For immediate release: January 25th, 2012.
Contact:
Elizabeth Parsons, Director of International Projects
Tom Clarke, President & CEO

Pediatric diarrhea is one of the leading causes of death among the developing world’s children, killing approximately two million each year. The Rota virus alone is estimated to take the lives of 500,000 children annually. Kissito Healthcare International has been working with the world’s foremost expert on pediatric diarrhea, Dr. Herbert DuPont of the University of Texas-School of Public Health, to put a stop to this epidemic.

Boston University medical students did some fieldwork in Africa on behalf of Kissito where they collected samples of the stools of malnourished children. These samples were then sent to Dr. DuPont’s laboratory which revealed some unfortunate and unexpected findings; 50 of 60 some samples tested positive for E.Coli, Norovirus and Rota virus.

Dr. DuPont had been collaborating with Napo Pharmaceuticals on a drug called Crofelemer that has been shown to dramatically enhance the efficacy of Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT) in certain populations. He shared his findings with them and as a result, Napo has recently entered into an agreement with the University of Texas and Kissito to conduct clinical trial interventions for Crofelemer in Manafwa District.

The work that Kissito Healthcare International is doing along with the University of Texas, Napo pharmaceuticals, Boston University, and dozens of other affiliates can possibly lead to a major breakthrough in saving the lives of children in under-developed countries, and make a significant positive impact on global health.

About Kissito Healthcare
Founded in 1989, Kissito Healthcare exists solely for the betterment and care of human life. We seek to improve patient outcomes in our domestic and global services through a balanced engagement in academics, research and health care delivery. As a charitable organization, Kissito Healthcare is funded by private and government grants and donations. In nine U.S. facilities, we provide post acute care, chronic disease self –management, long term care, assisted living, Alzheimer/dementia care, specialized respiratory care and employment to more than 800 of the country’s most dedicated and passionate healthcare providers. In our global health initiatives, we provide acute care, primary care, pediatric malnutrition programs, maternal and child health programs, and various research programs related to maternal and child health in the countries of Uganda and Ethiopia. Our global and domestic vision is to develop healthcare delivery systems that lower costs and improve outcomes for the world’s most vulnerable populations where resources are extremely limited.

Our internal culture is intensely guided by our four core values of Integrity, Passion, Excellence, and Respect.

For immediate release: September 14, 2011
Contact:
Elizabeth Parsons, Director of International Projects
Tom Clarke, President & CEO

Bugobero physicians, Dr. Mesa and Dr. Sabiiti, outside the busy Bugobero Health Center IV.

Monday, September 12th, 2011 marked a new record for the Kissito Healthcare International-operated Bugobero Health Center IV in Bugobero Village of the Manafwa District of Uganda. In March of this year, only 20 to 30 patients trickled into the small clinic each day and just over six months later, 483 patients were seen – a run rate of 200,000 patients per year and 19 times as many since Kissito’s initial presence in March.

Kissito has collaborated with the Administration of Manafwa District to transform the former severely under-staffed, under-supplied health facility to one of the District’s most successful and sought-after. Kissito policy is that all services are free of charge and Kissito works alongside government entities and organizations to ensure that all patients receive the medications they need at no cost to them.

At the Bugobero Health Center IV, with some assistance of other supporting healthcare entities, patients are able to be assessed and treated for various diseases and ailments – most commonly malaria, diarrheal and upper respiratory. Additionally, patients are able to receive full gynecological services, labor and delivery services and emergency care. Available operations include cesarean sections, tumor and cyst removal, wound care and bone setting. Every Monday the center provides an HIV clinic and every other Monday children are assessed for malnourishment.

Kissito partner, Jinja-based Serving His Children, manages the malnutrition assessment clinic and will continue to do so until the Kissito-Serving His Children center opens in Bugobero, about a five-minute drive away from the clinic. Severe cases of malnutrition are transferred to Jinja for treatment.

Now that Kissito has two doctors on the ground able to perform surgery, fewer cases are referred to Mbale Regional Referral Hospital (as was formerly the case). According to Uganda Minister of Health standards, every district should have its own referral hospital. The Manafwa District does not yet have its own hospital, Mbale being the closest, so Kissito is currently working to upgrade the Bugobero Health Center IV into the regional referral hospital serving all of Manafwa District.

For more stories about Kissito International initiatives, click here.

About Kissito Healthcare
Founded in 1989, Kissito Healthcare exists solely for the betterment and care of human life. We seek to improve patient outcomes in our domestic and global services through a balanced engagement in academics, research and health care delivery. As a charitable organization, Kissito Healthcare is funded by private and government grants and donations. In nine U.S. facilities, we provide post acute care, chronic disease self –management, long term care, assisted living, Alzheimer/dementia care, specialized respiratory care and employment to more than 800 of the country’s most dedicated and passionate healthcare providers. In our global health initiatives, we provide acute care, primary care, pediatric malnutrition programs, maternal and child health programs, and various research programs related to maternal and child health in the countries of Uganda and Ethiopia. Our global and domestic vision is to develop healthcare delivery systems that lower costs and improve outcomes for the world’s most vulnerable populations where resources are extremely limited.

Our internal culture is intensely guided by our four core values of Integrity, Passion, Excellence, and Respect.

5228 Valleypointe Pkwy, Bldg B Ste 1
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For immediate release: July 5, 2011
Contact:
Elizabeth Parsons, Director of International Projects
Tom Clarke, President & CEO

Bring her home safely: Confronting Uganda’s high maternal mortality rate with emergency OB training

July 4th, 2011 kicked off Kissito’s ten-day training in emergency obstetrics (OB) and newborn health at the Mbale Regional Hospital in Mbale, Uganda. More than 30 Ugandan physicians and midwives are participating in intensive, hands-on training modules designed to save the lives of high-risk mothers and their infants.

Dr. Kiprono from the University of Mississipi has partnered with Kissito to lead emergency obstetrics training in Uganda which she designed

Kissito recruited OB-GYN and University of Mississippi fellow, Dr. Luissa Kiprono, to lead the training. Dr. Kiprono will be assisted by Nurse Audrey Kirkland, a seasoned practitioner in emergency obstetrical issues, who also made the long journey from Mississippi to volunteer her time and expertise.

Dr. Peter Johnson, Director of Global Learning at Jhpiego, a Johns Hopkins University affiliate, was Kissito’s special guest on Day 1 and commenced the training with a midwifery clinic. Dr. Johnson brings twenty-seven years to the field and is one of the world’s most respected midwives.

Furthermore, three medical students from Boston University, Priyanka Vedak, Christopher Johnson and Tony Rianprakaisang, have been deeply involved with the planning and implementation of the training.

“Kissito is honored to draw this kind of expertise to meet Uganda’s great needs,” says Elizabeth Parsons, Kissito Program Director. “Our Ugandan partners are so eager to learn new skills on how to handle OB emergencies. We’re all working together to make sure this isn’t just a one-time event, but the launch of a long term training of healthcare professionals.”

The training is significant in confronting Uganda’s tragically high maternal mortality ratio (MMR) and infant mortality rate (IMR). With 430 women dying per 10,000 live births (compared to 24 per 10,000 in the U.S.), and 79 of every 1,000 infants dying during the birthing process (compared to 6.8 in the U.S.), building skills of the country’s clinical workforce is key to saving lives.

Janet, 15 year-old Ugandan who could have died from childbirth (right); Janet's mother (left)

Proper training in OB emergencies could make all the difference for expectant mothers like little Janet, a 15 year-old villager who stole the hearts of the Kissito team in September. After hours of painful labor and heavy blood loss, she and her mother appeared at the Bugabero Health Center IV, a small clinic operated by KHI, which is about a 45 minute drive north from Mbale Regional Hospital. When Janet’s baby began to emerge hand first – and as health clinics in Uganda are not equipped for birth, much less a potentially life-threatening one – the Kissito team rushed Janet and her mother to the Mbale Regional Hospital. Unfortunately, by the time they had arrived, Janet’s baby had died. Janet’s situation was dire as well; Kissito learned during a subsequent follow-up that hospital staff did not remove the baby for a day and a half, resulting in severe post-partum infection.

Thanks to Kissito’s donors, small and large, Janet was able to get the antibiotics necessary to treat the infection. But stories like hers happen every day and many Ugandan women are not as lucky. The lack of appropriate equipment, medication, anti-natal care and well-trained staff all contributes to an alarming number of preventable deaths and suffering for mothers across much of East Africa.

Boston University med students, KHI staff, University of Mississippi staff and Mbale and Manafwa district officals meet to discuss OB training

Dr. Kiprono is helping the medical staff in Mbale be better prepared to manage emergency cases and specific complications that commonly arise, like Janet’s. Additionally, she and Kirkland will be training the staff in the use of a Kissito-donated portable ultrasound machine (the first ever at Mbale Hospital!).

To kick off the training on the first day, the second in command to the Federal Minister of Health of Uganda served as keynote speaker and 48 attended Dr. Johnson’s midwifery clinic. 40 participated in Dr. Kiprono’s training as she delivered 15 babies and performed one caesarean section. Two national newspapers, The Monitor and New Vision, covered the opening event as did four radio stations in three different languages.

Like “Kissito Healthcare International” on Facebook, follow us on Twitter (@KissitoIntl) or visit our web site to check back over the course of ten days to follow the latest developments.

About Kissito Healthcare
Founded in 1989, Kissito Healthcare exists solely for the betterment and care of human life. We seek to improve patient outcomes in our domestic and global services through a balanced engagement in academics, research and health care delivery. As a charitable organization, Kissito Healthcare is funded by private and government grants and donations. In nine U.S. facilities, we provide post acute care, chronic disease self –management, long term care, assisted living, Alzheimer/dementia care, specialized respiratory care and employment to more than 800 of the country’s most dedicated and passionate healthcare providers. In our global health initiatives, we provide acute care, primary care, pediatric malnutrition programs, maternal and child health programs, and various research programs related to maternal and child health in the countries of Uganda and Ethiopia. Our global and domestic vision is to develop healthcare delivery systems that lower costs and improve outcomes for the world’s most vulnerable populations where resources are extremely limited.

Our internal culture is intensely guided by our four core values of Integrity, Passion, Excellence, and Respect.

To learn more visit our media rooms: http://www.kissitohealthcare.org and http://www.kissitointernational.org

The Kissito Healthcare International (KHI) team in Uganda recently discovered three-year-old Mabonga who was admitted to several different hospitals about five months ago due to excess fluid in his eye. He finally had undergone surgery in a hospital in Tororo where he was, at first, believed to have contracted an infection which became the large mass on his face.

His mother was told to go home and just wait for Mabonga to die. Kissito was heartbroken that these were the only words of hope for Mabonga and his mother – which were not hopeful at all! Upon discovery that the CURE hospital might offer services that could help, the Kissito International team decided immediately to take him there. Dr. Johnson, a reputable doctor at CURE, attended little Mabonga on May 23rd. A radiograph was performed on his head to make sure that whatever Mabonga’s health problem was did not involve his brain. Luckily, the radiography showed that it did not. Whatever the mass was, the doctors could be certain, was coming from his eye.

At that time, Kissito was desperately trying to find the next step toward health recovery for Mabonga. Dr. Johnson informed the team that if Mabonga stayed this way for two more weeks, he would die. In a panic, Kissito tried to decide if they should take Mabonga to the Mulago hospital or the international hospital – or if he should be flown to the United States for treatment.

With the help of Kissito academic partners, we discovered Mabonga had sarcoma of the orbit, a highly preventable malignant tumor of the eye

With Mabonga’s condition still unidentified, Kissito contacted its affiliate, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, with what information we had regarding Mabonga’s case. They immediately contacted an ophthalmologist in San Diego from John Hopkins University that, though our photos weren’t too illustrative, was able to identify Mabonga’s condition as sarcoma of the orbit – a malignant tumor in Mabonga’s eye cavity. The mass on his face was actually the tumor and not an infection like we had originally thought.

Caught early enough, treatment for sarcoma has a very high success rate. The nearest hospital that would have been able to treat Mabonga was in Kampala and the only reason Mabonga’s mother couldn’t take him earlier was because they didn’t have the money to get there. The cost would have been equivalent to about five dollars in the U.S. So, Mabonga’s tumor grew and grew, his breath grew heavier and he became more and more fatigued until his family heard about the clinic in Bugabero where Kissito serves. His mother brought him there as their last chance for hope.

Though we didn’t know right away, by the time Mabonga came to Bugabero, it was too late. Despite urgent visits to the CURE, International and Mulago hospitals, it seemed that the cancer was too far along. KHI had plans, with the permission of his family, to bring him to our staff housing in Mbale where he could be hooked to IV antibiotics. Due to his weakness and frailty, we did not believe he would be able to withstand anesthesia to undergo the surgery he’d need – and he was extremely susceptible to airborne viruses and disease. At that point, we thought the best we could do would be to offer a dignified transition to death for sweet Mabonga, lavished with love and as much comfort as what was available. Kissito would work in conjunction with the hospice in Kampala to provide palliative medication and ease for the pain. We figured that would be much better than allowing him to suffer till passed away, as he probably would somewhere else.

However, upon further consideration that he would cease either way, KHI and other medical professionals involved decided to take the risk and attempt a surgery – that way there was at least a hope in saving his life. Unfortunately, Mabonga’s blood was too low on platelets, the protein required for blood to clot. Excessive bleeding eventually led to Mabonga’s death.

There are 183 health extension workers in Manafwa District. If they could be trained in early detection of disease, diseases could be detected before they exacerbated – saving the lives of children like Mabonga. Kissito has plans to do just that and is currently considering the hiring and training of experts in community health.

Some models, like CHE Network, involve a U.S. representative going to a developing community with a set of lesson plans – CHE has about 2000 lesson plans varying from HIV prevention to the protection of clean water sources. The intention is to educate the community with support from either churches or public health officials in hope of training the natives of the land to be their community’s new health leaders. As the Chinese and English proverb goes, “Give a man a fish, you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime”; the method is prevention-based rather than treatment-based.

With continued and new support from donors – large and small – Kissito will educate health care extension workers by a similar model as that of CHE Network and will be preventing the unnecessary deaths of children like Mabonga. What if Mabonga grew up to be the political leader that brought peace Africa? What if he grew up to be a doctor and care for his people? We’ll never know now, but we take this story and convert it into the energy and passion we need to stop this from happening in the future.

And we need help! Contact our International Programs Director, Elizabeth Parsons (Elizabeth.Parsons@kissitohealthcare.org), to find out how you can. Give your Time, Talent or Treasure.

The Yuma facility is a single-story, 143-bed skilled nursing facility that was built in 1964 and is currently in the midst of a multi-million dollar renovation. The renovation will improve the approximately 40,000-square-foot building’s facade, lobby and flooring, as well as add services to the facility, including a newly constructed rehabilitation building. The renovation, which is expected to cost approximately $3.5 million, is being paid for by Kissito Healthcare, the operator of Yuma Skilled Nursing Facility, which has agreed to a new lease that will run through April 30, 2026 with two additional ten-year renewal options. Kissito Healthcare is the same operator of the five skilled nursing facilities of the Virginia Skilled Nursing Facility Portfolio, which Grubb & Ellis Healthcare REIT II purchased in September 2010.

Read more from Grubb & Ellis.

Also, this was fed through GlobeSt.com news and NewsOnFeeds.com.

Imagine an archway of silver, white and blue pearl balloons and suspended ceiling ornaments color-coordinated with wall adornments in a room full of tables with inimitable centerpieces—large clear vases with blue glass stones, delphiniums and beta fish.  Furthermore, a red carpet rolls into the entrance.

Kissito residents at Maple Grove were professionally photographed upon a red-carpet entrance this year at the Winter Frolic in Lebanon, Virginia, at the cusp of an enchanting evening including an evening meal and performances by Chief Administrative Officer Sam Justus’ daughters, Emilee and Abby, and two others, Elizabeth Looney and Ashley Saunders.

December 20, 2010- Houston, Texas

Kissito Healthcare Announces Affiliation with University of Texas Health School of Nursing , Starck Accelerated PhD Scholars Program

Kissito Healthcare is one of eight organizations that has agreed to provide a gift to the Starck Accelerated PhD Scholars Program  initiative of at least $60,000 per year for three years. This gift will provide Lisa Boss, RN and doctoral student the ability to participate fully in the Starck Accelerated PhD Scholars Program.

During an Oct. 28 celebratory event at Trevísio Restaurant in the Texas Medical Center Commons, George R. Farris and Dean Patricia L. Starck, D.S.N., R.N., together unveiled a plaque now permanently on display in the lobby of the UTHealth School of Nursing to recognize gifts of $10,000 and more to “The Patricia L. Starck Accelerated Ph.D. Scholars Program.” Farris led the successful $2-million fundraising drive on behalf of the school’s Advisory Council as a tribute to Dr. Starck’s 25 years of service as dan.