico (The Universidad Autónoma del Estado de Morelos - UAEM) and their affiliated pediatric hospital (Hospital del Niño Morelense) for cultural, educational and scientific cooperation.

Randall L. O'Donnell, PhD, President and CEO, and UAEM representatives signed the three-year agreement during a ceremony at the KU Medical Center. The University of Kansas School of Medicine also renewed an agreement with the UAEM at the same ceremony.

Children's Mercy's new agreement with the UAEM is the first specific relationship created under a general agreement signed with the Mexican Ministry of Health in 2009 and renewed this year at a separate signing ceremony.

As part of the new UAEM agreement, three pediatric residents from the university's affiliated pediatric hospital will rotate at Children's Mercy this fall (one each in the months of September, October and November). Children's Mercy also will help the University of Kansas Medical School host medical students from Cuernavaca who are spending a social service year in Kansas City.

The agreement provides for exchange of:

• Joint research and educational activities;
• Invitations to scholars (faculty and research personnel) for lectures and visits, and to medical, nursing, allied health and graduate students for clinical experiences and research;
• Invitations to scholars for participation in conferences, symposia and seminars;
• Information in fields of interest to both institutions;
• Faculty, research personnel and graduate students for study and research;
• Academic materials of mutual interest.

 

The agreement is an outgrowth of a visit made to the UAEM, which is located about 50 miles south of Mexico City, by JC Cowden, MD, MPH, Medical Director of the Office of Equity and Diversity and the founder of the CHICOS Clinic (Clínica Hispana de Cuidados de Salud), at the Children's Mercy Pediatric Care Center. The CHICOS Clinic is a program where select pediatric residents with intermediate or better Spanish proficiency train formally in bilingual, cross-cultural care over the three years of their residency.

"This agreement supports the Children's Mercy vision to be an international leader recognized for advancing pediatric health and the hospital's strategy to elevate our academic profile with enhanced research and educational programs," said Ivett Shah, Director-Children's Mercy International Services. "The exchange of knowledge, understanding and skills will benefit both of our institutions. We're especially pleased to be hosting the residents because there's no better way to build cultural understanding than through the personal relationships that develop in exchange programs."

 

 Randall L. O'Donnell, PhD, President and CEO of Children's Mercy (center) and representatives of UAEM signed the exchange agreement during a ceremony at the University of Kansas Medical Center. Pictured are (from left) Dr. Norma Angélica Juárez, UAEM Director of International Cooperation and Development; Dr. Rodolfo Gatica, Dean-UAEM School of Medicine; Dr. Patricia Castillo, UAEM Academic Secretary (physician leader); Dr. O'Donnell; Dr. Allen Rawitch, Vice Chancellor-KU School of Medicine; Dr. Douglas Girod, Executive Vice Chancellor-University of Kansas Medical Center; and Dr. Paula Cupertino, Assistant Professor-Preventive Medicine & Public Health at KU Med.