Researchers, students and faculty at USF’s College of Public Health (COPH) might be a tightly knit group in Tampa, but their voice is heard internationally.
An example of reaching beyond borders is the USF-COPH Panama Program at the City of Knowledge, a cluster of academic and technology organizations built on a former military base in Panama City, Panama. It promotes academic exchange and scientific research among colleagues in Florida and Latin America.
“This program has been ongoing for over 20 years, so it’s not a single project, with Panama as a hub for regional research and academic endeavors’’ said Dr. Arlene Calvo, an associate professor within the Department of Community Health Sciences.
Leaders and students from USF Health recently conducted an exploratory visit to Panama hosted by the Secretary of Science, Technology and Innovation, the City of Knowledge and the regional center on medical simulation CREASS. In this collaboration, the group visited the Gorgas Memorial Institute, the University of Panama-Medical School, the City of Health, the Regional Center for Vaccine Research and the Ministry of Health, among other partners. The visit included three intensive days of study and consultation and discussions with COPH alumni.
Drs. Vermund (second from right) and Okuda (far right) visited with Panamanian COPH alumni Drs. Nydia Flores and Roderick Chen at the new City of Health, a large regional campus for health care. (Photo courtesy of Calvo)
“The opportunities for collaboration with USF are many,’’ said Dr. Sten Vermund, dean of COPH and chief medical officer of Global Virus Network (GVN). “For instance, GVN is keen to expand its footprint in Panama, with a special interest in their regional leadership potential.’’
The trip included meetings with the CREASS staff and trainees, who are charged with advancing health care education and clinical training through simulation and computer models. The visit was of particular interest to Dr. Yasuharu Okuda, professor of emergency medicine and medical education and executive director of USF’s Center for Advanced Medical Learning and Simulation (CAMLS). COPH, in collaboration with CAMLS, now offers a new undergraduate degree with a concentration in healthcare simulation science.
“It’s an impressive facility,’’ said Okuda, who has toured similar centers in India, Saudi Arabia, Korea, Mexico, Japan and Singapore. “We’re excited to continue strengthening this partnership to improve patient outcomes and support health care workforce development across Panama and Latin America.’’
The COPH has had a formal presence in Panama since 2004, supporting study abroad programs, international field experiences and internships, service learning, faculty and student exchange, and multiple types of research opportunities. The recent visit underscores how far things have advanced, said Jesse Casanova, associate director International Programs at USF.
“Panama is moving at lightning speed towards becoming a country with many regional centers of excellence for all Latin America,’’ he said. “Its vision aligns with the mission of USF Health at many levels.’’
USF delegates during a visit to SENACYT. (Photo courtesy of Calvo)
Panama is a major hub for academic collaboration and for good reason. The country has a tradition of public and medical research initiated during the construction of the Panama Canal, when public health and engineering innovations played an important role in this process. Improved health methods, such as containing and treating malaria, had to advance in order the finish the $375 million project, completed in 1914 (a later expansion effort led by the Panamanian government, finished in 2016, cost $5.2 billion).
Today, the country’s constitution dictates that every citizen and resident of Panama should have access to health care. The system is maintained by the Ministry of Health, Social Security Administration and the private sector.
But the link with Panama goes beyond a single focus on public health, Calvo said.
“The program is all-inclusive to USF,’’ she said. “It has involved USF World, the Colleges of Engineering, Arts and Sciences, Business, plus the Global Virus Network, the Institute for Latin American and Caribbean Studies-ISLAC, among others. The purpose is to explore collaborations for all groups, cement existing partnerships and finalize projects. It’s exploding with scientific endeavors.’’
In addition to Calvo, hosts of the recent Panama program included:
- Dr. Eduardo Ortega Barría, secretary of science, technology and innovation of Panama.
- Jorge Arosemena, president of the City of Knowledge
- Dr. Gilma Espinosa, director of the CREASS AIP simulation center
- Dr. Lourdes Cortes, representative of the Ministry of Health at CREASS