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This reports our visit to Cuba this past April.
Overall, the visit was very educational and productive for all involved. Our team made contacts with several important Cuban healthcare providers:
1) Dr. Jorge Grau - National Director of their Palliative Care Programs. Dr. Grau is a health psychologist and is active internationally.
2) Magaly Chacon - Nurse educator and researcher who is helping to lead the National Educational Program in Palliative Care.
3) Dr. Nelido Gonzalez - Vice Director of the National Institute of Oncology.
4) Dr. Rolando Camacho - National Director of the Cancer Control Program.
On Saturday, the 10th of April we hosted our Cuban colleagues for an informal dinner in Havana which helped us to get to know one another and begin to establish relationships.
On the 12th of April we visited the National Institute of Oncology and presented them with a large amount of donated medicines we had brought from the United States, several donated textbooks from our group in Akron, Ohio as well as the manuals IAHPC provided. We also met with the Director of their Ethics Committee on that day, as well as the overall Director of the Institute of Oncology.
On the 13th of April we presented at a conference attended by 50-60 nurses and physicians from around Cuba. Dr. Grau presented for about 90 minutes on the development of Cuba's Palliative Care Program. Subsequently, John Mastrojohn (from Akron) and I presented some general information on Palliative Care in the United States and specific information regarding our own Palliative Care Programs. Specific topical presentations followed including Treatment of Pain, Treatment of Nausea, Vomiting and Constipation, The Development of an Inpatient Palliative Care Consult Service, and Our Prospective on the Function of a Clinical Hospital Ethics Committee. Each presentation involved vigorous dialogue with our colleagues. The presentations were all well received and allowed for further relationship building.
On the 14th of April we visited a polyclinic on the outskirts of Havana to meet with a community based Palliative Care Team. The team was made up of a psychologist, an internist who had received additional training in palliative care, and a nurse with special expertise in home care and pain control.
On the 15th of April we met for dinner at the home of Dr. Gonzalez' daughter. This was an excellent wrap-up to the week and allowed for further conversation and educational interchange.
They have extended us an open-ended invitation to come again. Additionally, we have extended an invitation to any of their team members to come and spend time with us. We were all very touched by the openness and hospitality of our colleagues in Cuba. Additionally, we were very impressed by their commitment to their patients and their work in spite of the limited resources available to them. We are excited about the possibility of returning to Cuba in the next 1-2 years. Recent actions by the current administration of the United States may make this very difficult. Nonetheless, we will remain in contact with our friends and colleagues in Cuba and continue to try to plan further educational interchanges. At the very least, we would be happy to host one or more of the palliative care providers with whom we worked.
I cannot thank the International Institute of Palliative Care enough for their support for our fellowship. We remain at your service and very grateful for your kindness.
Steven M. Radwany, M.D.
Medical Director,
Hospice of Summa
Akron, Ohio USA
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