 I was the only student in the program during my rotation month, which made my experience extremely unique. I was pushed beyond many of my comfort limits, and was able to able to grow in my academics as well as socially and spiritually. I couldn’t fall back on the comforts of having fellow native English speakers or similar travel companions.
However, this provided a perfect set-up for me to spend more quality time with my host family and gain some confidence in traveling solo. I was also able to take the time to just observe and soak in my surroundings. My busy schedule these past few years have gotten me out of the habit of taking the time to do this, so I was extremely grateful to be forced into a situation (because of the language barrier) where I was mainly an observer and learner of both the health system and culture of India.
I developed some wonderful new friendships with my host family and with those who worked at the clinics. The amount of hospitality they demonstrated and patience with my lack of language knowledge was amazing.
What did CFHI do for you and what did you need to do on your own?
Meredith: CFHI set up all of the living arrangements, transportation to and from the airport, food and clean water during the rotation, and transportation to and from the clinic sites. They also arranged all of the rotations with the physicians and made sure that I was safe and comfortable throughout the entire trip.
I was responsible for arranging my flights to and from India, receiving all required vaccines before traveling, and acquiring my tourist’s Visa before starting the program. I also was free to travel on my time off during the month, but was responsible for paying for these trips and making the arrangements on my own. The program director and staff in India were extremely helpful, however, in helping me with these arrangements.
Describe your favorite must-have food that you tried abroad.
Meredith: I LOVED the food in India. The program director had me try a different food from various areas of India each day for breakfast to give me a good intro into Indian food. My host mom was also an amazing cook, and made sure that I never was a tad bit hungry.
If I had to pick one must-have food I would definitely say chapati. My host mom taught me how to make this, and I’ve made it several times since I’ve been back because I just couldn’t get enough of it!
I also enjoyed all of the spiced chai. Even though I was there in the hottest month, everyone drank their chai steaming hot! So it was not the most refreshing drink, but the flavor was amazing. In the clinics, we would always stop around 12:30 to have a chai break. I would look forward to these each day, and am seriously considering incorporating them into my work day back in the States!
Did you run into a language barrier? Did you ever think you knew more/less of the language?
Meredith: Like I had mentioned earlier, the language barrier was a mixed blessing for me during this trip. I tried to learn a few key phrases before coming over, but there are so many different languages and variations of the same language, that I was hopelessly non-verbal for most of the trip.
This proved to be secluding at times, but again forced me to be more observant and reflective. The physicians in the hospitals and clinics did speak very good English, however, so I was able to have some great conversations with them about India’s health system. They were also very interested in the U.S. health system, so we had some interesting discussions about that, too.Written Answers. - Child Abuse.
The following is the position in respect of each board excluding the Eastern Regional Health Authority regarding the number of children within each board alleged to be victims of abuse whose family circumstances and situation are currently being assessed. Information from the Eastern Regional Health Authority is not yet to hand: I will forward it to the Deputy when available.
An initial assessment commences as soon as possible on receipt of the report. The average length of time of a full assessment varies from case to case and cases are prioritised on intake. Factors influencing the length of time of a full assessment are as follows: the varying levels of complexity and different methods used to assess different forms of abuse, whether or not a case is subject to court proceedings, if more than one type of abuse is alleged, the nature and extent of the alleged abuse, and the facts and evidence available.
The following is the position in respect of each board regarding the number of children who are alleged to be victims of abuse and who are presently awaiting full assessment. The health boards have informed me that all children awaiting assessment have undergone an initial assessment and have been found not to be at risk.
The following is the position in respect of each board regarding the number of such children who have been awaiting assessment for more than three months.
CLEVELAND, Ohio — Every day, the guidance on how to get tested for the novel coronavirus, which causes COVID-19, changes.
How to get tested depends on which health care system you use. You do not need to be a Cuyahoga County resident, just a patient at one of these systems or providers.
The Cleveland Clinic announced it will reserve COVID-19 testing for only high-risk patients to preserve its supply of testing swabs. The hospital has an adequate supply, but didn’t anticipate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic in Italy, where the swabs are manufactured, the hospital system said in a statement Tuesday.
High-risk patients include those who currently are hospitalized, as well as those who are 61 and older. These patients will continue to be tested at the Clinic’s drive-thru testing site: the W.O. Walker Building parking garage, at 10524 Euclid Ave. in Cleveland. Testing is only available with a Clinic doctor’s order.
Patients under 60, who have a Clinic doctor’s order, are asked not to go to the W.O. Walker testing facility until the Clinic gives them further instructions. Patients with a fever over 100.4 and/or a cough are asked to self-quarantine, the Clinic said. If their condition worsens, these patients are instructed to contact their doctor or go to the emergency department.
In the first four days of operating drive-thru testing sites, the Clinic tested more than 2,200 patients, and 2,100 patients are waiting to be tested, the health system said. There were “a small number” of positive test results for COVID-19, the Clinic said.
Previously, the Clinic was providing drive-thru testing for patients both at its W.O. Walker site and at the University Hospitals Landerbrook site, but Clinic patients no longer are being tested at UH Landerbrook.
UH is still offering coronavirus testing for anyone with a doctor’s order at the UH Landerbrook Health Center drive-through testing site in Mayfield Heights. There are no high-risk restrictions at UH.
"If they have a doctor's order and they are a UH patient, they should go to the Landerbrook location only, and we will do our best to process as many patients as we can from 11 a.m. to 7 p.m.,” said UH spokeswoman Jeannine Denholm. "Our policies are exactly the same."
UH has not experienced any shortage of testing swabs thus far, she said.
UH patients should not go to W.O. Walker for testing, Denholm said.
“Doctors who are not associated with UH or the Clinic are still able to test their patients and send the specimens to be tested by the Ohio Department of Health or​ other private labs​,” said ODH public information specialist Rachel Feeley.
“This is the same process from before the hospitals developed their own testing capabilities and will help ensure that patients do not fall through the cracks,” Feeley said.
A good first step is to call your doctor for an assessment, Feeley said. Patients with mild symptoms may not need a COVID-19 test, and will be told to self-quarantine by their healthcare provider. If symptoms are worse or a doctor decides testing is needed, the patient will receive instructions on how to get a test or medical care, Feeley said.
Feeley added that testing at the ODH lab must be requested via the patient’s local health department, and approved by ODH prior to the specimen being submitted.
MetroHealth will test non-Metro patients for COVID-19, a spokesman said. However, testing supplies are limited, and reserved for critically-ill hospitalized patients and those who have had direct contact with them, MetroHealth CEO Dr. Akram Boutros said in a statement.
MetroHealth is working with its vendors to get the supplies needed to expand testing and make it more widely available.
Another good first step is calling the MetroHealth System COVID-19 hotline at 440-59-COVID |||PHONE_NUMBER||| ).
Anyone — including those whose primary physician isn’t at MetroHealth —can call the hotline to be screened to determine if he or she needs to be tested, a spokesman said. A provider will ask questions, evaluate symptoms and give advice about whether to get tested, see a doctor or to stay at home.
MetroHealth has received more than 1,100 calls since opening the COVID hotline Friday, the health system said. Nearly half of those calls resulted in a telehealth visit with a physician, and about 90% of patients who spoke with physicians were told to self-quarantine.
MetroHealth can now test COVID-19 samples at its in-house laboratory, and results are available in two hours. The decision whether or not to administer a COVID